Aristo-Craft Southern Pacific GS-4

[AJtheTeacher]

Hello Fellow G Enthusiasts!

This is my Aristo-Craft 4-8-4 Southern Pacific GS-4. It has a stretched motor block, frame and rear truck. It is based on the metal side rod later generation Aristo-Craft 4-6-2 Pacific. It has a matching tender. Enjoy your trains daily! AJ the Teacher

 

[Ralphmp]

Does it go round R1 curves I wonder

 

[AJtheTeacher]

Does it go round R1 curves I wonder

It barely goes around 10 foot curves!!! AJ the Teacher

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I think you will find it will do 8 foot diameter also, mine does.

 

[maxi-model]

I think you will find it will do 8 foot diameter also, mine does.

Yes, but is yours an 8 coupled Greg ? Looking closely at the picture the leading set of drivers might be flangeless, the other 3 appear to be flanged. Whatever it's a really nice bit of "kitbashing" ( the term being a bit inadequate here). Stunning. Now all you need is string of USAT steamliners for it to haul, in a matching livery (would you seek to articulate some of the cars ?) At least it gets around the issues of the MTH and Accucraft models' 1 32 scaling, precluding the USAT car's pairing. Max

 

[Greg Elmassian]

What are you referring to? My site? They are all flanged, and having the leading driver without a flange would be really weird, and not track well. (mine is a Northern)

In any case mine was made by the famous Rex Ammerman, who extended the motor block housing and took advantage of the modular designed gearboxes. (Using the pacific drivers)

I also have a 2-10-2 (using mikado drivers) bashed the same way.

I have 2 strings of USAT passenger cars, both the new heavyweights, and the 80 scale foot streamliners.

I guess you have never been to my web site? On my home page? Home page picture below, 10 car streamliner, pulled by three E8 diesels.

Home

Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers

elmassian.com

Greg

 

[JimmyB]

Looking closely at the picture the leading set of drivers might be flangeless, the other 3 appear to be flanged.

Could be a "trick of the light", they all look flanged to me

 

[maxi-model]

What are you referring to? My site? They are all flanged, and having the leading driver without a flange would be really weird, and not track well. (mine is a Northern)

In any case mine was made by the famous Rex Ammerman, who extended the motor block housing and took advantage of the modular designed gearboxes. (Using the pacific drivers)

I also have a 2-10-2 (using mikado drivers) bashed the same way.

I have 2 strings of USAT passenger cars, both the new heavyweights, and the 80 scale foot streamliners.

I guess you have never been to my web site? On my home page? Home page picture below, 10 car streamliner, pulled by three E8 diesels.

Home

Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers

elmassian.com

Greg

You'll have to excuse me I thought you were talking about the 4-6-2 source loco. While I may have taken the odd look at your site (and bookmarked a couple of pages for future refference) I have not viewed it exhaustively. Hence my ignorance to you owning two similar conversions by the famous Rex Ammerman. Regrettably I have not heard of this fellow, although I am sure his work is of the highest order. I dare say there might be a few names I could throw out who's loco building skills a very well known over here but not in your part of the world. Max

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Rex is pretty well known in the States, but I don't expect you to keep up on American prototypes, nor American manufacturers. In it's heyday, Aristo Craft sold somewhere between 3 or 4 to 1 in sales as compared to USA Trains.

It's ok that you don't look at my site, the stuff is mostly 1;29 and usa prototypes. The other 2.5 million hits speak for themselves. ;-) (hit counter on home page, one of 750 pages)

Aristo made interesting stuff, and the gearboxes are modular and have a large side to side excursion on the axles, thus allowing tight curves and all flanged drivers. The construction is clever. On steamers, the side rods have hinges to accomodate the large amount of side to side movement possible with this design.

Greg

 

[AJtheTeacher]

I think you will find it will do 8 foot diameter also, mine does.

Hello Greg. You are correct. My GS-3, made out of a 1st generation plastic side rod 4-6-2 Pacific does go around 8 foot curves. My GS-3 has the old electric motor design that is tucked up into the frame. Because of this motor location my rear trailing truck swings from side to side well.

My newer GS-4 would go around 8 foot curves well too, except for my new trailing truck design. I tried hard to come up with a rear trailing truck that would fit close to the drivers, under the electric motor. It needs larger curves because (at this time) it is much more limited in how far it can swing from left to right. Rex's trailing rear truck design, which is spaced farther away (it puts the axles and wheels past the electric motor) swings much better.

But I will endeavor to redesign my rear trailing truck at a later date. Thanks AJ the Teacher

p.s. Greg Elmassian's Northern made by Rex Ammerman was my inspiration for attempting to make my GS-3 and GS-4 out of Aristo-Craft 4-6-2 Pacifics. The picture of Greg's Northern is my computer's background. photo.

 

[AJtheTeacher]

Yes, but is yours an 8 coupled Greg ? Looking closely at the picture the leading set of drivers might be flangeless, the other 3 appear to be flanged. Whatever it's a really nice bit of "kitbashing" ( the term being a bit inadequate here). Stunning. Now all you need is string of USAT steamliners for it to haul, in a matching livery (would you seek to articulate some of the cars ?) At least it gets around the issues of the MTH and Accucraft models' 1 32 scaling, precluding the USAT car's pairing. Max

Thanks maxi-model for your kind assessment of how my locomotive turned out. (All of my drivers are flanged.) At this time, I have 6 smoothside passenger cars and I have an auxiliary tender almost ready for paint. I am searching for other smoothside cars to modify into an articulated diner set. (Maybe this winter.) If I can't find cars to modify I will attempt to scratchbuild additional cars. Thanks. AJ the Teacher

 

[Paul M]

Thanks maxi-model for your kind assessment of how my locomotive turned out. (All of my drivers are flanged.) At this time, I have 6 smoothside passenger cars and I have an auxiliary tender almost ready for paint. I am searching for other smoothside cars to modify into an articulated diner set. (Maybe this winter.) If I can't find cars to modify I will attempt to scratchbuild additional cars. Thanks. AJ the Teacher

With locos that size, you do need a lot of stock. Mind you, the upside is, obtaining all that stock

 

[maxi-model]

Rex is pretty well known in the States, but I don't expect you to keep up on American prototypes, nor American manufacturers. In it's heyday, Aristo Craft sold somewhere between 3 or 4 to 1 in sales as compared to USA Trains.

It's ok that you don't look at my site, the stuff is mostly 1;29 and usa prototypes. The other 2.5 million hits speak for themselves. ;-) (hit counter on home page, one of 750 pages)

Aristo made interesting stuff, and the gearboxes are modular and have a large side to side excursion on the axles, thus allowing tight curves and all flanged drivers. The construction is clever. On steamers, the side rods have hinges to accomodate the large amount of side to side movement possible with this design.

Greg

I actually started out going down the 1:29 US outline route. My first loco was a USAT GP38-2. I also had the Aristo Pacific (SP) and Mallet (Meyer really) and a mix of Aristo, USAT & LGB freight stock. Had a string of Aristo Daylight heavies and USAT F3 ABA lash up and their streamliners, all in Daylight livery. Then an Fn3 Connie winked at me from the direction of St Aubins. The rest is history, and the 16 mm & 15 mm scale live steamers sneaking in too. Heady days of $2 to the £. Now, I still wish I'd kept the Mallet and USAT Dayligh kit.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Yeah, the daylight is arguably the most beautiful color combination there is, locos and cars.

St. Aubins, that takes me back! Those were indeed heady days to be sure!

greg

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

Hello Greg. You are correct. My GS-3, made out of a 1st generation plastic side rod 4-6-2 Pacific does go around 8 foot curves. My GS-3 has the old electric motor design that is tucked up into the frame. Because of this motor location my rear trailing truck swings from side to side well.

My newer GS-4 would go around 8 foot curves well too, except for my new trailing truck design. I tried hard to come up with a rear trailing truck that would fit close to the drivers, under the electric motor. It needs larger curves because (at this time) it is much more limited in how far it can swing from left to right. Rex's trailing rear truck design, which is spaced farther away (it puts the axles and wheels past the electric motor) swings much better.

But I will endeavor to redesign my rear trailing truck at a later date. Thanks AJ the Teacher

p.s. Greg Elmassian's Northern made by Rex Ammerman was my inspiration for attempting to make my GS-3 and GS-4 out of Aristo-Craft 4-6-2 Pacifics. The picture of Greg's Northern is my computer's background. photo.

using this method would it be possible to make a 4-8-2 that can squeeze around R3 curves?

 

[AJtheTeacher]

using this method would it be possible to make a 4-8-2 that can squeeze around R3 curves?

I think that it would be close. My metal side-rod Aristo-Craft 4-8-4 now goes around 8 foot curves. (I redesigned my rear trailing truck to give the rear trailing truck front pivot the ability to slide sideways some and track side-to-side, so that now it works well on 8 foot curves) My understanding is that R3 is very close in size. Thanks AJ the Teacher

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

I think that it would be close. My metal side-rod Aristo-Craft 4-8-4 now goes around 8 foot curves. (I redesigned my rear trailing truck to give the rear trailing truck front pivot the ability to slide sideways some and track side-to-side, so that now it works well on 8 foot curves) My understanding is that R3 is very close in size. Thanks AJ the Teacher

that is good to know i will save for later when i have the able to actually do some kitbashing because the garage is still a mess

 

[AJtheTeacher]

that is good to know i will save for later when i have the able to actually do some kitbashing because the garage is still a mess

You could do like me and just use the kitchen table. My wife is very understanding.

When you do get around to it, I would be happy to give any help or advice. AJ the Teacher

 

[tac foley]

using this method would it be possible to make a 4-8-2 that can squeeze around R3 curves?

I have a 2-8-2 that goes around R1 curves.

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

I have a 2-8-2 that goes around R1 curves.

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dang you have a white pass mikado those things are rare as heck and i hear they where stupidly expensive even when LGB was still making them