Before getting into starting the model, The dimensions of Current Line Models' power truck is unknown to me. Therefore, the Q-Car Company power and trail trucks were chosen. Current Line Models should publish the dimensions of his power trucks.
There are a number of items to get ready to be able to
build the model. This includes photos, books, and whatever primary information
you can. Primary being 1st person accounts or professional literature of the prototype. If not,
then secondary information can be used. Secondary being 2nd hand
accounts such as modeling articles. More weight has to be given to primary
information.
Primary information includes (not in any particular
order of importance):
·
Photos
·
C.E.R.A. Bulletin 104 “The Great Third Rail”
·
“Aurora-Elgin Area Street Cars &
Interurbans, Aurora Elgin & Fox River Electric Company Volume 2” by Hopkins
Stolp Peffers
·
The Story of the Chicago Aurora & Elgin
Railroad 2 – History
Secondary information includes:
·
“AE&C flat motor No. 49”, Railroad Model
Craftsmen June 1996, written by James Tangney
Besides the 2 photos in a prior post here is another
photo which may be of interest. This is a photo of the #49 when it was painted
orange.
In orange paint John Cloos Collection
Always try to get 8” x 10” prints of photos. However,
sometimes enlarging a photo to a print this size will cause the details to blur. If this happens then
smaller prints need to be made. If needed use a magnifying glass to examine your prints no matter the size.
The employees at the local Walgreens must think
I’m nuts with the large photos, then small photos, and then, large again of the same
subject. Each print being a close up of one special section of the prototype.
After the photos comes the plans. Whatever plans you have,
print out to scale size. In making the scale size print, you probably used only
1 dimension to scale out the printing. Not to say there is anything wrong with
the plan, but check as many of the other dimensions on the scale copy of the drawing as possible.
Sometimes drawings are not as correct as they should be. Things happen during the
printing process.
Also, if you make photocopies of scale drawings, always
check them out. Some photocopiers reduced the copy by a small amount.
There needs to be some corrections made to my corrections
of Joseph Hazinski’s drawings. After checking Peffers’s book, #49 had only
1 controller installed along one side of the locomotive. On page 95 under the “Miscellaneous” section
is, “Only 1 Side Control”. This meant the single controller was installed closer to
one side of the cab. The locomotive could only be operated from that side.
Along with the controller would be the brake valve and probably an air gauge.
The controller was probably installed next to the open
window seen in the photos. Installing the controller along the center line of
the cab would make the controller too hard to reach with the operator at the
window.
Switching with #49 was probably done with a meager crew - the motorman and 1 man on the ground to direct the motorman during switching operations. It was imperative for the motorman to see this individual for hand signals. The motorman had to be at the side of the locomotive almost all the time.
With the control location being next to the open window
may be the reason so many photos were taken of this side of #49 and not the
other. There is no telling about the windows on the other side of the locomotive. Unless a photo of the other side is found, I’d
make both sides the same.
In the photo supplied above, no whistle can be see in the end of the cab. This probably means #49 had
only 1 whistle and not 2 during the orange era of the locomotive. I'm making the red era and I'll stick with 1 whistle.
Another fact apparent from the photo is the center 2 side
windows are recessed into the car "1 layer" more than the 2 outer windows. "One
layer" only means for the model maker, in back of the current layer. It’s
impossible to tell exactly how deep the center 2 windows are from the front of
the side windows.
After looking at an 8 x 10 close up of the windows in the
red painted version of 49, what had looked like a rebuilding (my red circle on
Joe’s drawing) of the center 2 windows is a small gutter with a short drain pipe
to the right. The lack of rain gutters on the roof had puzzled me. The rain gutter on the side would explain their absence.
In comparing the photos of the red version versus the
orange version of #49, there are a number of differences between the two. Seeing
I will be building the red version, having someone build the orange version
will be an interesting comparison. More than the removal of the snow plow
equipment took place during the rebuilding and painting to red..
I’ve starred at 8 x 10 photos using a magnifying lens for
many hours. As the model of the #49 is built some of the other details or lack of details will be
pointed out. The #49 is an interesting prototype to be modeled.
I personally knew Don Idarius, who took most
of the photos we have of #49. Unfortunately Don died about 10 years ago. To
see if there are more photos of #49 available I’ve contacted his son, Kevin. Unfortunately, his father's negatives are not available for viewing. However, I'm still looking for additional photos. There are more leads to track down.
Don was very active in the C.E.R.A. and went on many, if
not all, of the fan trips sponsored by the organization. Don could have ridden
on #49 during the fan trips. He would probably know more about #49 than any of
us could gather from photos and written material in books.
Don was also an accomplished, well known O scale modeler.
He was always challenging other modelers to build trolley models. Thanks to Don
I built a model of the Chicago West Towns #12, a cab-on-flat locomotive much
like the #49. Don gave me a copy of his notes and plan of #12.
My model is powered with the older Northwest Short Lines
Magic Carpets. The CWT #12 had 2 controllers, with one installed at each end of
the central, thin cab. Some of the brake and electrical gear was installed under the
car. This could be done due to the length of the #12. To pull standard railroad
cars, a chain would “woven” over the RR’s car’s coupler and attached to the
#12.
Another cab-on-flat scratch built by me is CRT S-301 boom
car. Photos and a partial plan were supplied by Bruce Moffat. With the aid of
my son, using photos we were able to figure out the size of lumber used for the
boom. It took awhile, but the workings of the boom were finally figured out.
My model is powered with the same power truck style to be
used in building the #49. As you can see the S-301 had the cab at one end of
the car with a central controller and windows all around. The cab doors were
pocket doors common on the CRT passenger cars. Unless it was the dead of winter
the open cab doors were the best means to see the railway ahead. The S-301 had
2 air compressors on the deck due to lack of space under the car were all of
the other brake and electrical gear were placed. Interesting, obscure items are
the air powered wenches to lift the arm of the boom and material to be lifted
by the boom itself.
I don’t consider myself to be an expert on building
cab-on-flat models. However, I’ve had some practice. It’s hard to compare one
prototype cab-on-flat locomotive to another. Each is individually designed for
a particular purpose taking into account what the loco is to be used for plus
the environment in which it will be used. At the same time local, state, and
federal rules, regulations, and laws have to be obeyed.
Building a model of #49 is one of those where you will
need a little of this and a little of that.
So you don’t have to purchase an entire amount of something, network
with your fellow modelers for some of the styrene and brass to be used.
Connecting with 1 or 2 of the scratch builders in your area will go a long way.
For unusual and obscure parts, I’ll mention the vendor of the item(s).
A parts list is not available. I’m building the model and
writing the posts as I go along. The exact parts will not be known until the model is built. Writing the posts as the model is being built means things
may seem a little erratic.
Cheers,
Ed
