Aster Live Steam [antikvár]

Because of your continuous support and encouragement, Ihe year 1994 will mark ASTER HOBBY COMPANY'S 20th anniversary as a manufacturer of miniature steam railway equipment.The decade of the 90s ore a time of transition; approximately fifty years after the end of WW II, the Cold War has finally ended and vast changes are occurring in both government and society throughout the world. Twenty years ago, we decided to begin the manufacture of Gouge 1 live steam locomotives; at that time, we surveyed the market and conduded that there was a reasonable probability of success for new products. We also thought that the availability of easily assembled live steam locomotives might spur the growth of ihe hobby since we planned to put a completely finished kit, which could be assembled on a kilchen table with simple hand tools, in the hands of aspiring model engineers thus eliminating the need for various machine tools and brazing equipment. In 1975, our first locomotive, the British Southern Railways SCHOOLS Class, was put on the market. By coincidence, this was the some year that the Japanese Notional Railways C57 steam locomotive made ihe last scheduled run on the island of Hokkaido. Enthusiasm lor steam power in Japan was at its highest level, at that time, cwing to ihe nostalgia related to the retirement of our most popular locomotive. However, a new product cannot be bom in a vacuum; it is necessary to have a certain level of technical expertise as well as manufacturing experience. Fortunately, we had both since previously, we were designers and manufacturers of mechanical cash registers. Our engineers were professionally trained in nnechanical design while our shops were equipped with precision machine tools. But perhaps the most valuable asset we hod was that one of our engineers was also o designer and builder of Gauge 1 live steam locomotives and brought his special talents into tfie new endeavor.We were also fortunate to have the counsel of Dr. Seiichi Wotanobe on our early days since he was one of the pioneers of Gauge 1 live steam in Japan. With his assistance we brought the Southern SCHOOLS, the JNR Mogul, etc., onto the market. Soon afterwards, Count Antonio Giansanti-Coluzzi, of Fulgurex S. A., and his friend, Mr. John Von Riemsdijk, the former chief Civil and Mechanical Engineer for Britain's Notional Science Museum, extended their valuable support and hove continued to do so over the years. Following their guidance we have produced a wide range of locomotives from a single oscillating cylinder iTxxlel to the four cylinder BIG BOY and BR 96 AMLLH COMPOUND.We also wish to express our gratitude to all of our customers who have taken the lime to write us and make suggestions. Sometimes we were able to incorporate your ideas into production and, regrettably, other times we were not but regardless, our appreciation for your efforts is heartfelt.Now, we are well into the 1990s and the uncertainties of ihese time continue both to intrigue and challenge mankind. Hobbies will continue ta play an important port in reducing stress and letting us relive the "good old days" when the pace was slower and life seemed simpler. Although we ore but o small port of the hobby world, we wish ta make what contribution we con in providing locomotives which will bring pleasure and happiness to Live Steamers throughout the world. There ore still many famous steam locomotives which deserve to be reborn in Gouge 1 and we intend to bring them to you as we are able. And as always, we extend our thanks to you for your support.I,! : I : ' 1wmmmmm^m.I ' ,1.1 fl^P'. i , ,M ' il.I ' , I ' . _'I III . I El milSince all the previous German locomotives which ASTER has modeled v/ere famous rood locomotives, we looked for something unique yet appealing to a wide variety of customers including newcomers to the hobby. The GLASKASTEN (GLASSCASE), 0-4-0T, known as the BR 98^ was selected as fulfilling our requirements. This locomotive projects an ethereal and somewhat whimsical appearance as if it had accidentally been transported into our world from a fairyland. In modeling this small locomotive in 1/32 scale, there were many technical problems to be solved. If the locomotive were producedScale1/30 1/32Boiler CapacitylOOmC 89mCCylinder Drawbar Bxs Pull10x13 9x12460g 330gRunning Perlde11 ~13min. 7~9mln.OS an exact 1 /32 scale model, it would not have adequate power and duration of run. For acceptable performance, our initial computations showed that the boiler capacity must be 100 cc while the cylinder dimensionsshould be 10 mm bore x 13 mm stroke. This resulted in a slight size compromise; the dimensions must be 6% overscale. A saddle type boiler was adopted which permits a run between seven and ten minutes and even more if the wicks are properly adjusted. As small as this locomotive is, the detail is authentic and it features a fully operating Walschaert valve gear which has the potential of RC control.For those wishing longer operating periods, ASTER is currently developing a wagon which will contain a motor driven feed water pump, a water tank and an auxiliary alcohol tank. It will also have space for mounting RC equipment. This wagon can be used with the GLASKASTEN as well as other ASTER locomotives. (See Page 20.)