Re: Silver Dollar City question

They look small because they are. They are 3" scale models of a New York Air Brake pump as supplied by Bob Bowdish via Darrel Klompmaker at Whiskey River RR. We chose these pumps as at the time we converted to air brakes, we had a strict budget and full size Westinghouse pumps were cost prohibitive. Obviously, our air system is not the traditional setup. It is a reduction air setup, but uses differential pressures rather than triple valves. Our lines are 3/8" DOT tubing so we are moving small amounts of air but are able to have great braking power with 4" air cylinders on each axle. Anyhow, the pumps have served us well, and we got ALL of them for the cost of ONE 8" pump. Side note: to our knowledge, our engines originally only had their mechanical brakes, which they still have.

Operating engines actually include the two O&K engines, but also a Czech Kolben Danek. We are also currently overhauling two more engines, one CKD and one O&K. In the next few years, there will be 5 operating locomotives. You will see bits of both projects in Kelly Anderson's shop updates at Strasburg.

I'll go back to lurking now.
A. Dean