Scratch built Big Boy

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Carey Williams
Posts: 673
Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2016 3:10 pm

Scratch built Big Boy

Postby Carey Williams » Wed Dec 03, 2025 1:57 am

Hello all

Big Boy the largest of the articulated steam engines introduced in 1945 by American Locomotive Co.
Here is scratch built brass O scale model ( builder unknown) construction dates late 1940's - mid 50's..

Beautifully built full suspension, heavy bronze chassis ... akin to Scale Model Railways..very plain slab of bronze milled out for driver blocks , K&D #4, 4 operating lubricators, hand lettering...does not like my 48" radius...
Up hill happy at 6.5 volts 1.7 amps ..down hill 5.5 volts
You can manually push the engine backwards and the wheels all roll ...forward no ..
It was suggested perhaps a Jerry White build ...but does not have his signature drive boxes ...

Lots of Challengers in the vintage O scale world ....not too many Big Boys ( in the pre Max Gray era) .

Cheers Carey
See for Big Boy charging up Sherman Hill

https://youtu.be/4WbTY47qRro

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healey36
Posts: 6925
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 4:43 pm
Location: Westminster, MD

Re: Scratch built Big Boy

Postby healey36 » Wed Dec 03, 2025 8:51 am

Wow, the skill required to build something like that from nothing is epic.

up148
Posts: 4593
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 11:52 am

Re: Scratch built Big Boy

Postby up148 » Wed Dec 03, 2025 9:24 am

Beautiful locomotive. Love the (partial) coasting drive and the detail is sharper than MG of the day. Would love to see the gearboxes and drive.
Thanks for posting.

The driver tires look much more scale sized than any MG, USH, WS or PSC loco I own or have owned.
Last edited by up148 on Thu Dec 04, 2025 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SWrailroader
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2024 11:24 am

Re: Scratch built Big Boy

Postby SWrailroader » Thu Dec 04, 2025 9:55 am

Carey,
This is great stuff. Inspiring to someone like me who may be doing some custom building in retirement.

Rob

bob turner
Posts: 13453
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:57 pm

Re: Scratch built Big Boy

Postby bob turner » Mon Dec 08, 2025 1:45 pm

While I love the idea of an RC battery powered sound equipped AC-8, I am more charmed by things in O Scale, like this giant. Mine is not entirely scratch-built; it is mostly Lobaugh Challenger, and not powered at all (yet).

One neat thing about Carey's video is tha the thing is moving slowly enough to savor the beauty - another enticing thing is all the background models. We need a video tour!

My iPad got set, somehow, to move to the next video, uncommanded. So it went toan S Scale series of steamers on Carey's underground loop. Worth a glance; I had forgotten about Rex.

Let me look for a Big Boy link . . .

yeah - here. Fifth post down.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19973


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