Myrtle Grove Belt Line - Revision history

IBLS Wiki Admin at 15:07, 12 July 2018

2018-07-12T15:07:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:07, 12 July 2018
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	[[Category:Tracks]]		[[Category:Tracks]]
	[[File:WPJohnson LittleEngines Catalog1962 0101.jpg\|thumb\|right\|400px\|W.P. Johnson is shown here with his 1-1/2 inch scale Pacific. He has built the [[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]] in El Dorado, Arkansas, and runs the engine every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The engineer is Dwight's son. From 1962 [[Little Engines]] catalog.]]
	[[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]		[[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]

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	I enclose a couple of photographs of my railroad, which I call the [[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]. I have broken about every rule in the book in building this		I enclose a couple of photographs of my railroad, which I call the [[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]. I have broken about every rule in the book in building this
	layout. About 50% of it is welding, because I have a good welding outfit, the		layout. About 50% of it is welding, because I have a good welding outfit, the
	balance machining. I used castings from [[~~Little Engines~~]] for the drive		balance machining. I used castings from [[Irene Lewis]] for the drive
	wheels and cylinders, building up the rest from welded steel. My locomotive		wheels and cylinders, building up the rest from welded steel. My locomotive
	is a 1-1/2 inch Pacific. I have a steel caboose, complete with working doors		is a 1-1/2 inch Pacific. I have a steel caboose, complete with working doors

Dnevil at 01:32, 8 May 2017

2017-05-08T01:32:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:32, 7 May 2017
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	[[Category:Tracks]]		[[Category:Tracks]]
	[[File:WPJohnson LittleEngines Catalog1962 0101.jpg\|thumb\|right\|400px\|W.P. Johnson is shown here with his 1-1/2 inch scale Pacific. He has built the [Myrtle Grove Belt Line]] in El Dorado, Arkansas, and runs the engine every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The engineer is Dwight's son. From 1962 [[Little Engines]] catalog.]]		[[File:WPJohnson LittleEngines Catalog1962 0101.jpg\|thumb\|right\|400px\|W.P. Johnson is shown here with his 1-1/2 inch scale Pacific. He has built the [[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]] in El Dorado, Arkansas, and runs the engine every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The engineer is Dwight's son. From 1962 [[Little Engines]] catalog.]]
	[[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]		[[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]

Dnevil at 01:31, 8 May 2017

2017-05-08T01:31:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:31, 7 May 2017
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	[[Category:Tracks]]		[[Category:Tracks]]
			[[File:WPJohnson LittleEngines Catalog1962 0101.jpg\|thumb\|right\|400px\|W.P. Johnson is shown here with his 1-1/2 inch scale Pacific. He has built the [Myrtle Grove Belt Line]] in El Dorado, Arkansas, and runs the engine every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The engineer is Dwight's son. From 1962 [[Little Engines]] catalog.]]
	[[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]		[[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]

Dnevil at 15:37, 18 November 2015

2015-11-18T15:37:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:37, 18 November 2015
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	[[File:WPJohnston 1956 1.jpg\|thumb\|right\|300px]]		[[File:WPJohnston 1956 1.jpg\|thumb\|right\|300px]]

	I enclose a couple of photographs of my railroad, which I call the [[Myrtle Grove		I enclose a couple of photographs of my railroad, which I call the [[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]. I have broken about every rule in the book in building this
	Belt Line]]. I have broken about every rule in the book in building this
	layout. About 50% of it is welding, because I have a good welding outfit, the		layout. About 50% of it is welding, because I have a good welding outfit, the
	balance machining. I used castings from [[Little Engines]] for the drive		balance machining. I used castings from [[Little Engines]] for the drive

Dnevil at 04:44, 16 February 2015

2015-02-16T04:44:14Z

Dnevil: Created page with "Category:Tracks Myrtle Grove Belt Line W.P. Johnston Box 991 El Dorado, Arkansas The North American Live Steamer, Volume 1 Number 6 I enclose a couple ..."

2015-02-16T04:38:29Z

Created page with "Category:Tracks Myrtle Grove Belt Line W.P. Johnston Box 991 El Dorado, Arkansas <i>The North American Live Steamer</i>, Volume 1 Number 6 I enclose a couple ..."

New page

[[Category:Tracks]]
[[Myrtle Grove Belt Line]]

W.P. Johnston

Box 991

El Dorado, Arkansas

<i>[[The North American Live Steamer]]</i>, Volume 1 Number 6

I enclose a couple of photographs of my railroad, which I call the [[Myrtle Gove
Belt Line]]. I have broken about every rule in the book in building this
layout. About 50% of it is welding, because I have a good welding outfit, the
balance machinging. I used castings from [[Little Engines]] for the drive
wheels and cylinders, building up the rest from welded steel. My locomotive
is a 1-1/2 inch Pacific. I have a steel caboose, complete with working doors
and glass windows. It is welded steel, plenty strong enough for two adults to
ride upon. Then I have a tank cdar, in which I carry water and two gondola
cars with seats. Little kids are fascinated by the latches on the caboose
doors, but the engine gets the most attention from the grown-ups. We are
using diesel oil for fule, after having an unfortunate experience with
gasoline. Came near losing the whole layout, and my son along with it. The
burner we are using now works very well, and makes plenty of steam, but of
course we have to clean flues oftener than we did with gasoline. We have a
combination engine house and turn table, and have just completed a special
four wheel trailer to haul our equipoment in, as our railway is a mile from my
shop. The track runs around a pond, with two steel trestles. Track is 620
feet long, almost a scale mile.

Now there is where the departure from standard starts. The rail is 1 inch by
1/2 inch channel, with the smooth side in, welded to ties made of 3/4 inch
round steel rods 12 inches long every six inches. All the railroad men said
it could not be done, but I did, and it worked out fine. I used steel tires
because I had the material and the welding equipment, and could lay them
faster. I used steel channel for the rails because it was readily obtainable
at 8-1/2 cents per foot whereas aluminum rail would have been 25 cents per
foot, plus freight from California. Also, it would not weld well to steel.

It took four men four days to lay and weld the track. It was a little rough
when finished, but subsequent straightening operations have helped it a whole
lot. Anyway, we have had very few derailments. Having no wooden ties, I use
a weed burner to kill the grass along the right of way.

The locomotive is the second I have built the first being a 1/2 inch scale,
also a Pacific. I spent eight years, off and on, building the first engine,
but my son and I built the big one in a little less than one year. The frame
is built up of 3/4 inch square [[CRS]] steel, welded of course. And of course
it warped a little, but with a gas torch, straight edge, and a firly good eye,
we soon had it as straight as a die. Main bearings are Timken roller. I
attached short lengths of flexible tubing to each main bearing, and brought
them out to the side, where I could get at them easily for greasing. We have
an excellent whistle, which is about 1-1/2 inch by 14 inch, has four tones,
and fastened under the left running board. Smoke box is split, which I
thought was my own idea, but read in [[The North American Live Steamer]] about
the same idea recently. Also I used the idea of a slide valve throttle,
actuated by a rod running through the dry pipe to the boiler head. I did not
like the idea of having a stuffing box in the hot smoke box. The tender has
two compartments, front for water and back for fuel. We carry about 25 pounds
pressure on the fuel tank, so that the fuel comes to the burner O.K. Tender
is riveted instead of welded, but the rivets on the caboose are imitation, but
a very good imitation, as you can hardly tell they are not real rivets. You
published a picture of my Pacific in your first issue, when I only had the
frame and chassis finished. All in all, my outfit is not perfect, but it sure
runs and pulls well, and we are pretty well satisfied with it.

Being the only live steamer in this vicinity who has actually constructed a
small railroad, I get a little lonesome for fellow live steamers, so if anyone
lives within 300 miles of El Dorado, Arkansas and wants to visit me, they are
more than welcome. I belong to the [[Southern California Live Steamers]]. I
was out to their meet at Lomita in 1954, and am going out to Santa Barbara
next month to visit my good friend [[Seymour F. Johnson]] at his Oak Grove
ranch and ride his Goleta Valley line. Maybe I can visit some of you Live
Steamers up Michigan way next year.

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:44, 15 February 2015
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	<i>[[The North American Live Steamer]]</i>, Volume 1 Number 6		<i>[[The North American Live Steamer]]</i>, Volume 1 Number 6

	I enclose a couple of photographs of my railroad, which I call the [[Myrtle ~~Gove~~		[[File:WPJohnston 1956 1.jpg\|thumb\|right\|300px]]

			I enclose a couple of photographs of my railroad, which I call the [[Myrtle Grove
	Belt Line]]. I have broken about every rule in the book in building this		Belt Line]]. I have broken about every rule in the book in building this
	layout. About 50% of it is welding, because I have a good welding outfit, the		layout. About 50% of it is welding, because I have a good welding outfit, the
	balance ~~machinging~~. I used castings from [[Little Engines]] for the drive		balance machining. I used castings from [[Little Engines]] for the drive
	wheels and cylinders, building up the rest from welded steel. My locomotive		wheels and cylinders, building up the rest from welded steel. My locomotive
	is a 1-1/2 inch Pacific. I have a steel caboose, complete with working doors		is a 1-1/2 inch Pacific. I have a steel caboose, complete with working doors
	and glass windows. It is welded steel, plenty strong enough for two adults to		and glass windows. It is welded steel, plenty strong enough for two adults to
	ride upon. Then I have a tank ~~cdar~~, in which I carry water and two gondola		ride upon. Then I have a tank car, in which I carry water and two gondola
	cars with seats. Little kids are fascinated by the latches on the caboose		cars with seats. Little kids are fascinated by the latches on the caboose
	doors, but the engine gets the most attention from the grown-ups. We are		doors, but the engine gets the most attention from the grown-ups. We are
	using diesel oil for ~~fule~~, after having an unfortunate experience with		using diesel oil for fuel, after having an unfortunate experience with
	gasoline. Came near losing the whole layout, and my son along with it. The		gasoline. Came near losing the whole layout, and my son along with it. The
	burner we are using now works very well, and makes plenty of steam, but of		burner we are using now works very well, and makes plenty of steam, but of
	course we have to clean flues oftener than we did with gasoline. We have a		course we have to clean flues oftener than we did with gasoline. We have a
	combination engine house and turn table, and have just completed a special		combination engine house and turn table, and have just completed a special
	four wheel trailer to haul our ~~equipoment~~ in, as our railway is a mile from my		four wheel trailer to haul our equipment in, as our railway is a mile from my
	shop. The track runs around a pond, with two steel trestles. Track is 620		shop. The track runs around a pond, with two steel trestles. Track is 620
	feet long, almost a scale mile.		feet long, almost a scale mile.
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	at 8-1/2 cents per foot whereas aluminum rail would have been 25 cents per		at 8-1/2 cents per foot whereas aluminum rail would have been 25 cents per
	foot, plus freight from California. Also, it would not weld well to steel.		foot, plus freight from California. Also, it would not weld well to steel.

			[[File:WPJohnston 1956 2.jpg\|thumb\|right\|300px]]

	It took four men four days to lay and weld the track. It was a little rough		It took four men four days to lay and weld the track. It was a little rough
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	but my son and I built the big one in a little less than one year. The frame		but my son and I built the big one in a little less than one year. The frame
	is built up of 3/4 inch square [[CRS]] steel, welded of course. And of course		is built up of 3/4 inch square [[CRS]] steel, welded of course. And of course
	it warped a little, but with a gas torch, straight edge, and a ~~firly~~ good eye,		it warped a little, but with a gas torch, straight edge, and a fairly good eye,
	we soon had it as straight as a die. Main bearings are Timken roller. I		we soon had it as straight as a die. Main bearings are Timken roller. I
	attached short lengths of flexible tubing to each main bearing, and brought		attached short lengths of flexible tubing to each main bearing, and brought