The Baldwin drawing for the walkways over the radiator openings on the AS-16’s
How many times have you heard a modeler spew something about a model, that you know to be dead wrong? And you know darn-right well they have not researched it at all, they are just regurgitating something they heard another modeler say. Did that person look at what they were talking about or did they just spit out what they were told? And once it has been repeated often enough, everyone believes it.
One of the reasons I moved some of my modeling interests away from the PRR was the number of times I heard guys comment about the Sunset H-9’s. They all said the same thing about the belpair slope. Did anybody question what research the first guy who said that looked at to make such a statement? Most guys have pointed to the line diagrams of the class. Well these drawing while they are railroad drawings are not accurate for boiler shape. Did anybody research it on their own? Did anybody look at it against photos? Nope they all regurgitate it on que, just like Pavlov’s dogs.
What I have found is that most people that tend to do this have NEVER done any research on their own. I’m not talking about opening a Morning Sun book and believing the fiction that is their captions. I’m talking about assembling a pile of photos (with dates) and looking for the details and when they change. I’m talking about digging through company records at a museum or a private collection. I’m talking about actually going out and measuring a freight car or a real building. I spent most of a day measuring and photographing the PRR GLe I found in South Amboy back in the early eighties. Or even just doing a full photo study of a car with a hundred or so images not just the three normal images in a photo study; the Three Quarter, the End View and the Broadside.
Even the best authors can miss things. Case in point, one of the Reading Myths, the after-coolers on the FT’s were put on during a shopping in 1956. In a recently published book, on page 111 that statement was printed, there was a photo on the bottom of page 112 with a 1950 date with the aftercoolers on the locomotive skirts. I first thought maybe there was a typo with the date. But most likely not, as the hand grabs were still black and the safety grabs over the windshields and on the nose are not there. Also on page 110 there was a 1954 photo with the after-coolers also.
Just because it is published does not always mean that it actually was!
So either accept what the manufacturers produce and say is right, “nobody will see it anyway” or get off you ass and do some research.
Good prototype modeling starts with good prototype information.
We share the joy of mythbusting. Doing proper research and finding out the conventional wisdom is wrong can be quite satisfying. While Morning Sun captions vary in quality from author to author, in general they do not do much in the service of history though there are exceptions, and they are hardly the only offenders. I learned long ago, no matter who the publisher is, to only trust certain authors. Especially when it comes to the anthracite roads.
George; the AS-16 walkway is right on time, I just put DCC in my HO AS-16, and this is one detail that I need to add. Butch Curll
George,
Thanks for the insight. Do these museums let anyone who walks in leaf through their collections? Are you allowed to photograph items?
Peter
Peter,
Most museum collections are open to the public. “Leaf through their colections” may be a bad way of phrasing what they do. In some cases they sit you down at a table and you request what you want to look through. Then a museum employee brings out what you asked to see. I’ve been in places where that has been drawings, photographs, letters or log books. Some places want to make money of providing copies of the materials, so they control what can be copied, other places do not place the same restrictions. It depends on the location and the materials.
I’ve been able to photograph material in some cases. In other places you can only have a pad and pencil with you while looking at the materials. I’ve had much better luck being able to photograph documents with personal collections.
@George Losse
Thanks George, I would like a copy sent to me at rdg5310@hotmail.com. The overhead picture I found is in the Bernhart book Rdg RR action Vol II on pg 34 and 35. It gives a great view of the dynamics and the radiator. I see you have a overhead picture of one of those Baldwins. I just purchased the negative of that picture, I should have that in about a week. There is just a real lack of good overhead shots of those older engines along with line drawings. The thing is, you know their out there, but who’s got them? And why are they not sharing!? LOL. Thanks again George.
George,
Great post. For those of us that are just getting into more serious modeling (researching prototypes of specific road numbers prior to modeling, for example), could you suggest places where we can pour through photographs and drawings? Are the Hagley Museum or the Pennsylvania State Archives at Harrisburg, PA good starting points? I know the latter has some drawings, but where is there a good collection of photographs? Are there other or better places to look?
Thanks,
Peter
Peter there are lots of places to start looking. Harrisburg, Strasburg and the RCTHS museum are all good places to start. Understand that it won’t just be sitting there waiting for you. One piece might be in one place, another might be in a different museum. Just keep looking the material is out there.
I was blessed in meeting some rail historians early in my modeling life. Sitting down at their homes looking through their collections is also a place to start. Always remember those doors open up easier when you are not just taking from them. I have one friend that I get to see every couple of years, I always keep an eye out for materials that they might be interested in. I try not to show up empty handed when I want to do some research.
George
Hi George, Totally agree with research. Some people seem to believe modeling the Reading is pretty straight forward when indeed it’s not. I model HO. My question relates to the AS16. I see that print you have on the radiator walkway. Would love to see a larger copy. Do you happen to have a drawing of the roof radiators? I see that on the Readings various models, there is a difference from the “standard” version as I’ll refer it, verses the the version as seen on the AS16 with dynamics. I’m not including the high hoods though. It seems that like the Stewart models, there is a raised angle on the standard version. But on the Version with dynamics, it appears to be flat with a gap between the base plate and the hood. Can this be comfirmed with any drawings you might have? Thanks
Ron,
The image is of the walkway over the radiators, I do have a higher resolution image that I can send to you.
Actually all the orders for the Baldwins are a little different in details. I do not have the information on the dynamics yet, other then measuring some overhead images. We are still working finding those drawings.
George