1860's Ten Wheeler (it's be nice to Yankees week)

[Gumboots]

Ok peeps, this thing is happening. It's not any more trouble than the Mogul revamps so I'm into it.

For those who haven't seen it yet, I'm taking the default American 4-4-0 model and skin and heavily mutating it, to make a ten wheeler that comes in a lot earlier than the 1.06 version. It's based on "Thatcher Perkins" as far as dimensions and layout go, but with a paint job the sorta fits the over the top style of that period. It's not finished yet, but it's getting there rapidly.

Thatcher_Perkins_4.jpg

For reference: I'm envisaging this one with a 65 mph top speed, enough grunt to haul a full express consist at 55-60 on flat country, and with speed up grades with a full express consist roughly matching a Connie hauling full freight up the same grade. Pax appeal rating would be either Looks Sharp or Ulltra Cool. Reliability would be Average (same as a Connie) and acceleration Below Average.

The start year of the 1.06 Ten Wheeler doesn't really make sense, because it leaves a big gap for US express locos. There's the American, and then there's the Eight Wheeler, but nothing in between. So my original idea was to use this to replace the 1.06 Ten Wheeler, and have it coming into play in the early 1860's as a decent express upgrade for the 1860-1890 period.

So the question: are people generally cool with this idea, or do they want to keep the 1.06 Ten Wheeler as it is (even though it's really really ugly ) and have this earlier Ten Wheeler as a separate unit?

[LV628]

Oh....You're making one, I just made another tread about an 1800s pack xD

If I may, I would love this one as a seperate unit, as the gap needs to be filled as you pointed out.

Since you are on this one, would you mind me making a similar one around 1863ish, smaller drivers, built mainly for grades, not as fast. Which would open the game for the Mastadon for 1864 (B&O Camelback). I have a whole list of things I'm going to tinker with, and it seems you are busy as well.

[Gumboots]

I don't mind you doing anything. Do wotcha like.

If you want copies of anything I have stashed in Blender, let me know. Some of it may be useful to you. Come to think of it I have stacks of drawings that I've scrounged from around the web too.

BTW, I'm finishing off a Pennsy H3 2-8-0 at the moment. The Thatcher Perkins thingy is next in line, but I've been bodgeying the UV's just playing around on top of the default American skin so I really want to re-map the thing properly. It'll make for easier customisation.

And I've sort of gone off the dark look. I know the restoration team used those colours on Perkins, but everything I can find out about that era tells me there was only one thing anyone ever used for boiler cladding: Russian iron.

Russian iron was basically the mid-19th century version of stainless steel. It was shiny (gloss metallic grey, not like chrome) and it didn't rust. Paints of the time couldn't handle the heat on boiler cladding, so Russian iron was the default choice. This is what accounts for the play blue/grey boilers you see in old drawings. They really were like that. Some old pictures of Perkins and the William Mason 4-4-0 show them like this.

Paint was only used on other components where it would last. The exception being smokebox black, which was really just carbon and oil and was slathered on quickly and easily at any time.

Anyway with a Russian iron boiler, Perkins looks like this:

Russian_iron.jpg

[LV628]

I don't like stepping on toes is all ;)

Though, working on similar projects, assets could be shared. I gotta rework this tender, it just doesn't look right xD. Already modded the boiler to resemble something off the Lehigh Valley out east. Where mine will vary is the 3 drivers will be tight together with the rear driver almost center under the cab. Smaller drivers. Different stack. The distance between piston and the first driver will look like a long reach, just the design i guess. But if this works, the next thing i come out with, noone has done xD

[Gumboots]

We cross-posted while I was updating my post with more information.

Anyway yes, some degree of coordination probably makes sense so we don't duplicate efforts, but there's plenty of scope for keeping everyone busy. And TBH I'm only doing a couple of US ones to fill some obvious gaps and fix some horrible 1.06 models. After that I'll be onto World and Euro stuff, so my is someone else who like US stuff is welcome to go for it.

[LV628]

Actually have 3 variations of the 4-6-0 that would have different stats based on adhesion, as well as cost and weight. (I like having variety)

Theres this variation that became popular after the version you are doing:


Then theres this version:


AND then theres this version from the DL&W ment for the Pocono grade. Pony truck is compressed and the drivers are more spread out.


3 choices for Moderate, Heavy, and Unrealisticly Heavy Grades (I work on the pocono grade in real life, its nothing to laugh at).

[Gumboots]

Hey do you want a copy of the existing Perkins model? I'm happy to share it if you'd find it useful. It's been carefully checked for dimensions and is as close as I can get it to the real thing, based on the limited information available.

I'd even be happy to turn the entire project over to you, if you like. You want to make 4-6-0's of the period, and you seem to know at least as much as I do about them, you seem to want to do a good job. So, if you'd like to take this one on I'd frankly welcome that. I have too many projects on the go anyway, and although I think Perkins should be done I would also like to have the time available to fix other holes in the roster.

[LV628]

I'm game, sure, I'll take it up. I'll contact you in a day or so (when I'm off of work from working on the real things) about copies and stuff

[Gumboots]

No rush. Tell ya what. Let me finish up the H3 first, then I'll do a quick UV repack on the Perkins model. It's a bit of a pig's breakfast at the moment because I was just shunting components all over the default skin for a quick trial. Several things are sharing bits of skin they really shouldn't. I can sort that pretty easily if you want me to, or you can do it yourself if you prefer. I just thought the model may make more sense if you don't have to decipher someone else's half-arsed stuff first, and can just get into it.

[LV628]

That'd be wonderful, if you don't mind. Would save me alot of messing around in UVunrwap x.x

Of course you will still share much of the credit for the work :)