[trevorgooodman35]

I guess there must have been many posts about these steamers over the years, indeed looking back through my YouTube videos I have recorded several runs running on my railway resulting in favourable comments from MLS members,
I am not sure about the scale of Accucraft's K28s, but the relative bulk in relation to my Cab forward and my friends Big Boy seems huge, especially as they ran on a narrower gauge track.
Whoever did the design work deserves credit in as much that I cannot recall any faults over the years, certainly in my model, unlike say my Daylight which had work done to enable water to be pumped into the boiler with out the feed tube blowing out.
I haven't made a post on MLS for sometime for one reason or another and my original details appear to have been lost (main131) although I have got a new email address now.(so now I am a new boy)
The new format seems nice and tidy!

 

[Pete Thornton]

I am not sure about the scale of Accucraft's K28s

All the Accucraft narrow gauge american models are Fn3 (1:20.3 scale.) If you think the K28 is big, wait until you see a K-36.

 

[ferroequinologist]

Hi Trevor, The K28 is also one of my favourites that always runs well with a high level of detail that's not fragile to get damaged on a garden railway. Here is a pic of my green boiler version and as Pete says ".... if you think K28 is big , wait until you see a K-36.... " so here is a pic of my K36 ( 1:20.3 scale) next to my British 4MT (1:32 scale), a slight difference in size! But hey, they all run on gauge 1 and are live steam so I'm happy.
Russell

 

[zubi]

Pete, except for the early 4-4-0 which was 1:24 or slightly larger (more like 1:23 some say), K-28 was a brilliant model indeed, although I enjoyed my LGB/Aster electric K-28 equally much - until it got stolen with the rest of my vast collection in Europe... Best wishes from White Christmas land, Zubi

 

[du-bousquetaire]

Wow what a scale diference, but with such a large boiler and pots it should be a great hauler. Sad to hear your collection was stollen Zubi. best wishes for the new year,
Simon

 

[zubi]

Simon, thank you! I still have not quite recovered from the burglary: Burglery report - dozens of LGB/Aster locomotives... I guess the collection will show up sooner or later in some country... probably in Europe. Police has only recovered one Aster Harz 2-10-2 locomotive. Pity about the wooden box which is covered in X signs with marker pen (anyone knows how to clean this??), and pity about the original LGB cardboard box (extremely rare but destroyed as the thieves were tearing up every box to see inside) in which I had all the Limited Edition pieces... Fortunately the 2-10-2 inside is not damaged. But lost hope that I will ever see the 100+ pieces collection.... not to mention a collection of priceless narrow gauge books and other collector items I had. Best wishes to you and all the MLS'ers of a healthy happy 2022 - full of trains, 12inch to 1foot and smaller, live steam, diesel or electric! Zubi PS K-28 has been my favourite ever since I saw them at Durango station and I am really happy that Accucraft made their live steam version - this was a breakthrough product for Accucraft - it made a history.

 

[Ironton]

As stated above, the Accucraft US narrow gauge locos are 1:20.3. This makes them scale properly to the 45mm track we all use.

The cab forward and the big boy are either scaled to 1:29 or 1:32. 1:29 is popular with garden railroaders as bigger means less problems running in the outdoor environment. 1:32 is the proper scale to make our 45mm gauge track represent 4 ft. 8 1/2 in. standard gauge. It depends on who made them as to what scale they are.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pete Thornton]

The cab forward and the big boy are either scaled to 1:29 or 1:32.

All the Accucraft models are either 1:32 or 1:20.3 (except that old 4-4-0 Legend? mentioned above.)

Accucraft, when Fred Devine was around pushing 1/29th, started the American Mainline (AML) products, which are 1:29th and designed to take more radical curves typical of 1:29th layouts. My PRR K4 4-6-2 will handle 8' diameter, which many of the 1:32nd models will not!

 

[Ironton]

Pete,

I indicated the scale was appropriate to the manufacturer. The original post did not say if the cab forward or bigboy was live steam, so I made no assumptions as to scale.

The 1:24 was an early loco Accucraft planned. I remember seeing a model of it at a narrow gauge convention in the early 1990s. I think Tom Cruse had one also.

 

[zubi]

I managed to remove the permanent marker pen marks with toothpaste! Zubi

 

[ferroequinologist]

Hey Trevor, thanks for reminding me to look at your video's again and you should be used to "large engines" as you are into gauge 3. The bridge and platforms on your great layout have just enough clearance for the K28 and I love your wide curves, what radius are they? For me having large 1:20.3 scale engines is a bit like having gauge 3 but on the common 45mm gauge but the gauge 3 is impressive so what scale and gauge is that?
Russell

 

[David Leech]

Russell,
Here is a link to the relevant page of the Gauge 3 Society website that will answer your questions.

About Gauge 3 Society

History of the Gauge 3 Society

www.gauge3.org.uk

Happy New Year,
David Leech, Delta, Canada

 

[ferroequinologist]

Thanks David, I'll have a look not that I am changing scales and gauges as running two scales is enough but I am interested in the revival of gauge 3.
Russell

 

[trevorgooodman35]

Hey Trevor, thanks for reminding me to look at your video's again and you should be used to "large engines" as you are into gauge 3. The bridge and platforms on your great layout have just enough clearance for the K28 and I love your wide curves, what radius are they? For me having large 1:20.3 scale engines is a bit like having gauge 3 but on the common 45mm gauge but the gauge 3 is impressive so what scale and gauge is that?
Russell

Hi Russell, yes, I am used to running G3 which, if you check out the appropriate web site which David has indicated, you will see the scale and gauges listed therein,
I dedicate the outside of my 3 track garden railway (14' radius) to the larger gauge and combine some (tricky) point work which accommodates both G1and G3. This allows me to use part of G3 as extras siding space at meetings.
The middle and inner roads are strictly G1
In 25 years of running I suspect I have experienced plenty of excitement and horror stories.
Just this last season I have had a £4000 loco plunge to earth and also a visitor set off without coupling up securely and intent in watching his water level. It's like the infamous car accident insurance claim...The tree came out of the fog and hit my rear!
If visiting the UK your welcome to visit but I have probably put you off now?
All the best Trevor

 

[RP3]

All the Accucraft narrow gauge american models are Fn3 (1:20.3 scale.) If you think the K28 is big, wait until you see a K-36.

Or, the really big K-37.

 

[ferroequinologist]

Trevor, that Gauge 3 link David sent me to was most informative and I do like your 14ft radius curves. Yes, we all have horror stories of expensive accidents as I too have had a large loco's plunge off a friends raised layout and the lesson learned is to inspect the strength of layout base before setting of a D&RGW double header with near 30kg combined weight! I managed to repair them both and thanks for the invitation and if you are ever in Australia let me know.
Russell

 

[zubi]

For modelling purposes Gauge 3 is wonderful since it is nearly identical in scale with IIm (1:22.5) Great electric models have been produced in 1:22.5 which will always remain my favourite. Kiss K-36 is the right size, while you need a small crane to lift Accucraft's... I wish Aster had produced more in 1:22.5 live steam when there was time for this... At least they made the C&S Mogul! Happy 2022, Zubi

 

[trevorgooodman35]

For modelling purposes Gauge 3 is wonderful since it is nearly identical in scale with IIm (1:22.5) Great electric models have been produced in 1:22.5 which will always remain my favourite. Kiss K-36 is the right size, while you need a small crane to lift Accucraft's... I wish Aster had produced more in 1:22.5 live steam when there was time for this... At least they made the C&S Mogul! Happy 2022, Zubi

Hi Zubi Of course not all G3 are large and heavy to lift around.
This small 0-4-0 saddle tank (based on similar originals that scurried around Burton's brewery's in the UK) is coal fired.
It's pretty well self contained with hand and axle pumps, visual water glass, blower and blow down and drain cocks etc.
Make sure you've raked out the grate before you pop it into your carrier bag on the way home.

 

[zubi]

Hi Trevor, thank you or the note and for the video of this sweet tank engine. Some of the tiny switchers and hard working industrial engines are very cute. Actually, I like them all, large or small. At Mt Fuji Japan Garden Railway Club 5 and 7 inch locos weigh over 100kg, and they are brought there and taken away every time. Cranes @ New Year have a lot of use in Japan;-) Cranes wow New Year tourists | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News, Zubi

 

[Pete Thornton]

This small 0-4-0 saddle tank (based on similar originals that scurried around Burton's brewery's in the UK)

Scurried? Looks more like "zoomed" given the express speed in the video!