T&J Olde 99 Locomotive

As summer invades the Southern US, I fear my days of shop time is going to be curtailed by other activities and projects so I offer the Olde 99 locomotive as my latest endeavor.   It was truly a great build and I had a blast figuring out some of the jigs I would need to complete it.  I will also thank those who contributed their insights as to how to drill the holes in the boiler for the rails.  Everything, including some of the dowels, are shop built.  I will offer that when attaching the drive wheels to the engine, the wheels on the opposite side of the  engine should be set at 90 degrees from the opposite side.  Doing so will permit the linkage to operate as it should.

This model is built using poplar, walnut, cherry, peruvian walnut, padauk, basswood, purple heart, maple, and a few pieces of "I'm not sure what it is".  I did change up the design a bit adding the forward facing windows in the cab, keeping with 19th century locomotive design and I also did not include the "milk can" concept for the water reservoir.  Instead, I added a single "manhole cover" type of opening complete with hinge and handle.  Now I admit the cover does not open, but then again I do not intend to add water.

The cab interior also took in some refinement and detail not in the original plans.  I thought the simple bulk boiler head was just a bit too drab so I turned some dials for the interior and downloaded some period steam locomotive gauge faces to be added to the dials.  Copper 12 ga wire was used as the "pipes".  I also added the sliding fire doors to the boiler head and added a firebox image.  The doors open and closed can be seen in the attached photos.

The side signage are made from 3/16" walnut and 1/16" basswood.  I used a laser to engrave the N.Y.S. & W. signs on the cab and tender  and the 99 on the back of the tender,  as well as making the buttons.

I completed the build by making the track section that it sits on.  The materials for the rails is simple pine and the ties are scrap walnut.  

Finish for locomotive and tender is a coat of Watco Natural Oil and a couple of coats of MinWax rattle can Satin lacquer.  

And finally, before someone asks, NYS&W is the New York Susquehanna & Western railroad chartered in 1832 as the failed New Jersey Hudson & Delaware RR.  It is now a CSX owned track.