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2-10-4 steam engine with 909 Limited passenger train

First uploaded in November 2012, this passenger train originally had six 8-wide cars consisting of a baggage car, four passenger coaches, and a observation car. It was pulled by my 2-8-4 steam engine for a while before I whittled down the number of the (slightly heavy) cars to a more manageable total of four. Over these two years I have modified them a lot, taking out the detailed interior and replacing the complex window assembly with something less fragile. The last time I changed the train was October 2014, when I modified the baggage car to a half baggage / half passenger coach (this is known as a combine) and lengthened the 2-8-4 Berkshire type into a 2-10-4 Texas type.

 

After I originally had built the six cars I realized the only thing that could pull my 8 wide cars was a 8 wide engine. The coaches just didn't look very good with a 6 wide locomotive at the front, but the opposite was true about 6 wide coaches with an 8 wide engine. So after much internal debate over the possibility of reducing the size of the train cars, I found a workable solution that looks good. This is that solution, plus their is an added bonus of having enough parts left over from the "slimming down" of the four 8 wide train cars that I could build a third passenger car. This makes me happy, because a full size 2-10-4 that can pull 10+ heavyweight cars in real life looks silly as a LEGO model pulling only 4 coaches of the same style.

 

Background for the coaches:

 

Train name: 909 Limited

Car Types: Baggage / coach (1) Coach (3) Observation (1)

Configuration (per car): 4 wheels on two bogies

Designer: Pullman Car Company

Build Date: 1924

Builder: Pullman Car Company

Current Owner: Brick Railway Systems

Length: 28 studs

Width: 6 studs

Height: 10 ⅔ bricks

 

Background for the locomotive:

 

Engine Type: Steam, heavy freight

Configuration: 2-10-4

Engine Class: Texas

Designer: (unknown)

Build Date: 1939

Road number(s): 6297

Builder: Lima Locomotive works

Current Owner: Brick Railway Systems

Length: 81 studs (with tender)

Width: 8 studs

Height: 10 bricks

Top Speed: 100 MPH

 

NOTES:

Here is the original inspiration for these cars, a vintage 2009 LEGO model of "Galaxy Express 999". (Link to Brickshelf: www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=374748 ) The name 909 Limited is a combination of this train and the Beatles song "One after 909", which is sort-of about a train. Also, the pistons rod are missing two pieces that are laid off to the side of the locomotive. They do work in real life but LDD doesn't like them being attached.

 

LDD file: www.mocpages.com/user_images/80135/1424626224m.lxf

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Uploaded on February 22, 2015