Karl Friedrich

Karl Friedrich designed the 1 inch scale "Dinky" 0-4-0 "shifter" in 3.5 inch gauge. He was a founding member of the Rocky Mountain Live Steamers.

Karl attended the Second BLS Meet in 1934.

On Lagging
Karl wrote the following regarding lagging in The Live Steamer, May-June 1951:


 * In regards to the question of "lagging boilers", my position is that it resolves itself around the relative merits of a small lagged boiler versus a larger unlagged boiler. Thus a locomotive that requires a boiler 5 inch diameter that is lagged so that the result is a 5-1/2 inch or 6 inch diameter over the lagging, why not use the larger diameter for the boiler proper in the first place?  To my mind, the resulting boiler will be easier to manage on account of its larger firebox, water capacity and steam space.  To me this is more desirable than the last ounce in efficiency.  I might also mention that most of L.B.S.C. boilers are not lagged.  For that matter neither are mine, and I now have four, of which only one is lagged.  That was the first one I built some 25 years ago.

Smaller Loco, Lower Pressure
Karl Friedrich (Note: original article spelled last name as "Friedrick")
 * 2039 5th Ave
 * Pittsburgh 19, PA

The North American Live Steamer, Volume 1 Number 4


 * Just a few words about steam pressures in small engines. That is, engines with boilers 5 inches or less in diameter.  In my opinion, a lot of the fellows are using pressures entirely too high.  100 to 125 pounds is much more than can be used efficiently on the average small locomotive.  Most of these little fellows can get along quite nicely on 60 to 75 pounds, and even less if superheated.  In my experience and observation, I have come to the conclusion that a superheated job at 60 pounds will do about as well and maybe better than a wet steamer at 90 or 100.  Also, the 100+ pressures are liable to cause many little leaks to develop around glands and fittings.  The only thing to be gained by higher pressures is that they tend to cancel out defects in workmanship, etc., by sheer brute force.