4-8-8-2 SP Cab Forward Steam Locomotive

I wonder why the cab forward didn't become the norm. You either wind
up with the boiler in your lap, or have it hit you from behind.
What's the difference?
Bob

Now that looks neat.Very nice.

All locomotives are cab forward now, I imagine that was an interim model before they went diesel. I imagine it was designed with visibility in mind. Perhaps too many women were tied to the tracks and not all the cowboys in white rescued them just in the nick of time.

I believe the Baldwin company built those. The Baldwin manufacturing factory is very close to where I live.

This is the Rivarossi advert I found in my Model RR magazine of June 2002

There, now you've done it.  

Just last week I swore off buying anymore trains.  Like an alcoholic quitting cold turkey.  Now - There stands the glass.....an old honky tonk song by Webb Pierce

There stands the glass that will ease all my pain
That will settle my brain, it's my first one today
There stands the glass that will hide all my fears
That will drown all my tears, brother, I'm on my way

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=webb+pierce+youtube+there+stands&docid=608028281473073290&mid=EDDC9A7100CCB0A6FFD1EDDC9A7100CCB0A6FFD1&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

I have to find that locomotive.  It's been in the back of my mind anyway, and as I said it's about the only Rivarossi locomotive that I don't already have.  They are four deep in there.



The Cab Forward is just an Articulated Y6-B turned around.





Thanks I think

I guess you'll need this paper then:



All Rivarossi service sheets can be found here

http://lestrainsjouef.free.fr/en/docs/parts/part_mot_riva.html

Thanks Lieven, I don't have that one, thanks for the link.

I check ebay each morning for new Rivarossi and Varney listings. A Rivarossi Cab Forward popped up last Saturday staring at around $74.00 or a BIN price of $129.95 with $9.34 shipping and I jumped on it. Described as "Excellent" but we shall see.

Wow. Those sure do look very nice displayed like that Bob. The black one pointed to the left on the 7th shelf sure looks big. The grey one above is is not small neither.

I love the big ones but my favorite is the .0.4.0 dockside which has the B&O markings on the boiler on the lower right.

Something really crazy is happening to the US Postal system. The Cab Forward has been shipped from Charlotte NC 381 miles from my house in West Virginia to Jackson Mississippi 931 miles away. Went south instead of north. It's not an isolated event, the new normal for this Post Office. I hope the seller packed it well.

Those, the gray and the black are Union Pacific "Big Boys" largest locomotives ever built, heavier than a 747 though much smaller.

Found another one, better condition with the box.  One to run, the other to put away.







Neither very expensive.  This Broadway Limited a premier brand goes for $429.00 but it has sound and smoke even on DC.



In the 1920's, the Southern Pacific had a need for powerful locomotives,
but found that the new articulated 2-8-8-2's did not work well for them.  
They were a hazard to the crews when traveling through the long tunnels
and snow sheds on their system. The exhaust fumes were capable of blinding and suffocating crew members,
so to resolve this problem, the Southern Pacific decided to run in reverse.  
The next articulated engines from Baldwin were built with the cabs in the forward position.  
The SP went on to build many classes of these "Cab-Forwards".

In truth, I find them unconventional and kind of ugly, but they have  a significant role in railroading history and will fill a hole in my collection.  Might be fun to see them chugging around my layout too.

Attn! Off Topic stray.
Great forward cab, perfect plow vehicle.

1957 Forward Control Jeep. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Forward_Control
Bob

I wish they still made cab forward or cab over vehicles! That Jeep is very cool.

Unfortunately, Ron, the "Form Follows Function" train
of thought has been nudged to the wayside. These days
trucks are rated by the size if their dash LCD screens.
But you know that better than most.
That Jeep was also an excellent tow truck platform.
Bob

dckrsn wrote:Unfortunately, Ron, the "Form Follows Function" train
of thought has been nudged to the wayside. These days
trucks are rated by the size if their dash LCD screens.
But you know that better than most.
That Jeep was also an excellent tow truck platform.
Bob

I am certainly not the norm when it comes to vehicles that I am willing to drive every day. Power steering and brakes are a luxury for me. Air conditioning would be nice...

I can get by without an LCD screen just by turning my head around.

Nice trains Bob, sorry for the hijack!!!

No problem,  you know me I brake for vehicles.  A favorite of mine for many years, ever since i bought my first VW Beetle.  Corvair had one too.



Some get annoyed with Hijacks, I welcome them, expands the conversation.

Considering this one:



another Broadway limited, a step up from Rivarossi, but you get more detail.




Cab Forwards were oil burners, no coal, note tender.  Firebox was at the front end so the fuel had to be piped and pumped from the tender.  Think of the baffles in that one!

Nice looking train set up , that other one is going to have some miles on it for sure. I have drove one of the cab forward models i was working on a LONG time ago , don't remember the maker but it was an experience for a young man at the time

getback wrote:Nice looking train set up , that other one is going to have some miles on it for sure. I have drove one of the cab forward models i was working on a LONG time ago , don't remember the maker but it was an experience for a young man at the time

Might have been the Corvair Eric, but I think Dodge brought out a very similar one.  Ron would know.



Going through some old pictures I found this one of my wife and me on old #683 in Denver.  Only problem is, she should be sitting in the engineers seat and I should be back there shoveling coal.

Made it my avatar picture on the Model train Forum.

Bob, for the past 25 years, there's a local car show which takes place by my house on Thanksgiving morning on a field which was a farm in the late 1600's. The house owned by the Massey's is now known as the Massey House. The front row facing the main st where the field ends generally is dedicated to the Corvair owners. Many Rampside Corvair trucks are present and one year at least 8 of them with all different options. I attended this year which was a very low and small turnout. A few nice cars but everyone feared they were going to die so they stayed home. Not a single Corvair but some nice Mopars which I love the most anyway.

I was hoping to enter my 1982 Yamaha Enduro which looks as new as the day it rolled off the floor which I've owned since then. I was fearing rain so I didn't make the 20 min ride, needless to say it didn't rain. The nice thing about this show is that it's very well run by the car club members. Food and drink for free, show is run from 8 am -10:30 am and everyone goes home. Last year 4 steam powered cars made the trip from Delaware to the Massey House. It was quite cold that morning and it was nice to warm our hands near the boilers of those cars.

Ken, I can't get that teal blue and white Corvair (above) out of my mind. I may have to boot my MG out of the garage to make room for one. Almost bought a Corvair Coupe a couple of years ago and posted about it here, a rust bucket and changed my mind. But that rampside/pickup is something else.

We Brit enthusiasts have something similar. Hunt Valley show in Virginia. Everything from Bug Eye Sprites to Rolls Royce's

rsv1cox wrote:

getback wrote:Nice looking train set up , that other one is going to have some miles on it for sure. I have drove one of the cab forward models i was working on a LONG time ago , don't remember the maker but it was an experience for a young man at the time

Might have been the Corvair Eric, but I think Dodge brought out a very similar one.  Ron would know.



Going through some old pictures I found this one of my wife and me on old #683 in Denver.  Only problem is, she should be sitting in the engineers seat and I should be back there shoveling coal.

Made it my avatar picture on the Model train Forum.      

Dodge A100

Thought I remembered Dodge having one too Ron.

Found a Corvair ramp-side on ebay. A little crispy but in my price range: