Varney> Mantua?

Dear Ken,

Given the "Varney" reference, maybe Varney or Mantua might be sources to hunt-down?

http://k4supply.com/mantua.html

No prior experience or reccomendation, just Googling...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Not Bowser

I just checked my Bowser catalogs # 15 and 16. I think you already know that they don't list 58-inch drivers, but there is a diagram of Varney's Old Lady and Casey Jones. Drivers in that diagram don't look like yours. I wonder where to find specs of other Varney steam locos.

Good Luck hunting.

DrJolS

Late 40's early 50's Mantua

I think it is from a 1949 Mike.  I have a 1950's pacific shown in the pix.  Note the wheel diameter is 3/4 in not the 2/3 that the 58" scale wil be.  It is definitely from that era.  Mantua changed the design in the later years and the wheel rims are silver and the geared wheels do not have flanges.

The later designs also had thinner piston rods and the axle diameters were smaller.

Larry

Unobtanium?

Thanks, Larry.  What I take from your post is that the models - and by extension the drivers - might as well be made of unobtanium.  Trying to source 50+ year old spares might be a fool's errand, and both more difficult and more costly than finding something made overseas.

Given the fact that 58" drivers were relatively common in the late steam era, I find it hard to believe that there have been so few models with that diameter.

Rivarossi Mike

I have a Rivarossi Mike handy to measure the wheels.  Sorry the scale slipped in the pix, but you can see that it seems to be close to 11/16.  That would be 60".  If they are slightly less than that then they would be the proper size.  Rivarossi parts will be more available.  It all comes down to if it is close enough.

Larry

.

Model Die Casting

DK,

Just looking at the drivers, I have to rule out both Varney and Mantua, as well as Penn-Line/Bowser.  They just don't look right for those companies. I also don't think they're 58", either. What they resemble most closely to me are the 63" geared drivers off an MDC 2-6-2 from the late 50's (MR reviewed it in June, 1959) through about the time when MDC came out with its "Harriman" series engine and went to the double reduction drive.. Basically the engine used the boiler and tender off their model of the ATSF 1480 class 4-4-2 with a new frame and smaller drivers. MDC used unplated brass treads on their drivers for quite a while after other companies started plating them to get rid of the brass look.

To the best of my knowledge and recollection, no one manufactured drivers in a 58" size, which makes the stated size suspect.

If you need quite a few sets in the 55-58" diameter range, you might want to look at Greenway Products. They've got sets in 56" and 57" sizes with both square and crescent counterweights. The axles are 3mm (.118") diameter. Greenway seems to have changed their website since the last time I looked at them (a couple of years ago) and they no longer have pictures of the driver sets. They're not cheap ($18/piece), but Greenway's probably the only place in the US that carries steam drive wheel sets.

Greenway's listings: http://greenwayproducts.com/index.php?dispatch=categories.view&category_id=99

Drivers can also be obtained from the UK http://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Locomotive_Driving_Wheels_.html .    You might need to fabricate your own counterweights.  For HO scale, 16 or 17mm diameter drive wheels ought to be visually correct. 16mm scales out to just under 55" in HO, while 17mm scales out to 58.3"

More: http://www.sefinecast.co.uk/Wheels/Wheels%20Axles%20and%20Crankpins%201.htm

http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/modules/viewcategory.php/Romford/Markits%20Wheels%20and%20Components

Note: Some wheels sold separately from axles. UK has 3 different gauges for 4mm scale (16.5, 18.2, 18.83 - aka ScaleFour)

Hope this helps.

Mike