Paycar possibilities?

They had a Stephenson's link valve gear Mick. looks to be mounted outboard the axle bearing and right behind the wheel. The link is just in front of the throat sheet (behind the crosshead guide). Look close at this pic again

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I'll also add some newspaper blurbs collected by Gerald Best...
November 3, 1865, San Francisco Alta - Long dscription of new Napa ry locomotive built by vulcan - Locomotive complete and will ship tomorrow. Weighs about 10 tons, has 9x18 cylinders, drivers 4 1/2 feet (54"). boiler is 12 feet long and 40 inches in diameter, made of Lowmoor iron. Equipped with new "injector pumps". Sheet brass work combines ornamental with usefull. Named Napa in block letters on boiler. . . . . Total cost of Napa about $9,000.

April 1, 1867, San Francisco Alta ? Long article on Vulcan Iron Works. Mentions 2 locomotives under construction, one for Napa Valley RR (the steamcar Calistoga) and one for Black Diamond Coal Co., bringing total to 10 (built by Vulcan).

May 31, 1869, San Francisco Alta ? Napa Valley RR sold May 29, 1869 at Sheriff's sale to CalP interests.

June 3, 1869, San Francisco Alta ? Tracklaying on the Vaca Branch RR commenced May 31.

June 17, 1869, San Francisco Alta ? A small excursion on the Napa Valley RR ? train pulled to Calistoga by "the natty locomotive Napa . . . " at 30 mph. then to Sacramento (over CalP) to see the Pullman train on exhibit (pulled still by the Napa?).

April 13, 1870, Sacramento Union ? Mentions the CalP pay car arrived in Sacramento. It is called the "Flea". It is a locomotive and passenger car combined. (At this date, this is pretty clearly the steam car we know as the "Napa")

October 10, 1870, Sacramento Union ? Collision on CalP between Knights Landing and Woodland. Loco Flea pushing a flat car for repairs to railroad. Passenger train ran into flat. Flea had reversed and crew jumped. Engine ran away until a track worker ran and caught up with it.

August 11, 1875, Sacramento Union ? A Baldwin locomotive for Vacaville RR passed through the city (Sacramento). (Locomotive named Ben Ely. Burned in Vacaville enginehouse fire August 23, before ever being placed in service.)

September 18, 1875, Sacramento Union ? New locomotive for Vacaville RR has been repaired and is in the paint shop. The other locomotive on the Vacaville RR, which has heretofore been run with a car combined with it, has been seperated from the car in the shop and will soon reappear nearly as good as new, and will be provided with a neat cab and tender. ...

October 15, 1875, Sacramento Union ? Locomotive Vacaville of Vacaville RR, receiving extensive repairs and improvements at the CP Shops, was sent to Vacaville on October 14.

March 20, 1879, Sacramento Union ? In the shop a locomotive car is being built for use on the Napa branch of the CalP, the car combines in on passenger and baggage with the locomtive at the front.

May 5, 1879, Sacramento Union ? There has just been completed and turned out at the shops a new dummy car in which the locomotive, mail, baggage and passenger compartments are combined. The car will be used on the Northern Ry between Woodland and Williams.
 
Thanks for those Mik. I had noticed the eccentric conecting set-up behind the driving wheels and wondered if it was the valve drive or a pump mechanism. Whatever it was I had no room whatsoever to recreate ia "working" replica. Whatever I do now it will have to be fixed - I've been delaying tackling these details but I need to get on with them I suppose. Every picture tells a different story - like the sanding pipes for instance! There seems to be brakes only on the truck so the sanding gear is for traction only? Its a compromise and I just don't have enough details (or patience) to make an accurate model. But it does have a fascinating history which is rather muddled at times!
 
Hi Giles, am I on the right lines - are you saying its the thickness of the metal or the width of the shield - both are easy to sort? The shield on the loco lamp is bean tin whilst the rear one is thicker ali.
 
Well I've pondered about the lamps and decided that the roof mounted one is about right and the loco is not! Taking on board what Giles said about the chimney guard, I solicited the help of my immitation Dremel and cut it off and reduced the width and height. Hope it looks a bit better (apart from pic quality of course) ...

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Fitted check chains to the bogie/truck ....

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.... and also made and fitted transverse beam to car underframe under boiler. The beam is removable to allow the body underframe to be seperated from the loco whilst under construction and for any future work. Still needs a little tweaking to allow dummy valve linkage etc to be fitted ....

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I tried to blow up the pertinent part of that one picture for you. not sure it's clear enough to work from.
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Hi Mik - I've tried it myself - even used MS Picture-It to zoom in and out The real problem I have is that there is a lot hung from that transverse beam. Because my model is articulated, that beam moves as part of the car body. I'm thinking another beam or timber underneath but as part of the loco and only as wide as the back to back of the valve chests. On R1's it really is a problem - simply because I'm making a narrow-gauge model whereas the original was standard gauge and it had the benefit of extra width. I'm going to experiment again tomorrow - could be on the homeward stretch (says he)!

With those pics you posted I gleaned some other details that were not apparent in the three pics I had used - so with everybody's help its slowly coming together. I'll leave out what I'm not sure about. I bet the original photograph was good to look at!
 
After an overnight cogitation I set to and reduced the depth of the transverse beam.

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Next I fixed a narrower one to the loco (almost acting as a rubbing plate for the car portion). Once secure I set about sticking all the bits together to make up some dummy parts. Also I made and fitted a supporting bracket and a couple of pegs for the narrow boards over the cylinders. The work has been primed and I'm waiting for the paint to harden so that it can be sanded.

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Other items to make and fit will be the splashers over the front wheels, handrails from smokebox to steam dome, bell, whistle and dead-weight safety valve. Then it will need painting - just hope the Humbrol Metalcote won't react with the red oxide primer (having abandoned rattle can spraying a while back in the build). Still, it will be a day or so before I get round to that. Usual caveat about my carp photography:rolf:
 
Usual caveat about my carp photography:rolf:

Nothing fishy about these pics Mick :clap: Still progressing well! keep the pics coming!


Regards
Rob
 
Right some more pics (and brief description) of progress ... I've made the safety valve, stack damper, whistle, front wheel splashers and smokebox handrail brackets and all are primed ready for painting.....

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So,,, had a go at painting the loco today. Still needs the odd touch-up here and there (and surplus paint removing from wheels) and waiting for boiler colour to dry properly as I thought it was dry and it wasn't (managed to remove some accidentally:impatient:)!.

The brass bands on the boiler, dome and cylinders, were made from gold coloured wrapping paper (actually plastic foil). Cut a reasonable piece off SWMBO's roll and then got some doublr sided tape. It smoothed down really well on the tape and, with the backing paper still on (of course) I was able to cut into suitable strips and apply before painting inbetween.

The Humbrol colours recommended by Peter Bunce suit it I think but I could not get any Johnsons Klear up north so it will be satin varnish.

Here are the results of today's labours (6 hours and time passed quickly!).....

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Thanks Ross - I've still a lot to do (electrics and window replacement) but its coming on.
 
Fantastic work Mick really like the fine details on the loco :bigsmile:
 
I love it Mick, really looks the part...... you've certainly done justice to the photos :thumbup::thumbup:
Will you be posting a 'movie' ?

Re : the mat laquer - I guess you didn't fancy the Testor's Dullcote :thinking:

Congrats
Rob
 
It's beautiful. Plus reminds me I need to get back to my own Vulcan... doncha hate it when your muse nags?
 
Thanks for your kind comments everybody - but I still need to do a lot of tidying up yet.

Rob: I've never uploaded or had an account with YouTube - me and IT are bewildered strangers - but I'd like to (just to prove it is a working model and no locos were harmed during its construction:rolf:). As for the varnish, in truth the satin finish (which I had to import from the UK) is to ADD a bit of gloss! The only gloss paint used was on the lamps and on the railings at the back!

And Mik - I've driven myself to get this far - I've three bridges to build and the cut metal is in the way. This will be a rare occassion when I actually finish something in one go!
 
Well, I wired things back up and came across a problem - it wouldn't move! A cross wire maybe so I redid the connections and it worked OK in forward or reverse but, however I had to reverse the wiring polarity so the problem needs investigating!

In a lull between the strong gusts of wind, I tested the hauling capacity with three stock cars. Apart from wheel slip on starting (easily controlled by shutting down the power) it coped OK until coming out of the tunnel where the wheelslip was quite bad, being on a curve and slight gradient. Two cars was OK and the wheelslip was there but it managed to regain its feet. So I would think one car wouldn't be a problem even on the R1's in the trailer providing its all level.

Some pics..

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Can't say it enough - really good work Mick - re the slipping - can you add anymore weight (a lead toolbox or similar) above the drivers :thinking:

I used several £'s worth of pre-decimal pennies in my 'Goose' and that grips like a limpet now :thumbup:

Rob
 
Thanks Rob! The boiler is full of lead and the space above the motor (in the dome) is also weighted. I don't think the connection (car to loco) would stand a great deal of weight - its as much about the handling of it on to or off the track - but it is a point to bear in mind:thumbup:

In real life it was supposed to handle nine freight cars!
 
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