Ken, I also have some locos built by John. He built two for me, a NKP Berkshire and a MKT Pacific. I also bought a RI Mike, (w/ matching caboose), and a CNW Atlantic. Bob Werre has the Atlantic. The others are in boxes somewhere. He was a really nice man. He was at a couple of conventions that I attended and was entertaining to visit with.
I believe that he sincerely loved assembling those SSL&S locos. He always painted the locos black but left the running gear unpainted brass. He assembled the Berkshire for an extra tender kit and $50. The others I bought for not much more than the cost of the kit from Claude Wade. Billy Click On Mar 7, 2012, at 3:20 PM, mhrywest wrote: > Chris, > I have a "sister" engine here in the form of a NP Pacific built by John > Kromhout. Well at least I did have, don't know where it is displayed or > stored just now. I also have a SOO Line Mike, Mountain and Pacific built by > John and a SOO Prairie built by Tom Lennon. John's engines were built to the > old S standard and the drivers are a bit course by today's standards. Still > they look good on display. I don't put them on the layout because it it 1963 > and I am afraid they would be towed away for scrap. Like your, each one is a > hefty hunk of metal. > > John was a wonderful guy, I don't recall exactly how many SSL&S engines he > built, perhaps 50 or so. He was a craftsmen in his own way, very inventive in > how he created things. He was an early convert to Super Glue and was know to > all his Grandchildren for his ability to Super Glue anything. I expect > Frank's engines would have better slow speed action and smoothness but when > John turned on the welding power supply he used for track power, his big > steam engines would jump to life. He ran them hard and they pulled like > crazy. Don't recall John using homosote so his trains made a heck of a noise > when running. John was hard of hearing at the end, don't know if trains were > responsible. > As I think back to y years in S, I have many wonderful memories that John was > a part of. Thanks Chris for bringing back these old memories. > > Ken Zieska > >
