Glenn Holland Posted January 26, 2024 Posted January 26, 2024 "Mascot of Maine" Compared to most of the other locomotives I've published most recently, this one is a bit of an outlier. It's not the hotshot superpower found on the Nickel Plate, it's not wartime power like the Mohawk, and it's not part of the Age of Steam collection. My love for 470 comes from elsewhere. Having been a New England resident for several years and having vacationed in most of those states, I've developed a soft spot for the region, especially the piney woods of Maine. I've also always enjoyed the idea of coastal railroading: a mix of maritime and railroad visuals produce interesting scenes. There's a concept for a layout module I've had for some time that would perfectly represent those thoughts.. Maybe someday I'll build it. I'm also drawn to the Maine Central and 470 specifically due to the preservation and claim to fame of the locomotive; 470 operated the last steam-powered passenger train on June 13, 1954 and is the largest preserved steam locomotive in New England and Maritime Canada. After sitting on display for over six decades, the non-profit New England Steam Corporation acquired the locomotive in 2015 and has since relocated it to a purpose-built structure where volunteers actively work to restore the locomotive to operating condition. Being a naturally good looking locomotive, not to mention the incredibly striking Maine Central "speed lettering" it carried, and being preserved and undergoing restoration wins 470 a spot in my heart. I began my model in early to mid 2021. I know, quite a while ago. Chronologically this locomotive was designed around the time I was building and completing Grey Ridge 26. Work progressed through September 2021, at which point I tested an assembled and functioning model (minus rods and artwork) on some track on my apartment floor. Tests were satisfactory; no major issues found. And then I let the project go for quite a while. In this incomplete state, 470 sat on my shelf until last year. One of the bigger challenges I faced was designing a satisfactory rod and valve gear package for this engine. The cylinder design necessitated some new thinking and part design which is perhaps the main reason why I only completed the model in January 2024. Some of the valve gear components required as many as four iterations until they performed as desired. I guess the take-home point is that I got there. Better late than never, right? I'm using a Power Functions L motor geared at a 1:1 ratio to XL.25 size drivers. Control comes from a Power Functions V2 IR receiver and power is a 7.4v battery from Tenergy - a staple of my newer locomotive designs. XL.25 wheels almost deserve a post in their own right. I initially started designing this engine with the more commonly available XL.5 wheels (right in between XL and XXL wheels). I quickly found that the driver wheelbase and proportions of the model were entirely wrong. So, I bit the bullet and opted to design a unique set of drivers at an intermediate size - essentially 1/2 a plate larger in diameter than an XL driver. This allows for the proper wheelbase dimension and better overall proportion, and the wheel is closer to scale as well. Overall, it's more effort, but worth the result. I'm satisfied with performance, having operated the engine running light on my floor for a couple hours and getting a full hour in a convention setting with a mid-sized train behind it. Even still, my goal from the start of this project has been to operate 470 with a powered baggage/RPO car to enable more prototypically long passenger trains. While it would be nice to have 470 handle an entire train alone, it wasn't practical to go with any alternatives - no more room in the boiler for an extra motor and the tender is too short to use train motor bogies. Compromise was made, but I'm far from unhappy. I've modeled 470 as it looked on its final revenue run on June 13, 1954. I think this is, bar none, the prettiest model I've made in recent memory. My favorite thing about this engine is the way it looks with the Maine Central logo, striping, and accents on the rods and wheels. An incredibly unique look for a star locomotive. All artwork was done by Cale Leiphart with some assistance and references from Richard Glueck. All artwork is decals printed by OKBrickWorks. Thank you all, particularly Mr. Glueck, for your assistance with this project. As always, I'm pleased to bring this one over the goal line. Having been in progress for several years now, it feels great to have this one complete and published for the public. Guess I need to design some passenger cars now. Full photo album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBbRCB Video review: Thanks for reading. Quote
Dr Snotson Posted January 26, 2024 Posted January 26, 2024 I really like the loco! It certainly would be a perfect match for the small diorama of a railroad close to the coastline I saw recently. This perfect engine deserves a sweet layout showcasing the very special feel you described. Very well done! Greetings, Simon! Quote
SD100 Posted January 27, 2024 Posted January 27, 2024 That is a sharp looking locomotive right there... Do you have any plans on running it at conventions in the near future? SD Quote
Vilhelm22 Posted January 28, 2024 Posted January 28, 2024 (edited) Nothing like one of your stunning locomotives Glenn! Always fascinating to see the techniques you use each time. The perfection in your piston rods and valve gear is always outstanding. Edited January 28, 2024 by Vilhelm22 Quote
Feuer Zug Posted January 29, 2024 Posted January 29, 2024 Astonishing locomotive. The attention to detail here is phenomenal. Quote
Ts__ Posted January 29, 2024 Posted January 29, 2024 Beautiful! But I'm not a fan of the short one-word postings. Your engine deserves more effort from me... The details and decals are amazing. This really enhances the already superbly built locomotive. I love the movement of the driveshaft and the piston rods. Yes, there are foreign parts, but it can't be done with Lego alone. In the video, I would have liked to see close-ups of a switch crossing. That's always the first place where problems show up. Of course, I don't expect that from you... Simply great or simply: Beautiful! Thomas Quote
THERIZE Posted January 29, 2024 Posted January 29, 2024 Wow, what a beautiful model! I really like all those hoses and details around the firebox and the daylight between the boiler and the frame is also very nicely done. There's so much to look at, it really is superb. Quote
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted January 29, 2024 Posted January 29, 2024 Fantastic locomotive from a lego train enthusiast! I like the ladder in the back of the tender, excellent building technique, very original to me. Quote
Glenn Holland Posted January 30, 2024 Author Posted January 30, 2024 Hi all - just getting back from a weekend convention without easy access to Eurobricks, so I'm now catching up on your wonderful replies. On 1/26/2024 at 3:34 PM, Dr Snotson said: I really like the loco! It certainly would be a perfect match for the small diorama of a railroad close to the coastline I saw recently. This perfect engine deserves a sweet layout showcasing the very special feel you described. Very well done! Greetings, Simon! I have an idea for what would turn out to be a large diorama or layout module that would depict a very scenic coastal town... maybe one day I'll build it! Thanks Simon. On 1/27/2024 at 4:51 AM, SD100 said: That is a sharp looking locomotive right there... Do you have any plans on running it at conventions in the near future? SD Thank you! And most definitely. I was at the Amherst Railroad Hobby Show this past weekend and got some video of it running on the joint Lego layout there. I'll have that uploaded to YouTube hopefully soon. On 1/27/2024 at 6:36 AM, GoHabsGo said: Wonderful ! Thank you! On 1/27/2024 at 3:43 PM, AbleChristopher said: Fantastic work, Glenn! Thanks!! On 1/27/2024 at 7:20 PM, Vilhelm22 said: Nothing like one of your stunning locomotives Glenn! Always fascinating to see the techniques you use each time. The perfection in your piston rods and valve gear is always outstanding. So glad you like it. One of the fun things about modeling such a variety of prototypes is the new techniques that come with each build. The boiler was inspired directly by my 4-6-0 from 2021 but required extensive changes to accommodate the motorization and gears, but it worked out! The custom rods and valve gear always accentuate any model. The colorful details really help in the case of 470. On 1/29/2024 at 9:07 AM, Feuer Zug said: Astonishing locomotive. The attention to detail here is phenomenal. Glad you like it. The details matter on any model and can make the difference between good and great in my opinion. 20 hours ago, Ts__ said: Beautiful! But I'm not a fan of the short one-word postings. Your engine deserves more effort from me... The details and decals are amazing. This really enhances the already superbly built locomotive. I love the movement of the driveshaft and the piston rods. Yes, there are foreign parts, but it can't be done with Lego alone. In the video, I would have liked to see close-ups of a switch crossing. That's always the first place where problems show up. Of course, I don't expect that from you... Simply great or simply: Beautiful! Thomas Thomas, thank you very much. I'd say the overall effect is greater than the sum of its parts: rods and valve gear, intricate details, artwork, etc. combine for a profound effect on the viewer. I have tested this model over turnouts (switches) with no issue at all. These tests consisted of flying through a turnout at full speed and at slower speed with a train behind and I have not had any issues yet, even with the tight clearances on this model. 18 hours ago, THERIZE said: Wow, what a beautiful model! I really like all those hoses and details around the firebox and the daylight between the boiler and the frame is also very nicely done. There's so much to look at, it really is superb. Thank you! The pipework is always a little challenging.. it's impossible to get all of it at once and difficult to know what to omit in some cases. I'm glad it works out on 470. 18 hours ago, LEGO Train 12 Volts said: Fantastic locomotive from a lego train enthusiast! I like the ladder in the back of the tender, excellent building technique, very original to me. Thank you very much! I only with the ladder did not conceal as much of the road number on the back as it does, but I suppose it's unavoidable at some point. Thanks everyone for their kind words. Quote
Dr Snotson Posted January 31, 2024 Posted January 31, 2024 On 1/30/2024 at 3:57 PM, Glenn Holland said: I have an idea for what would turn out to be a large diorama or layout module that would depict a very scenic coastal town... maybe one day I'll build it! Thanks Simon. Do it! Quote
Glenn Holland Posted February 1, 2024 Author Posted February 1, 2024 On 1/30/2024 at 1:36 PM, Shiva said: Thumbs up! :) Thank you! 9 hours ago, Dr Snotson said: Do it! You do make a compelling argument ;) 9 hours ago, Man with a hat said: Stunning. Fantastic work. Thank you very much! Quote
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