Who on planet Earth can build custom full-size standard-gauge steam locomotives today?

[JonMyrlennBailey]

Let's say somebody as rich as Elon Musk wanted to own a pair of newly-minted scratch-built steam locomotives based upon a particular 1910 Baldwin mallet narrow-guage model but in standard-gauge size. Who in the world could even be contracted to manufacture such items? What types of skilled tradesmen and paid professions would be needed? It seems like back when steam locomotives were in their heyday, custom-building to customer specifications was common.

 

[lackoo11111]

post deleted

 

[johnwhelan]

Tornado is one example.

Cheerio John

 

[2995Valliant]

There are a number of new builds underway or completed in the UK. As John says, Tornado was the first and the most high profile, but two more have been released into traffic this year (GWR Grange and LBSCR Brighton Atlantic) and off the top of my head I can think of about 8 more in varying stages (and speeds) of of progress.

They tend not ot bebuilt in one place as such though, with many of the components made by specialists all over the UK which are then brought together under one roof for erection. A great many old loco's also have brand new parts in them now - boilers, cylinders, wheels and even frames have been built new to keep older loco's running.

 

[JCitron]

There's a project going on to build a Pennsylvania T1 from what I read somewhere.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

The Tornado is an English locomotive. The question in my mind has to do with outfits who might build new reprodutions of American steam locos. A number of one off scale models of steam locos have been built. Are there any plans or blueprints of original Baldwin or ALCO steam engines anywhere?

 

[JCitron]

See my post.

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

See my post.

Not much information.

 

[dangavel]

Not much information.

Well you better go off and find some yourself matey, use the info he provided and google. the costs are astronomically high , even rebuilds of existing locos run into the six figure sums, and not low six figures sums either. btw I found this after a five second search

 

[rwk]

I think even China stopped making them. A few US tourist railroads have Chinese built steam locomotives built in 1989 or so. They have been Americanized. The basic designs though of the SY's resemble US steam locomotives built in the early 20th century.

 

[Forester1]

@dangavel, that would be fantastic! I bet that would attract huge crowds!

 

[JonMyrlennBailey]

Well you better go off and find some yourself matey, use the info he provided and google. the costs are astronomically high , even rebuilds of existing locos run into the six figure sums, and not low six figures sums either. btw I found this after a five second search

Well, should I ever attain 50 billion American dollars, I would then contact an outfit like FMW Solutions to inquire about scratch-building a pair of shiney-new Baldwin 1910 model logging mallet reproductions for my personal railroad offering excursion passenger service. But until then .....