Luck - and bad luck!

[RailRon]

Two months after I retired, to my great surprise I got a note from my former employer that he would pay me a final reward for my loyalty at the job. So I was able to fullfill a long time wish - I bought myself a brass engine.

It is a Precision Scale K-28 of the D&RGW, #478. I bought exactly this engine for sentimental reasons, because I rode the Durango-Silverton train behind her when I was for the first time in the USA - back in 1977. (Good Lord, that's THIRTY years ago this summer! )

So far, that's the LUCK portion of my posting...

 

[RailRon]

Now what's the BAD LUCK part?

When I made my first test runs, the engine performed flawlessly... until she reached the first #4 turnout. And there she simply derailed! :curse: (So far I had had no problems with my other steamers, but they are smaller consolidations with two blind (flangeless) drivers in the middle.

And ALL my handlaid turnouts in the Western throat of the Ronville yard are #4s! Experiments showed it clearly, no chance to make small adjustements. My K-28 simply refuses to go through a diverting #4 turnout, while she manages to run through a Shinohara #6.

So that is the bad luck part: I had to rip out all my handlaid tracks and redo the whole shebang with #6 turnouts! :cry::cry::cry:

The following picture show the 'progress' of my most recent work on my layout: Going... going... gone!

Oh well, at least a chance to do it better next time (hopefully)!

Ron

 

[MadCoW1]

RailRon, First congrats on the engine. Cool that you have that kind of former employer. The 478 looks great and think about this, although you have to relay the turnouts, and realign track, Think how cool it will be watching that baby roll through your pike!!

Johnny

 

[oldtanker]

Lets look at this again.announce1

1. you retired!:thumb:

2. you got extra cash from your former employer!:thumb:

3. you are making enough that you could spent said cash on a new engine!:thumb:

4. the new engine runs great!:thumb:

5. because of poor prior planning you had to work on your layout!!!!:thumb:

I just don't see the bad luck partsign1


Cool engine!

 

[CCT70]

Hey, it may be a pain in the neck, but for that baby, she's worth it!

Besides, if you are hand laying track, you must enjoy it, so it's all good.

Congratulations on the new addition to the roster.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Just think how nice everything will run when all of the #6's are done!

 

[doctorwayne]

The prototype calls it track rehabilitation.
Nice loco :thumb: , and nice trackwork too! :thumb:

Wayne

 

[nachoman]

This is useful info for me. I'm considering if I have enough space to build a slightly larger layout so that I can run similar engines. Looks like if I do, #6s will be minimum.

Awesome looking engine. And you got one with a green boiler, too! A few years back, the durango-silverton train temporaily repainted the 473 with a green boiler and rio grande lettering, and it looked sharp.

kevin

 

[steamhead]

Hi,
I'm with Rick...Bad luck would have been that baby sailing to the bottom of a canyon (or concrete floor...). So you got the engine of your dreams AND you get to lay some track...!!!:thumb:
Wish I had luck like that...:cry:

 

[stripes]

Heck! I wish I was experianced enough to hand lay track!!

Nice work and awsome loco!

David