Bill Van Brocklin

Bill Van Brocklin Jr. was a prolific live steam locomotive builder. Perhaps he is best known for his steam pump designs.

Two "FireQueens"
Pat Fahey wrote, 3 July 2017:


 * I was just up on the IBLS website, and I would like to make a correction. The correction is this, dealing with Bill Van Brocklin and "FireQueen". Bill did have two locomotives named "FireQueen".


 * The first being his inch and half scale Number 11, a 4-4-0 which you show a photo of on the website. The second locomotive to be named "FireQueen" is a locomotive I once owned which is Number 20. Number 20 was built to 3/4 inch scale and was a 4-8-0 Camelback, this is only one of two 4-8-0's that Bill built.


 * I am attaching photo's of number 20 as built, with Stevenson valve gear, and rebuilt with Southern valve gear when I owned the locomotive.


 * I found a nice clear shot, taken by Bill Van Brocklin showing the plate on number 20.

Locomotive List
Patrick Fahey of the Waushakum Live Steamers provided scans of Bill's locomotive list.



Steam Pump
One of Bill Van Brocklin's steam pumps was listed on eBay in December 2013. Here is the description, along with photos.


 * This little pump will scale properly in both 1" or a smaller 1.5" scale engine. Steam bore is 13/16" and water bore is 1/2".  Stroke is approximately 1-1/8".

Coles Feedback
From the Coles Power Models 25h Anniversary Catalog:


 * Bill Van Brocklin, Jr., of Mass., writes: October, 1952:
 * Very pleased with last order. I tried the whistle on "Jimper", my 3.5 inch gauge Atlantic, and it worked swell although high pitched loike an English one.  This was at Carl Purinton's at Marblehead.  All the boys like it.  The "Truscale" valve is very well made.