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What on earth...It's a side tank 0-6-0 on an Arnold chassis, help to ID the body?


Welshbloke

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https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck1lr1rtVbq/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

This turned up at the club with a huge donation of US N scale models, from a widow who came to one of our open days (over fifty locos and we got confused counting the freight cars). I've adopted it as it didn't run properly, has a loose body and needs a front coupler. Hoping someone here can suggest what it's supposed to be though?

 

The chassis is Arnold but the body definitely isn't, it doesn't look like any of theirs. It looks to be sheet metal (maybe etched brass, could equally be nickel silver) with whitemetal castings judging by the weight and slightly clunky cast-on details. It's a good fit on the chassis but lacks any provision for fixing screws.

 

It may be a Pennsylvania RR design as it has faded "PRR 278" lettering on the tanks, 99% of the rest of the collection is Pennsy.

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Pennsylvania RR or the Baltimore & Ohio used some tank engines for Baltimore harbor shunting work probably mainly at Fells Point. The tracks are still in the streets there, but I don't think they are used anymore.  Later there would be tiny electrics at Baltimore.

 

The tank steamers were known as Dockside(s) and in HO issued by Varney in the 1950s. Varney did issue a PRR dockside.  It I think that model is a kit bashed Dockside, for a model not commercially available at  that time in N scale. I believe Docksides are now largely forgotten.

 

HO scale 0-4-0 Varney Dockside history article.

https://hotraincollector.com/the-little-engine-that-could-the-ubiquitous-dockside-switcher/

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Varney++dockside&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj54pb5qaf7AhXBs3IEHcxjBgMQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=Varney++dockside&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDDIFCAAQgAQ6BAgjECc6BAgAEEM6BggAEAcQHjoICAAQCBAHEB46BggAEAgQHlCIDVi4KWD3OWgAcAB4AIABdYgB6BGSAQQyNi4ymAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWfAAQE&sclient=img&ei=5eBuY7ncHcHnytMPzMeZGA&bih=616&biw=1344&rlz=1C1GCEA_enCA749CA749

 

 

I have found  a photo of PRR 278, but it is a more normal 0-6-0 switcher.

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr278s.jpg

Edited by bill937ca
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I found a photo of a PRR 0-6-0T. It was a locomotive built by Baldwin in 1905 and later cut down as a shop goat.   https://www.flickr.com/photos/alcomike/6826788946/in/photostream/

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alcomike/6973063965/in/photostream/

 

These were popular as first engines.  But not necessarily prototypical for mainline or even branch line traffic. Lionel even has one in its recent past.

 

http://www.lionel.com/products/pennsylvania-lionchief-plus-20-0-6-0t-2295-2032050/

Edited by bill937ca
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It's odd that someone would go to the trouble of making an inaccurate kit, if you see what I mean.

 

I'll probably clean it, replace the front coupler and sort out a body mounting screw then keep it as a curiosity. I was initially planning to use the chassis for a 009 loco but as it's something a bit unusual I'm more inclined to restore than break for parts. It would certainly thrive on docksides as it's quite happy on Kato R150 curves!

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