Bill Barnwell
Registered
While checking out Jack44 bash on his little big haulers I stumbled upon several that were redoes of the original big hauler, interesting to see all the different transformations. So I thought I would throw my 2-6-2 prairie in. Previously posted in GRW.
Remember the "G" scale coaling tower that came with the first battery powered 4-6-0 Bachmann train sets, well this is the engine from that set. Just now getting around to making it hole again and finishing details I left off years ago. Built in 1995 hence the engine # 501. Lettering has disappeared and sound system has failed but all in all engine is still in good shape, I shortened the smoke box by 1 set of rivets and shortened the boiler up to the last boiler ban. moved the steam generator to the center. Again as before I used cotter pins with pop rivets bases to make railing stanchions. Use to drive by an old Prairie up in Leesburg, Fl. when I covered that area, took pictures and did research on the engine. Unusual to see electrical wires run through the boiler grab rails but that was the way it was built, stack is a piece of 1/4" brass pipe screw into smoke box and serves as a handle, shortened the tender by about an inch, trying to keep the engine /tender as short as possible. mounted the boiler on a LGB Mogul motor block and added trailing truck from a LGB 2080. Rope is copper wire strands twisted. If you notice the air tank on the back of the tender it is a cigar tube that my dad had. The fireman is screwed to the draw bar between the engine and tender and when the train is moving, he moves all around. Originally had a flat plate under him which is now open and cant find the part. Plan on cleaning the engine up and lettering the tender again. I also have a LGB Mogul and use it for my passenger train, the prairie is my freight, and it's only about and inch longer that may factory mogul, Bill
