Article & Photos By Al Babinsky
While in quarantine I have been working on the railroad and want to share some photos. A new addition arrived at the TTT, it is a LGB model 2080D. If you not familiar with the designation D after the model number it means Dampf (steam). I decided to install a sound decoder and fan driven smoke generator. My original choice was a Zimo decoder but found out that there was extra cost involved for the sound so I checked with ESU and they had the proper sound to install and ordered the decoder and their smoke generator. The installation involved removing the control board and connecting the wiring for the lights and motor to the decoder, installing the smoke generator and two speakers. There was no soldering involved since the decoder had terminal strips. After installation the decoder was programmed with the ESU Lokprogrammer the main change was to program the chuff to the wheel rotation.
A little background on the real locomotive that the model is based on. The locomotive is a 2-6-2T, the German designation is 1-C-1 2ht. the 2ht means it carries 2 tons of coal, the letter h means high pressure steam and the t means tender locomotive. In 1938 the Reichsbahn decided to build a series of narrow gage locomotives of different wheel configuration that would have interchangeable parts. The first locomotive that was built was BR 99 6001 which is the 2-6-2T and it was the only one built because the contract was canceled due to the gearing up for war production. The BR99 6001 is still in operation on the HSB Selketahlbahn in the Harz Mountains. There are YouTube videos of this locomotive running in the winter scenery last year.
There are two photos one of the above model sitting at the station for passenger loading and the other is of the Uintah Railway #51, a 2-6-6-2T, coming out of tunnel #2 on the lower level.
Al
Al, thank you. Your work inspires me to keep chugging (cutting homasote) for the Nisqually Pacific, which is what I have been doing all afternoon. Well, except for the nap. . I also appreciate the technical info on the lokies. That 1938 ,model is just four years younger than I am! I tell everyone that Elvis and are the same age–but I think I currently look better and so do you!