02-16-2014, 08:04 PM
Grand Valley's 26 is the last of the road's Consolidations to be equipped with a Du Pont-Simplex Type B stoker. It's been shown to improve both locomotive performance and fuel economy, and is boon for firemen on the line's heavy grades. This latter benefit is especially important, as additional LPBs have been hired to run these formerly crewless locos. 
![[Image: Stoker-equippedConsolidation003.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Locomotives%20-%20Part%20II/Stoker-equippedConsolidation003.jpg)
The stoker engines (seen beneath the cab in the photo above) were made from parts included with Athearn's bay window caboose kits. I could never determine what exactly they were meant to represent, although I have modified a few for use as K-type brake cylinders under freight cars. For use as stokers, a small nub was removed from one end of each part (two parts are required to represent this type of stoker engine), and the opposite end was trimmed until the parts were short enough to not protruded beyond the width of the cab. After that, they were simply cemented in place. I omitted the steam lines necessary to operate the real ones, but those could be easily added using brass wire.
As for the crews, no LPB blood was shed, despite several amputations and at least one transplant of an arm from a suitable donor.
Wayne
The stoker engines (seen beneath the cab in the photo above) were made from parts included with Athearn's bay window caboose kits. I could never determine what exactly they were meant to represent, although I have modified a few for use as K-type brake cylinders under freight cars. For use as stokers, a small nub was removed from one end of each part (two parts are required to represent this type of stoker engine), and the opposite end was trimmed until the parts were short enough to not protruded beyond the width of the cab. After that, they were simply cemented in place. I omitted the steam lines necessary to operate the real ones, but those could be easily added using brass wire.
As for the crews, no LPB blood was shed, despite several amputations and at least one transplant of an arm from a suitable donor.
Wayne