Z-1b in HO?

[NW Mailing List]

A couple weeks ago, near the end of the lengthy "steam models" emails,
someone posted a list of HO engines that have been produced over the years,
mostly brass.  He stated the Z-1b was 1 of them.  I am aware of the Z-1a
being imported by NJ Custom Brass and (I think) Precision but thought the
"b" wasn't produced except, maybe also, by Precision.  What's the scoop on
the Z-1b?

 

I was fortunate to win the bid on a custom built Z-1b last year.  Here's the
reply I rec'd from the seller after the auction was closed (ignore the poor
spelling and sentence structure):

 

I'm guessing my dads best fried did this;  August Theme (noted N&W
photographer and author) they knew their stuff and had several cars in O
(and Ho ) as well as Brass engines made by Rich Yoder, Precision and sunset.
So to know it's a uniquely made/modified one is interesting.  Al I know is
what my dad had boxed up when August passed away in 2008 I think.  He and
two of his friends split his trains up, many were my fathers before as he
was originally HO then went O.

 

Can anyone verify that August Theime was also a modeler and, possibly, built
this engine?  The engine has a pair of open-worm drives with an open-frame
motor.  Boiler appears to be scratchbuilt, maybe the whole thing is.  It
needs a new drive and I've been able to match a Bachmann 2-6-6-2 drive to it
(which runs as smooth as silk).  Swapping the front end and cylinders will
be fairly straightforward.  The tender may be commercially made with added
details (I haven't looked at it too closely yet).  I have asked Brass Trains
about a possible Akane or Gen Z-1a/b and was told that none were made over
the 6 runs of 2-6-6-2s imported between 1959 and 1964. 

 

Jim King

 <http://www.smokymountainmodelworks.com/> www.smokymountainmodelworks.com

 

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