[markoles]

I just picked up a new B&O Mallet at Nicholas Smith trains in Broomall this past weekend. One of the nice things about being last on the block to get something is that I have a good idea of what to expect from this engine. I have seen these running at train shows and even had a few visit my railroad, but there's nothing like having your own. What a beautiful locomotive!!

In following the many threads and discussions about this locomotive over the years, I had already decided what modifications I wanted just about right away. I wanted one with the Vandy tender because it looked 'better' to me. Because of its size, I feel it better balances the locomotive. And since I am planning on lettering it for my railroad anyway, the roadname wasn;t all that important. However, it was nice to get the B&O one because the smokebox is already graphited. I am going to paint the wheels flat black. I am undecided on the side rods. My other two road engines are mikados and both have their side rods painted sliver.
During an initial inspection, I found that one of the red marker lenses had fallen out. Don't worry, I am not sending the mallet back to aristo so they can reglue it. What I did, howeveer, was to take that lens to the craft store where I found 4mm green jewels that have some kind of glue backing. I plan to do as Bob Pero suggests and scrape that off using wet sand paper. Then, I'll have green marker lights. I don't think that's 'correct' but its my locomotive, and that's what I want!

One of the hardest decisions was coming up with a road number. It is a lot easier when you are modeling a real railroad's engine. Coming up with your own number is a bit trickier. After a breif brain fart, I settled on 3177 for the following reasons:

1. I am 31
2. MB is 37
3. Luke is 1
4. I was born in '77
5. Starting with 3177, subtract the product of MB and my age (1147) and you get 2030. Add 2030 and my birth year, 1977 to get 4007. Subtract 2008, and are left with 1999, the year I graduate Villanova. Conversely, if you add MB's birth year to 2030, and subtract 2008, you get 1993, the year she graduated Millersville. Since I already have a 9399 caboose, this kind of tricky math is required.

 

[markoles]

Charles,

I have always tried to pick numbers that have some special or double meaning. Since the start of the Millersvillanova we have painted and lettered the following equipment:

2-8-2 steam loco #621 (the wedding engine, numbered for our wedding date, June 21 or 6/21)
Dome car #1966 "OLES", named for my parents wedding year
Dome car #1968 "CASTELLI" named for my in-laws wedding year
Observation #2003 "MARY BETH and MARK" our wedding year
RS-3 #36 (named for former Steelers Running Back, Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, #36)
Caboose #9399 (the New Haven inspired caboose, lettter and numbered for our respective years of graduation)
Heavyweight coach #1026 "LUKE GAVIN OLES" Luke's birhtday
Heavyweight obs #1 "MARY ELIZABETH OLES" #1 because I am a kiss ass and know where my bread is buttered.

So you see, "2008" or "1208" would have been an inappropriate number since that is in our passenger car fleet numbering system. (0812 is too close to the Van Halen (with Sammy Hagar) album OU812, and I would be ostracised by my two older brothers, both huge VH with David Lee Roth fans. They even took me to see Dave for the bachelor party in Atlantic City). I do have another steamer lettered for the New Haven's 2-8-2 3016, so the 3177 is not completely out of line there.

My math worked out great!! In fact, I was very surprised when I was able to take a seemingly random number and convolute it to get out another number that had some meaning to me!! Silly? Yes. Scary, a little. But the math works. I'm not sure what else is desired!! For simplicity, here is the simple formula:
3177-(31*37)+1977-2008 = 1999
I am sure that I could have come up with some kind of non-linear differential equation with three vairables, since there are three of us, often moving in different directions at different rates of response and excitation, to come up with a more perfect number, but that seems like too much work! Plus, what kind of a spring constant can be used for a 1 year old? Has anyone ever bothered to try and determine it? Maybe I missed my calling and could have written a PhD thesis on that.

Bob,
No adult beverages were consumed in the formulation of that number. I did waste a little time, though. I am about 10 times more excited about this engine than I was in that photo!! It was a tasty beverage, as you can plainly see!!

Paul,
I really do like the B&O scheme, but it is not to stay. I have been emailing with Shawn about some of the cool mods he did to his N&W version, and I might undertake some of that, too. Having spent about six months in close proximity to N&W 1218, I have a fondness for the look of their engines. Plus, I see the Y6B that OWL photographed on the Shaffers Crossing turntable daily as it holds court in the living room (on the wall). MB noted that the 3177 was missing a number plate...

All-

I did get a loop of track reset in the basement last night with the help of my nephew. While not a perfect layout in any sense, I was able to test run the loco. Ran really nice and as smooth as any of the other engines I have. I will have to start making some mods to the drawbar, as that did not like some of the sweet vertical changes on the temporary line. I also think that paint for the drivers and siderods is necessary, but that will likely wait until the spring or summer when I can safely paint outside.

Mark

 

[markoles]

Regal,

Thanks for watching out for me. I've been following the price on these since they came out in the $600 range. When aristo blew out their inventory last year, I realized that I needed to make my move if I was going to have one of my own.

GSJ only had the N&W and PRR ones at that price. Others were higher, but none came with Vandy tenders. Actually, I was all ready to buy from Ridge Road Station, but they sold their B&O mallet (the last one with a vandy in stock). Having been down at NS trains a few weeks earlier, I knew they had a B&O mallet on display. So, I emailed them, told them what I was willing the pay (in line with RRS's price) for a mallet, asked if they could sell me one at that price. They agreed, and I bought it. When I arrived at the store, I expected to be getting the display loco. I was pleasanly surprised when the one they gave me was brand new in an unopened box. It worked out to be about the same price as what Ridge Road would have been with shipping. Maybe a little less than that. Plus, my need to 'gotta have it now' was fulfilled since NS trains is only about an hour away.

While I was there, I also picked up the metal wheels for the covered hopper I am getting with the aristo buy/get offer.. sweeet! I even made a new large scale friend while there. He is just getting started, and had a ton of questions. The store staff was overwhelmed with people buying (what bad economy?) and didn't have much time to spend with him. Nice guy, and I hope he decides to jump in. He was talking about doing a layout based on an big terminal, like Washington Union Station or Philly 30th street station in the late 1950s where steam/diesel/electrics would be present.

Mark

 

[markoles]

I numbered my live steam Mikado '444' for the company in was in while in Vietnam


Jerry,
Doesn't adding a personal touch like that make it a little bit more than just a live steamer or a model train? I think so.

 

[markoles]

Dude, tell MB to up your meds....


Chris, I'll tell MB to up your meds! Instead of making bad jokes, can you get out your tape measure and tell me what the dimensions of that covered bridge at the yard throat? Need to check and see if 3177 will fit through that.

Wanna bet? when you have as many engines as I've managed to aquire over the last few years and have only managed to add numbers to a pitiful few, it gets real cornfusin' when you finally get around to adding numbers to them, seams I already have two #8's now....

Vic,
I meant that when you model a real engine, like say, UP 844 or SF 3751, you have a prototype in mind, with a prototype #. When you free lance it, you end up with two #8s.

RJ,

Been checking them over. Actually, I was thinking before I started splashing oil all over everything, I'd paint the wheels. That'd mean removing the drives and side rods. My experience with the mikado wheels taught me that I don't want to try and remove wheels that are tight already!