Saturday, June 14, 2014

Dr. Thompson


As the W&A North Branch continues to evolve, we are at the point where we now have locos with good to excellent running Mantua 4-4-0 locos. The Dr Thompson, shown here, is one of three recently retooled Mantua Generals, the other two being the Dispatch and the General, both of the W&A RR at the time. Al Mueller's manual, "Mantua General Rebuild" is a key resource for anyone interested in refining this Mantua locomotive. Although as many as 20 to 30 hours are invested, depending on the level of detail one wished to add, the exceptional smooth running is certainly worth the time.  A product that I have found extremely useful is CRC, an automotive contact cleaner. I was amazed at the amount of dirt removed from both the rails and loco drivers. Clean is paramount for these locos, as well as the retooling noted in Al's manual. We hope you enjoy the ride. Comments are encouraged so we know how it appeals to the viewer.

3 comments:

  1. Yes'r that looks like a whole lot of slippery bacon.

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  2. Hello

    First off, I love your layout. It is absolutely beautiful. I have so meany questions about your locomotives. Everything from how you where able to re-motor them, to how you got those beautiful strap iron pilots.

    I am a model maker of very modest means. But I love the W&A RR and have spent a considerable amount of time studying it. I'm lucky to live within an hours drive of both the General, and the Texas. I have always loved the Texas in particular, and I created in my spare time several drawings and schematics of the locomotive.

    I'm attempting to build an HO scale replica of the Texas, and now that I have gathered as much information on the locomotive as I can, I am looking to start.

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    Replies
    1. Dear "modest means",
      Thanks for your comment. Glad it appeals to you as a modeler and history enthusiast.
      The strap iron pilots are a detail product from Precision Scale. I see you know your loco history.
      I encourage you to join our Yahoo group - Civil War Rail Roads @ Yahoo.com. There are approximately 840 members, many of which have been modeling for years. I am certain you will find useful information in our files as well as the email exchanges that occur on various topics to educate one another. We are a passionate group that explores the detailed nuances of RR equipment.
      Best regards,
      Thom

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