Bruce Achor

Bruce Achor was a Chicago banker. He was active in the live steam hobby starting in the mid-1930's. He built a 7-1/2" gauge, 1-1/2" scale track along with a Hudson and other equipment.

Chicago area live steamers Walter Johnston and Emory Ohlencamp built their equipment to 7-1/2" gauge so they could run on Mr. Achor’s home track.



Achor Railroad
by Stephen Booth

The Live Steamer, May-June 1950

Achor Railroad is a 7-1/2 inch gauge outdoor miniature railroad built to a scale of 1-1/2 inch to a foot. this short line is laid in a "U" shape around the residence of Mr. L.B. Achor, at 904 Bruce Avenue, Flossmoor, Illinois. Bruce Achor, with the help of his family and friends, built this pike for operating the fine 4-6-4 coal burner which he constructed.

Work on the locomotive was started in January 1939 and completed nine years later. It was in 1948 that the 200 foot main line was laid. A switch and a spur running into a small engine house were installed later. Details of track construction follow:


 * Rail: 8 pound steel
 * Ties: 2"x4"x18" Cedar drilled for spikes
 * Spikes: 5/16"x5/16"x2-1/2" steel railroad spikes
 * Ballast: dirt

Hudson No. 904, the pride of Achor Railroad, is a modern efficient piece of motive power. Among other equipment, she has Walschaert valve gear, front and throttle, mechanical lubricator, chime whistle and two injectors as well as an axle driven feed water pump on the tender, which keeps up the water level when the locomotive is moving. Up until the present time, air pressure for brakes has been supplied by storage tanks in a gondola. Charged to 120 pounds by a stationary compressor, they contain enough air for about one hour of normal use. Now Bruce has installed an air pump on a tender truck and has finished building a steam driven pump which will be mounted on the engine.

Here are some other pertinent facts about No. 904:


 * Length of engine and tender: 13' 0"
 * Weight in working order: 1800 pounds
 * Driver diameter: 9-7/8 inch
 * Cylinders: 2-3/4 inch by 3-1/2 inch
 * Steam pressure: 125 psi
 * Tubes: twenty 1-inch, four 1-1/4 inch
 * Starting tractive force: 200.9 pounds

Besides making refinements on No. 904, additional rolling stock, including a caboose, is now being built to supplement the two gondolas already in service. The newest car will be equipped with air brakes. In the planning stage is a "Diesel" which will be powered by a small gasoline engine driving through a war-surplus hydraulic transmission.

Whatever form this short line takes in future, you can be sure of one thing; It will provide the thrill of real railroading.