Is it a 2-1-0 or what?

[JoeCool]

I have been studying these pictures, I am thinking about trying one of these.
I have also seen that Chris Walas has create his version as well.
In the real world would this be called a 2-1-0 or what? Is there a thought or reason why the tender in the front of the engine? At first I thought I would reverse it... but then if it's whymsical... why not. I enjoy people asking why did you do that and enjoy answering "because I can".

I am starting w/ 0-4-0 G -scale Lionel engine..please any insight or comments are welcome. I will follow up pics, as soon as I find my work bench it needs GOOD cleaning and going to finish the birthday cake train first.

[Bill Wray]

Looks to me like it's a cab forward design, which would make it a 2-4-0T in the Whyte notation or a 1-2-0T if you're French (God only knows what it would be in the German system). The positioning of the tender is perhaps unusual, but not impossible since it appears to be oil fired. If it were wood or coal fired, the design could be considered to be at least whymsical, since it faces the smokebox and is quite inconveniently removed from the firebox. Part of the reason why cab forward designs worked better with oil fired locomotives.

[rickdartist]

That is an 0-2-0 cab forward that was designed by Bruce Bates.

[adrian]

G'day JoeCool

The wheel arrangment is 0-2-0 cab forward.......designed so that the driver & fireman don't get smoke in their eyes in tunnels.

I have built a 'normal' configuration of such a loco for a layout many years ago.....since then I have seen about 4 or 5 others.



The position of the pivot between the loco and tender is critical......the first attempt climbed off the track at each and every curve.....not good........but moving the pivot to a position between the centre of the tender and the driving axle solved the problem and Buttercup performed at 60 shows with no problems.

Cheers
Adrian Hoad

[bkbates]

I see that it's time for me to defend what few shreds of honor I have left. (Ahem!) One of our resident artists, Rick, has identified the engine correctly. It is indeed a 0-2-0 Cab Forward. Ergo the tender is behind the seemingly backward engine. I direct your attention to the following URL: http://www.bates-r-us.org/birdwater/bwa1986/bwa486.jpg  This engine has been modeled several times and in several lands. It has been rendered in brass, plastic and mixed media. When I built the first one, it won best scratch built steam engine at the SanDiego Convention in 96(?) and was in the personal collection of Pete Thorp of Trackside Details when he passed. So, what would you like to know? There are two other engines of this 0-2-0 wheel arrangement in the Birdwater Archive. http://www.bates-r-us.org/birdwater/  B2

[JoeCool]

Thanks, for all of your input. I'm still wanting to attemp this project. Going to complete "birthday train first" then moving this one to the top of the line.

[Tommy Two Strikes]

Bruce,

I'd have an open ear if'n you care to share the process to build one of these... I've always had a soft spot, betwixt my ears, for this particular locomotive.

Tommy 2x

[bkbates]

My 0-2-0CF was powered through the tender, which made anything before that a very fancy 2 wheel pilot truck. The power plant is a very herky gear motor that powered my early LUD kits. It ran on a 9V battery and transmitted power to the tenders axles through plastic chain.

Today, I have a couple Aristo one axle power trucks that will probably power future incarnations of the 0-2-0

Everything else is scenery, so apply it as you see fit. It can be precision machined brass or paper mache' or polymer clay. Use your imagination.

B2