Solar Tool & Die Inc
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Solar Tool & Die Inc 0f 720 N. Agnes, Kansas City, designed and built a variety of equipment for other manufacturing companies. They also produced a line of live steam products. The company President, David Huff, announced the closure of the company on March 12, 2003, after 50 years of operation.
Solar/Allen 10 wheelers
Bruce Saylor posted on Chaski.org, 17 December 2008:
- I own 2 of these Solar/Allen 10 wheelers. They have Allen cylinders made up to look like piston valve locomotives. One I completed in Feb. 2006. I am now working on the second one. I hope to have it complete by the Winter Meet in Florida. If complete it will be for sale and if someone wants to buy it I will take it to run. It will be a coal burner.
- They used Allen castings for drivers, cylinders, stack, and dome pieces along with tender trucks. Everything was by CNC machining of which I know nothing about!
- 8 of these locomotives were partially built by Solar Tool and Die Co. First 4 were sold around 1999-2000. Last 4 were sold when they went out of business in 2003. Chassis were complete and are as fine as a watch. I think the bracket for the valve gear is a Little Engines casting. It is 7-1/2 inch gauge.
