Bi-Polar electric locomotive E2 + Hiawatha passenger train with beaver tail observation car
The locomotive model was inspired by a 1999 version of the Bi-polar electric locomotive built by user legosteveb. I recreated the actual orange, red and black color scheme used on the loco when it emerged from the 1953 modernization program, but it was too expensive. So, after looking around I decided to use the paint scheme the Milwaukee Road used when the engine was donated. This yellow and red scheme was inspired by the Union Pacific and was adopted very late in the engine's career (mid-50's to it's retirement in 1961). The engine pictured is E2, which is the only Bi-polar left in existence as the rest were scrapped. (It's in St. Louis at the Museum of Transportation)
The passenger train, and the rear car in particular, were inspired by the Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha service from Tacoma, Washington to with the rearmost car being a Beaver Tail observation car, which were out of service by 1961. So the window of use for this train's real world counterpart is very narrow: 1955 - 1961 is the outer limit of these two elements being used together. (Actually, I'm not sure the Beaver-tails were ever used all the way to the West Coast on the Olympian.)
Oh, and the engine has 14 axles, just like the real loco. I'm not sure my articulation attempts in all the boogies and the frame were enough to work on standard LEGO track, but I guess I'll just have to see when it's built in real bricks latter this year!
Bi-Polar electric locomotive E2 + Hiawatha passenger train with beaver tail observation car
The locomotive model was inspired by a 1999 version of the Bi-polar electric locomotive built by user legosteveb. I recreated the actual orange, red and black color scheme used on the loco when it emerged from the 1953 modernization program, but it was too expensive. So, after looking around I decided to use the paint scheme the Milwaukee Road used when the engine was donated. This yellow and red scheme was inspired by the Union Pacific and was adopted very late in the engine's career (mid-50's to it's retirement in 1961). The engine pictured is E2, which is the only Bi-polar left in existence as the rest were scrapped. (It's in St. Louis at the Museum of Transportation)
The passenger train, and the rear car in particular, were inspired by the Milwaukee Road's Olympian Hiawatha service from Tacoma, Washington to with the rearmost car being a Beaver Tail observation car, which were out of service by 1961. So the window of use for this train's real world counterpart is very narrow: 1955 - 1961 is the outer limit of these two elements being used together. (Actually, I'm not sure the Beaver-tails were ever used all the way to the West Coast on the Olympian.)
Oh, and the engine has 14 axles, just like the real loco. I'm not sure my articulation attempts in all the boogies and the frame were enough to work on standard LEGO track, but I guess I'll just have to see when it's built in real bricks latter this year!