Thursday 12 May 2022

Yellow Pelican Mining Co. - A New Locomotive


My Yellow Pelican Mining Co. layout is a modelling project that has already taken over twelve months to get to this stage and although I've been able to progress landscaping and detailing work over the Easter holidays, I am still not sure how long it will be before it is fully finished.

For anyone new to this project - The Yellow Pelican layout, engines and wagons are built to the unusual scale of 1:27.7 or 11mm = 1 foot. The reason for this combination is to do with the scale/gauge dictated by the HO-OO standard track gauge of 16.5mm and modelling a mining railroad of 18 inch gauge. Hence the 16.5mm track when modelled at 11mm = 1 foot equals 18 inch gauge, an actual railway track gauge used in some industrial or mining settings.

Because of this gauge/scale combination, all of the buildings, rolling stock and even the figures need to be scratch built, however due to the use of HO-OO or 16.5mm gauge track, I am able to use proprietary or readily available 'Smoky Joe' 0-4-0 mechanisms and standard wagon under frames as well as narrow gauge 'crazy track' produced by PECO.

The image above shows my two scratch built steam locomotives. Engine No. 5 a single piston four-wheeled horizontal Shay type and Engine No. 3 a slightly larger, double piston engine. Both are completely freelance engines which were inspired by images found on the internet and engines used on On18 narrow gauge engines (7mm = 1 foot) running on 9mm gauge or N Gauge track.

For more information and posts, please use the 1:27.7 or Narrow Gauge labels to the right.

My intention is to build a third narrow gauge steam locomotive also running on a HO-OO 'Smoky Joe' Hornby Chassis to use alongside these two - as you can never have too many engines!

Over the next couple of weeks, my intention is to show how I planned, built and painted this 'new engine'. So check back to see how work is progressing.

Tony

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