Hartford Large Scale Products portable steam engine kit

1:20.3-scale portable steam engine kit
Hartford Large Scale Products
6224 Acorn Ridge Trail
Hillsborough NC 27278
Price: $99.95 + s&h
Website: http://www.hartfordproducts.com

White-metal and urethane-plastic kit of an 8hp Frick portable Eclipse steam engine; finescale kit; written and photographic instructions supplied; tool list supplied

Pros: Easy to assemble; will make an interesting flatcar load or static display; high level of detail; quality materials; three pages of written instructions and large photos

Cons: Instructions lack a close up shot of the front axle and hitch area

This model represents an 8hp steam engine manufactured by the Frick Company of Waynesville, Pennsylvania. Frick manufactured both stationary and portable Eclipse models, which were commonly used to power small sawmills and farm machinery. They ranged in cylinder size from 4″ diameter x 7″ stroke, rated at 2hp, up to a 10″ x 16″ version, rated at 20hp. Prototypes for this model are at the Cradle of Forestry Musuem near Brevard, North Carolina, the Denton Farm Park, near Denton, North Carolina, and the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum, near Townsend, Tennessee. Two large photographs of the prototype are included with the kit.

The kit is made up of metal and urethane castings with excellent detail and very little flash. Three pages of written instructions and five pages of large photographs show the various parts, numbered for identification, and views of various assemblies. A paper gauge face is also supplied, which is to be glued to the steam-gauge casting.

From past experience I find it helpful to separate the written instructions from the photos to make cross referencing easier. A list of tools required for assembly is also supplied. These are the usual basic tools with the most notable being the various number-drills.

It is best to test-fit all of the parts and assemblies. I washed all of the cast-metal parts in warm, soapy water to remove any parting compound. Some of the cast-urethane parts are very delicate—especially the flyball governor. For best results, I sanded all of the glue joint surfaces and used CA cement throughout the build.

The only critical part of the build is in assembling the engine components. The crankshaft is made up of two axles and two counterweights, with the main rod being sandwiched between the counterweights. Keeping everything square and aligned during this step is important. I used the bearing slots in the engine bed to hold the crankshaft halves in place while the glue set on the counterweights. The belt from the crankshaft pulley to the governor is a piece of flat, plastic strip stock that
can be formed to have a prototypical sag.

I would like to have seen a close up shot of the tongue-and-hitch assembly where it attaches to the front axle. This was the only area where I had a problem identifying parts.

On the prototype, the stack can be folded down for transport, supported by a yoke attached to the steam dome. There are nice-looking but very fragile hinges cast into the stack flanges for this purpose. These are the most delicate parts on the model. I suggest very careful handling if you plan to make the hinge operational. Since mine will be used as a flatcar load, I will chain the stack down. The photo shows the engine with a light dusting of gray chalk to bring out details.

The finished engine is a great-looking piece of equipment that would be at home in almost any railway setting. It could be used as a foreground detail, powering a sawmill or farm, a flatcar load, or as a derelict, rusting away in the background. Should you care to see a Frick portable steam engine at work, an internet search will yield several sites with videos of them operating.