It's new! It's largely vacant... so far!
Offerings:
Current Projects:

a Virginian-like HO 2-10-10-2

Wx4 Staff has long oogled at the N. J. Custom Brass Virginian 2-10-10-2. In contrast to Santa Fe's disapointing experience with this wheel arrangement before WW1, some of Virginian's version survived until the early 1950's. This makes it perfect for our model RR's time period. Unfortunately the Custom Brass locos sell for well over a grand, and they are a little clunky looking , as well.

What to do? Well, one day when Staff was contemplating what to do with some Bachmann Spectrum Frisco 2-10-0's which had lain untouched on shelves for 10+ years, we noticed that thetower containing the drive belt was located not at mid frame, as is usual, but at the extreme rear of the mechanism. This immediately inspired us to an epihany: Unlike a mid frame tower arrangement, the 2-10-0's belt tower would not conflict with the boiler sides on curves (or at least, the 48 inch radius minimum mainline radius on The Dome's layout. This is the theory, at least.

The source for a boiler was a no-brainer. We also had an old Bowser cast zamak UP Challenger boiler, which proved to be suitable after considerable time at the grinding wheel. Yep, given the hefty weigh of the boiler, those Bachmann drive belts might no hold up to the strain at maximum tonnage, but the intention is to limit it to handling about 20 cars in helper service. Pretty obviously, an O scale DCC decoder will be mandatory.

The boiler will be clad in (slighly wrinkled) thin brass shim., which will allow deails to be soldered on. Sand domes will be resin cast from molds created from domes of a Westside Virginian 2-8-8-0. The giant 48" low oressure cylinders will be fabricated. The tender is a re-trucked Bachmann N&W auliary tender, which has an arched top that should go a long way in making the 2-10-10-2 look like a sister of the 2-8-8-0 (which is actually now an 0-8-8-0 transfer loco.

Still a long way to go

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