"Little Toot" rebuild info needed

[videoman]

We at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami are restoring our Crown Metals "Little Toot" loco -- the 24 inch model. Somewhere in the past, the tubing that carries sand from the sand dome to the wheels was removed. We'd like to replace it, but have been unable to find any photos or diagrams showing the path and configuration of the tubing. We can cobble something up, but would like to be authentic. Sadly, the available maintenance information is very sketchy. Any help appreciated!

[email protected]
W.B. Vaughan
volunteer machinist

[Benjamin Maggi]

Google "crown metal products 24" gauge" and you will see lots of pictures of similar engines. They likely didn't actually drop sand down, and were just for looks.

[videoman]

Thank you for your reply, and you are correct, with some diligent searching we found a photo showing the installation. Interestingly, the sand dome has a functional valve and does, indeed, seem to have a practical purpose. We have found that with a load of passengers and a damp track, pulling a slight rise on our track sometimes requires the operator to stop and sand the rail by hand. An embarrassment when you have a load of kids on board....! Thank you again for your interest!

W.B. Vaughan, Gold Coast Railroad Museum