When I was in my early teens, in the 50s, my father built an HO setup around the basement wall. Great fun to help him build the track.
Anyway, he made from scratch a brass steam locomotive. He didn't have a lathe so used a hand saw and pin vise to fashion the cab, boiler attachments etc. It took him over five years. If I remember correctly he used plans from Model Railroader magazine as his basis. I think it was a Mikado-type loco but can't really be sure after all this time. Can anyone confirm that plans were published in Model Railroader, during the 1950s, which one could use to scratch build a Mikado steam loco. If not a Mikado maybe it was possibly a Mountain (it was large). I haven't seen the loco in 30 years or so, but do know sold it here in Victoria, BC. so I guess it is scrap metal by now.
Thanks.
Chris. Spratt Victoria, BC