What you find is that nearly everything can be prototypical. I remember back years ago when I used to get Model RR magazine that they had a feature each month of things that in theory were "not prototypical" but they would show a picture of a real RR using that item. The one that sticks with me is the straight bridge with curved track on it. I think it was in Chicago some place.
Engines under go change. Our shay looks like much different that it did the day it rolled out of Lima. The wood cab was replaced and it got a diamond stack, both required by law in the forests that it ran in. Our Irish engine was painted all sorts of colors, driven in part by politics of the North/South border region. She has also had three boilers, the last one installed in the late 1920s. Our #26 is on its second boiler also, replaced in 1925. The rear headlight on the 26 is mounted on top of the cab roof today, but it belongs under the roof according to pictures from Virginia. I broke the lens with a shovel handle and we moved it back up on top of the roof. BTW, we do have a radio controlled 55 ton GE as used by US Steel. So yes, radio control of your live steamers is prototypical also. No kidding. The locomotive is marked with "front" and "rear" markings so the operator knew which way he should go when on the ground operating it while in a fire suit in the mill. Any thing is prototypical! Enjoy! J.R. ----- Original Message ----- From: steve boylan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 8:33 AM Subject: Re: Odious practices was Pine Creek RR > Harry wrote: > > > >>And I hate "cow catchers" > > > > I feel sort of the same way about painted white stars on the axle > > ends and moose antlers on the smokebox. > > But ... but ... the PROTOTYPE did it!! > > What more excuse do you need? > > :-) > > - - Steve > > > >
