# 4-12-12-6



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Here's something you don't see very often. Check out what it's made of. Solid 18kt gold. Made by R. Damiano of Milan,Italy, took 3500 hours and was valued at $25,000 back in 73 and the gold alone was valued at about $2200. Must be worth a bundle now. This picture appeared in Model Railroader,January 1973. Pete


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

I've seen that before....wonder what kind of corners it will handle?

In 1973 gold was going for about $75/ounce. At $2200 in gold weight alone that's 29.3 ounces of gold. At today's prices (~$1500/oz) the gold in that engine alone is worth ~$44,000.00


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Scott,

I was trying to do the "what does it weigh" math in my head, but I didn't know the historic price of gold from 1973...

Good homework project on your end!!!

(But don't forget it's 18k, not 24k ... so likely heavier to net the same $2200 original value.)

TJ


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

I believe that gold had just been released from from its $40 per ounce connection to backing the dollar in 1971, and was about $50 to $90 an ounce in 1973. Taking the middle of $70 makes the engine about 31 1/2 ounces.

At today's spot price (no retail markup) of $1,510, the gold content would be worth about $47,000 wholesale, and about 50,000 retail.

It's worth lots more if it runs...

Greg


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Scott / Greg ...

Looks like you two guys were both doing your homework assignment at exactly the same time. Scott turned his in just a few moments before Greg!

Nice work ... essentially the same answer. (But heavier at 18k, as I mentioned.)

TJ


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

The top picture is of the engine rinning. Note the blur of the side rods. Pete


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Very perceptive, norgale... 

Yeah, tj... I figured it at 24kt. 

Greg


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Now...can you imagine it in the bottom of a box lot of TYCO---on its way to the dump because the grandkids didn't want any of Pop's toy train junk...


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

That is one big engine! OH and I would love to find that in the bottom of a Tyco box.

Massey


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

I guess at that size, it would make this one the "Bigger Boy" :laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

choo choo said:


> Very perceptive, norgale...
> 
> Yeah, tj... I figured it at 24kt.
> 
> Greg


Actually, I doubt it would be 100% 24kt gold, much too soft to actually run it.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

shaygetz said:


> Now...can you imagine it in the bottom of a box lot of TYCO---on its way to the dump because the grandkids didn't want any of Pop's toy train junk...


Yeah Shay, Somewhere out in the great Garage Sale of life lurks the Great White train of all our dreams...ARGH Capt. Ahab tis the Great White Train we seek!!


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

OK now... Was this just a really expensive freelance engine or is there a prototype it was based on? I have googled the wheel arrangement and all I come up with is the same pics as posted above.

Massey


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

No real engine with that wheel configuration but the engine was modeled after the UP BigBoys. I'd hate to be the fireman on an engine that big. You'd have to shovel coal from the gitgo to the stop to make enough steam for that monster to run on. Although this engine was made to run,with only the motor and the beveled gears not being gold,I think the thing would wear out pretty fast with 18k gold being as soft as it is.
The picture in the magazine is much more clear than the one that I posted. The work this guy did on it is absolutly fantastic. Imagine scratch building this model engine. Unbelievable. Pete


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## haphall (Feb 1, 2011)

The tender has more wheels than my engines.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

It's a freelanced engine. Even the 4-8-8-4 Big boys had auto screw feeders to keep the boiler fed with coal.. A man with a shovel just couldn't keep up.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

If John Henry could keep up with a automated spike driving machine then some one out there could keep up with the big boy's coal needs. He may have a heart attack at the end of the run just like John did but he would prove a point. Not sure any one would write songs bout that tho.

Massey


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Pure speculation Massey. As much steam as the BigBoy would use at speed there is no man who could keep up with the coal that thing would burn. I think the UP converted one of the bigboys to oil but it didn't work very well. Coal was hotter and made more steam per ton than oil so they converted the one back to coal and that idea went by the wayside.
As for a 4-12-12-6 being fired by one man---no way Jose. Pete


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Here's another engine with a ton of wheels. This one is real and was also made in a 2-8-8-8-4 configuration. Pretty neat. Pete









This picture is from the June 1972 MR magazine.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

OK all is well again Back to trains. That's a lot of gold. How many motors did they have inside of it?


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## pookybear (Feb 3, 2011)

shopreplicawatches said:


> Hallo, schön dich zu treffen! Ich zum ersten Mal diese Art von Forum, in der Hoffnung, zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt werden Ihre Führer! ! ! Vielen Dank! ! ! ! !



A close enough translation from German:

"Hello, nice to meet you! I for the first time be your guide this kind of Forum, in the hope of later! Thank you very much!!!!! shopreplicawatches"

That is what translators are for to help me get over my ingorance. =P

Pookybear


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

I wonder if we broke the record for reporting a spammer/advertiser posting stuff in all kinds of wrong places?


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## pookybear (Feb 3, 2011)

gc53dfgc said:


> Um? German or is this some type of Australian? Hey anyones who can read what he said is this spam or an actually related post?
> 
> 
> NEVER MIND. THIS IS SPAM!
> ...


How is that spam?  He is not selling anything or pushing a product.

Pookybear


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

pookybear said:


> How is that spam?  He is not selling anything or pushing a product.
> 
> Pookybear


yes he is(correction "was").

his user name is(was) "shopreplicawatches"

His signature is(was) links to a bunch of fake or "replica" watch sale sites.

His post was about nothing and especially nothing even related to this thread or anyhting really for that matter.

He says hello. then something about his first time being on a forum like this or being a guide on this site? Then according to yours in hope of later then to "shop replica watches. Sure looks like pushing a product to me. maybe the word isn't a spammer but sure doesn't sound like he cares about this site or anything. Look at his other 2 posts and where they are posted in and what they translate to. Oh and my translation say he wants to be our leader?


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Does this gold engine still exist or was it melted down or something?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

The watch spammer has been decimated.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

norgale said:


> Here's another engine with a ton of wheels. This one is real and was also made in a 2-8-8-8-4 configuration. Pretty neat. Pete
> 
> This picture is from the June 1972 MR magazine.


If memory serves me, there were only three of those made. If I can track down the wikilink, I'll post it up.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

gc53dfgc said:


> OK all is well again Back to trains. That's a lot of gold. How many motors did they have inside of it?


Don't know how many motors in the 4-12-12-12-6 but the 2-8-8-8-6 model that I saw recently has three. One for each set of drivers. Pete


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