In all fairness, hot rodding derived from two earlier forms of mechanical focus: aircraft and railroads. We often cover a lot of the aircraft side of the house (supercharging, belly tanker LSR cars, and the need for a parachute), but more often than not we tend to lose sight of where the railroads inspired us. Even now, every time I see a train go by, I have to stand in awe at what is actually taking place, especially with freight trains. But it’s impractical to think that you could actually have your own locomotive….right?
Well, there’s always a price when it comes to acquiring a dream, but $8500 for your own personal locomotive is a steal, especially when it’s one that any BangShifter could maintain. Here’s the rundown on what you have here: The locomotive section is modeled after the 1934 Zephyr train that was famous for setting a time record between Chicago and Denver and is powered by the running gear from an Allis-Chalmers M7 military snow tractor. Power is supplied by a Go Devil 134ci four-cylinder and is fed to the T-48 3-speed transmission that is hooked to the rear axle. According to the description, the engine could use a quick once-over to make sure everything is ok, but that there shouldn’t be too much work involved. The locomotive was hand-formed and has been painted a few times. There are four cars that go along with it, though three of the cars aren’t fully completed. You also get 1400 feet of 12 gauge track, with the chance to get additional track for free.
It’s certainly not for everybody and there would be a considerable amount of work involved with putting all of this together, but for a train enthusiast, this could be one of the lowest buy-ins ever for your own personal railroad system. Whether you turn it into a money-making endeavor or just make a loop in your backyard so you can ride around, you’re bound to have a blast.
From the ad:
The 1950’s- WWII is over and America is starting to burst to life again. Families are moving to the suburbs, work is picking up and the rise of the hotrod is well on its way. The average family’s income is $3,200 and gas is .23 cents a gallon. American ingenuity has never been stronger, our morals and values still held true. It’s when Dad worked in the office or plant and Mom worked at home. Yes it was not all peaches and cream but it was a time when if you wanted something you worked hard for it and made it happen. There were no “handouts” and a day’s pay consisted of a day’s work. The 1950’s was a time in American history that made this country great. I enjoy a lot of cars and classics from the 50’s but one of my greatest pieces is this 1950’s home made Locomotive. Does it belong in a museum or in a private collection? I do not know? What I do know is you will never find another. This “train” is as you see. It was built back in the 1950’s and was used all the way up until the late 1990’s It was not an everyday toy but one for when then the family would get together.Its builder was pretty ingenious. He utilized what he had at the time and made it all functional and very well designed. The main drivetrain is a rarity upon itself. The drive train is a 1944 Allis Chalmers M7 Military Snow Tractor. Odds are you probably never heard of one much like myself for they only made 291 of them with an estimated number of only 30 left known to exist. Do not fret though on parts. The M7 was designed with a majority of the drivetrain parts coming from a pre/post war Willy’s jeep. So in a pinch if something would break parts are still reasonably assessable. The Go Devil I4 134cu in 2.2L engine powers a T-48 3 Speed transmission on back to the rear-end just as it was designed on the M7 Snow Tractor. The front and rear suspension was cleverly engineered to accommodate the turns in the track and also to absorb the trough terrain through the four springs on front and back of the locomotive.
With the undercarriage basics covered here again is where the time of the era shines as well. The train is well designed after the 1934 Zephyr Train. With a little history lesson the 1934 Zephyr was built of all stainless and designed of a modern futuristic bullet train. It was an answer to the US’s means of transportation for fast travel after the great depression. The Zephyr had a great history so I can understand why the guy that built this train wished to model this one after it.
The background and a little history covered with the train now leave us with its current state. It is still in remarkably great condition. I have done very little to the train as you see it. The motor spins free and I believe will start with little preparation. I placed a small amount of transmission fluid down each cylinder to keep the cylinder walls preserved. The transmission fluid will burn out quickly once started helping to seal the rings as well. The wires, cap, and points I’m sure will either all need to be cleaned or replaced just as any tune-up would require. The oil in the motor is still clean as from when I acquired the train.
The body of the train being built all by hand and formed to look like the Zephyr has been painted a few times over the years. You can see red, yellow, orange and green under its current blue state. There is some very hard to read script on the side of the train under the paint that reads “Westmore Red Arrow” There is a large arrow on both sides and a letter “W” on the back and a number “9” on the front of the locomotive.
I like it.
Rather have the snow tractor.
and I’d rather have the ’57 Chevy pick-up 🙂
You ain’t the only one.
I wish I had lots of money and lots of land. That would make me like the coolest dad ever.