Friends Yankee Shop Models is bringing obsolete foundry patterns from the 1930s-1960s into the 21st Century, and replacing lost patterns with brand new ones.
Why? Because it needed to be done.
The original foundry patterns (the "molds" from which the castings are produced) which were used by my predecessors from about 1928 to about 1980, are valuable for their design details but are wholly unsuitable for production in modern foundries. They are, for the most part, made of wood and are in deplorable condition due to decades of age, use ("wear and tear"), water damage, neglect, etc. The wood has buckled and/or changed shape, glue joints are broken, and the wax fillets at the joints are falling off. They all need upgrading, or complete replacement, in order to be compatible with modern production methods and to produce the BEST castings possible, or to even be cast at all!
In addition, MANY of the original foundry patterns are missing, particularly for some of the H.J. Coventry designs. Some were loaned out and never returned; some were left at foundries and forgotten about; some were disposed of; and some were destroyed.
It is for these reasons that a substantial part of Friends Yankee Shop Models' revival of these old designs is the upgrade and/or replacement of the obsolete foundry patterns (and those that have been lost or destroyed). Old patterns, when they exist, are valuable for their design details but simply cannot be depended on, or used at all, to produce high quality castings in modern foundries.
A bottom view of the power reverse cylinder for the 3/4"scale USRA 0-6-0 Switcher. The "corebox", seen on the right, is what is used to produce the "cored" hole in the power reverse cylinder during the pouring process at the foundry. FRIENDS YANKEE SHOP MODELS is replacing lost, damaged, and worn-out patterns and coreboxes so as to be able to make the "long lost designs of Yesteryear" available again. This is just one example.
Here is an example of a pattern that simply needed to be replaced. Pattern No. 971, the "cowcatcher" or "pilot" for the H.J. Coventry 1" scale 4-4-0. On the left, H.J. Coventry's original wooden pattern. On the right, a casting that was produced from it some 40 to 50 years ago.
Another view of Mr. Coventry's ORIGINAL wooden pattern for the pilot (cowcatcher) for the 1" scale 4-4-0 "American".
Here's a better view. The "cowcatcher" pattern at left (the same one as seen above) was used by Mr. Coventry in the 1960s to produce "cowcatchers" (pilots). When I obtained it, it was unsuitable for making any new castings, and needed complete replacement. So, I had a replacement made!
The new pattern seen at the right is not only typical of the upgrades that Friends is undertaking to revive the classic designs of "Yesteryear", but it is only one small example of what has been done thus far in this effort. Other patterns have been upgraded/replaced as well, and several new "core boxes" have been made to replace missing or damaged originals.
A brand new pattern and coreboxes for HJ Coventry Pattern No. 971....the pilot/cowcatcher for his 1" scale locomotives. The corebox on the left was not part of the original pattern. It is part of this pattern's upgrade to make it compliant with modern production techniques.
Another view of the new pattern for the 1" scale HJ Coventry pilot/cowcatcher, and a casting produced from it. The casting produced is the SAME casting that was supplied decades ago, but modern production methods are used to produce it. Almost every pattern for EVERY design on this website, needs such replacement.
