Below you can view more photos of Chuck Balmer’s craftsmanship, including the lengthy building process for his prized Allegheny. Click on images to enlarge. Photos were contributed by Chuck Balmer, Lee Hodgson, and Craig Libuse.
Trailer Truck Casting
A trailer truck frame casting after welding.
Trailer Truck Parts
Parts for the trailer truck suspension.
Trailer Truck Frame
Overhead view of the trailer truck frame.
Rear Engine Cylinders
End view of fabricated rear engine cylinders.
Piston Valve Assembly
Ball Joint Assembly
Here is the “Y” pipe and ball joint assembly for steam supply from rear to front engine.
Rear Engine Frame
Side view of the rear engine frame.
Engine Frames
Welded rear engine frame, and pre-welded front engine frame.
Chassis Mockup
Mockup of the entire engine chassis.
Engine Mockup
Mock-up of the engine and boiler shell on home track.
Front Engine
Bottom view of the front engine.
Lubricator Test Setup
Front Engine Exhaust
Front engine steam and exhaust piping.
Ash Pan
The ash pan mounted over the trailer truck.
Machining the Smoke Box
Chuck made a jig for holding the smoke box while machining.
Smoke Box Accessories
Smoke box covers, piping, and accessories.
Front Engine
Front engine with partially assembled smoke box.
Test Setup for Hot Pump
Cold Pump
End view of the turbine powered cold pump.
Boiler Firebox
Assembled boiler firebox before welding.
Boiler Firebox
Firebox external sheets assembled to the boiler shell.
Firebrick Furnace
A firebrick furnace built to preheat the boiler for silver soldering.
Finished Firebox
Completed firebox after welding.
Jim Dipping the Boiler
Chuck’s son, Jim, dipping the boiler in acid to remove welding flux.
Boiler Shell
The first time the boiler shell was set on the engine chassis.
Propane Burner
The propane burner mounted to a frame above the ash pan.
Tender With Outer Shell
The tender with outer shell mounted. The complete tender has 6-wheel and 8-wheel trucks.
8-Wheel Buckeye Tender Truck
6-Wheel Buckeye Tender Truck
Rear Tender Frame
Rear side of tender frame with assembled 8-wheel and 6-wheel Buckeye tender trucks.
Mobile Engine Stand
Chuck made this engine stand for shop storage.
Mobile Freight Car Stand
A similar mobile stand for Chuck’s freight cars.
Chuck and Jim With the Allegheny
Chuck and Jim Balmer standing behind the Allegheny on the hydraulic lift stand.
Chuck’s Engines at the NAMES Expo
Some of Chuck’s engines on a stand at the NAMES Expo in Wyandotte, Michigan.
Engines on Display
Some of Chuck’s engines on display at another model engineering show.
Display Racks in Chuck’s Shop
Chuck’s collection of steam locomotives and cars are displayed in his shop. There is also a wall display of the casting patterns to accompany the finished trains.
The Allegheny
The completed Allegheny coming down the track.
The Allegheny
This side view of the engine and tender shows it’s length, and the 34 wheels.
Allegheny Cab
This detailed view of the controls and gauges inside the Allegheny’s cab shows Balmer’s attention to detail. Note that the engine is named “Julie B.” in honor of Chuck’s wife.
Allegheny Plans
Lima Locomotive Works provided 100 pages of plans for the original engine. However, many more drawings had to be made to cover all the details on the engine. Balmer took several trips to the Ford Museum in Michigan to measure and photograph a full-size Allegheny—providing the necessary details.
Jim Taking a Ride
Jim Balmer is seen here at the controls of #1600 on the Cinder Sniffers’ club track in Ohio.