What else am I working on? Stanley S-1

No, it's not an Alco S-1, it's the road number for their HK Porter 0-6-0F (fireless) steam locomotive.

About a month ago I had a coworker test positive for Covid-19. Since I had worked with them, I needed to get tested and it would take 4-5 days for the results. In the meantime, I had to isolate myself from the rest of the family, and since several of Emily's nurses wouldn't come in until the results were back, Laura was on Emily duty 24-hours a day for that time. I tested negative, and fortunately I didn't have to wait another 14 days to take a second test (and the 4-5 day wait after that). 

But on one of those days in isolation in the basement (it's never as much fun when you have to be down there...) and I was thinking of what sort of things I needed to do so I could get out of the house and away from the family, it occurred to me that I could take a road trip. To Watertown, NY, where the old Stanley locomotive is sitting outside after being damaged in a fire. 

So I took the 4 1/2 hour drive (starting about 1:00 pm), finding out it was near Amish country, and also the second largest wind farm in the country (Maple Ridge) with 195 turbines spread over 22,000 acres. 

It looks like the entire property is abandoned, but I knew I planned on staying away from everybody (since I had been exposed), and just taking pictures and measurements. I've been planning this for years.

I got my photos and measurements, made a quick sketch, and started reworking my mockup using a Mantua chassis.

Lots of work (and decisions to make). The tank car tank is the correct diameter, and I had used it as a mockup for years. The S-1 has ~35"ish drivers, and the Mantua is 50". But I don't have to figure out how to make the valve gear with the Mantua chassis. Also, even though I know the tank car tank matches the dimensions, it looks small, although that could be because of the size of the drivers and the current height above the frame. The cylinders are pretty close to the correct size. 

I think the feel is more important than being exactly correct, and my current plan is to work with the Mantua chassis to get a completed locomotive operational, and then work on scratchbuilding a more accurate one.