Info on the "Bayrische S3/6" (Bavarian type name 3/6 steam engine). 

The building process of this engine (created in late May 2007) has been heaviely  inspired by exhaustive discussions with Anthony Sava about 
"Pacific type" engines and how to bring them through the narrow LEGO
track radius.
Later I saw the really beautiful engine of  Brickshelf-user "UR" modelled
after the same engine type:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=117201

Actually the engine has working connecting and piston rods (made from the
old LEGO Technic "Flex system") and it is fully able to negotiate curves
and points.
The pony truck "floats" quite loosely in front of the main engine frame.
All load is resting on the drivers (and here basically on the first and
last driver axle).

Personally I do not like the look of blind drivers, which appear - from
my point of view - too small next to drivers with flanges. This is even
much more obvious for engines with red wheels - and I plan to build a
S3/6 in standard German livre black/red as well.

In result this engine has no blind drivers of the BBB-wheels, but uses
rubber band loaded wheels which may slide by half a stud sidewards to the
engine center when it goes through curves.

That system has been invented with the BR23 of mine (see other gallery), but there it came with a synchronisation between left and right 
side wheels. At the LEGOWORLD Zwolle 2005 I met Jason Railton who had
built an engine with a similar wheel arrangement and I learned from his
(very similar) solution, that no synchronisation is needed for proper
running. This engine takes now profit from that meeting - THANKS to Jason
for the inspiration!

This engine uses BBB wheels again (Huge thanks to Ben Fleskes for the
support with wheels at discount price during Brickfest PDX 2007 and for
supporting the community with these parts in general - they are great!!).
They can be bought at:
www.bigbenbricks.com/ 
and 
www.1000steine.de (distribution for German speaking countries).

The wheels in the back of the engine (smaller than 7750 wheels, but
bigger than the small BBBs) are no LEGO as well: these are from the 
Faller Hittrain system (I have no idea if this is still available, but it
used to be popular during my childhood. I myself never owned or even
wanted to have one.)

The yellow stripes around the boiler are original LEGO rubber bands.

The livre of my engine is buit after unique version in color blue. The
model railroder company "Maerklin" has sponsored the renovation of the
real life prototype, which was repainted several times then.

The inspiration by Anthony Sava was enough to bring me back to the bricks
after quite a while. I can't thank him enough for all the e-mails and his
often very colorful steam engines.

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=174415

He was evidence to me, than an engine can be built in less than a week (even if mine took now slighly longer).


To find out more info on this engine, please visit the following pages:

http://www.eisenbahnwelten.de/18478_filstal_2001.htm

http://www.eisenbahnwelten.de/18478.htm

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayerische_S_3/6

http://www.bayerisches-eisenbahnmuseum.de/spendenaufruf2/s36spendenaufruf.htm


More pictures and information may follow later.

Ben(AT)1000steine(DOT)com