I noticed the 7 1/2 inch gauge riding car that you are lugging around, are you a live steamer kind of guy. Where is the locomotive?
Locomotive was in the Frunk, with it's body in the Trunk
Wasn't going to post it, as it's not really Tesla related, but since you brought it up, here you go
Tehehe
My Locomotive (I Just finished painting the flat car, did not have it done in time for our trip)
Where our road trip was "originally" supposed to be to. Train Mountain, by Creator Lake, OR. They have 36 Whopping Miles of 7 1/2" gauge track. I had a out dated track map.... Me and the boys got lost for about 3 1/2 hours out on the mountain. I was sweating bullets, as I never ran my loco for that long. I had hoped we would not run out of battery power, as it's powered by 2x Led Acid marine batteries. As we were going, finally caught up with someone else (Didn't see another soul for that 3 1/2 hours!!!) That person was driving a little steam powered Porter engine. I Was happy as can be at that point. I figured, a steamer, he must at least know where the water towers are, and if he knows that, he knows how to get back to the depot. And at the very minimum, if we run out of power, he can tow us, and I have regen brakes on my Box Cab, so it would regen our batteries as he tows us ;-) Ended up being only 2 miles from the depot at that point. Made it back. Locked up our loco for the night at the yard, and got some pizza, promptly returned to hotel and passed out for the night... Got a good 6 1/2 hrs of run time pulling us at about 10 mph. I estimate, we covered a good 20 miles that day total. Surprised at the range we got!!! Here is a 2 1/2 hr ride we did the next day. Fabricated a camera mount on the front of my Box Cab. Needs improvement, but was good for 10 minutes of work, and virtually no tools with me...
And, the railway I rive the BIG little trains, and volunteer, is the Riverside & Great Northern Historical Preservation Society. That is 15" gauge, and when it was the original Sandley Light Engineering Company, Norm and Elmer Sandley built some of the most famous 15" and 24" gauge locomotives, 19 in all, and 36 Passenger Cars. 2 of his Loco's are very popular and still, even after so many years, in DAILY operation at the Milwaukee County Zoo, Which are a Pacific and Atlantic Class Engine. We were lucky to get back the smaller retired #82 (American Class, Cival War Design) from the Milwaukee Zoo around 1989 to be able to open the Historical Society and start pulling passenger trains. It was retired at the Zoo and put on static display due to the train ride being so widely popular. The engine could not keep up with the demand the zoo was placing on it, which is why they had Sandley's build the Atlantic and Pacific locomotives (Easily pull twice the number of rail cars). We restored the 82 back in full operating condition, and it has been happily pulling smiling children and tourists since 1990. We also managed to acquire it's identical twin, the #98 ( I joke that they are the Texan and the General!, and have been begging to run one in reverse and recreate the Civil War's Great Locomotive Chase!).
To get the #82 from it's static display, we did a trade. We built the Zoo a Brand Spanking New Diesel Locomotive (Still in use as well), in trade for the (at the time) non-functional #82. They took the offer and everyone was happy.
I myself, am in the process of restoring Colby Tram. One of our Past members (May he rest in peace, Mr. Sandburg) had built. After his passing, it sat untouched for about 10 years, as it was not certified for passenger pulling (wasn't 100% complete to get certified by the state). I recently, this spring, started work on it. It is my personal project to get operational. We would like to use it for children birthday parties (We get a lot of requests). I have it running, and it runs beautiful now. Last thing I need to do is install Air Brake system, and add another chain to the front drive wheels, as only rears are connected. Cost is about $1,000 for the air brake system, and $150 for the proper chain and sprockets.
Here is Colby
We also have the Tom Thumb, the Oldest loco on the railway, it is a vertical boiler, 4 wheel tiny lil bugger, that uses a whiskey barrel for a water tank. Very Very old, Built approx 1948 roughly (I forget). That one is only used for parades and very special occasions... If we can pry it out of Gary's hands for a few hours... Always tinkering with it...
And lastly, we have the 128. It was at the Knoxville Zoo for a great number of years, until it was derailed and turned over. Then it was put out in a back storage lot for about 25 years
Unfortunately, due to that, what would have been minor repairs became major due to rust. It is in need of a new boiler (about $50,000 that we have raised 17,000 of, and are desperately looking for donations and sponsors to get it running again). We just pulled the Tender apart this past week, and started work on that, since the engine itself, no point in even starting work on that until we have the boiler in hand.
And my Full Feature Film for the Riverside & Great Northern Railway
Riverside Great Northern Railroad
If anyone here, is willing to donate to the railway to help keep our preservation society running, this miniature living museum, please contact me or go to
Riverside Great Northern Railroad
We are also looking for corporate sponsors as well as individual donations. We are Volunteer Run, and operate 100% on Donations and Ticket Sales. All donations are Tax Deductible.
