I have two of these little engines which are pretty nice, but I feel that there are 4 weak detail points.
1. No pilot deck. I have added one.
2. Very undersized headlight. I've added a visor which bulks it up a little.
Now that leaves the last two issues.
3. The bell is a crude and oversized part. I have a bell from Bachmann's parts department meant for either the consolidation or the decapods, can't remember but it is a better proportioned part.
4. There is no whistle. I have two whistles from Bachmann , one is meant for the decapod that goes into the top of the auxiliary dome, the other is intended for the ten wheeler meant to go into the side of the steam dome.
Several questions arise.
1. What is the best way to remove the bell? Has anyone done that? Can it just be pulled out? Or does it need to be very carefully cut off?
2. Can the smallest pop valve in the auxiliary dome just be pulled out? To put the decapod whistle in the hole?
3. Is the boiler casting plastic or die cast metal? If plastic, drilling is easy. If die cast metal, it is an entirely different thing.
Any input would be appreciated.
Is this teh Alco Mogul or the USRA 0-6-0 that just had a pilot truck screwed on?
Alco mogul
Trainman203
Followed your example and added pilot decks to my two 2-6-0s this evening and yes, it makes a difference.
Next is whistle, and I'll wade through my parts box for that or I'll order next time I place a brass parts order with my favourite pusher. The bell? I think I can live with but boiler bands are the next challenge to install without messing up the paint job.
Happy New Year.
Roger T.
Roger-
Strip brass, styrene or thick paper. Paint before installation. Piece o' cake.
-- D
Quote from: Doneldon on January 01, 2015, 12:18:21 AM
Roger-
Strip brass, styrene or thick paper. Paint before installation. Piece o' cake.
-- D
I agree, it's me messing up with the glue I'm afraid of. :(
Happy New Year.
Roger T.
Trainman;
WHat did you use for a pilot deck? I have about six of them and want to do some rearranging. I personally think the headlight looks better on the smokebox for one thing. All in all, the model is great, they run like a champ. I think Bachmann outdid themselves with this one.
SGT C.
I had some scrap black styrene sheet I used. It's kind of thick though. Thin sheet brass would be better. Someone may make some safety non-skid check plate stock, that would be good too.
The headlight really needs the visor, or to be bigger, in my opinion. If Bachmann fixed that, added the deck plate, used the same bell casting on the 2-8-0, and put a whistle on it, this great running model would be complete detail wise. But some people undoubtably like it the way it is. So all is fine with me.
Hey Roger, painting the adhesive backed part of a "post it" note black, cutting it into boiler band strips, and applying might be a glue-free way to make the bands. I'm going to try it on an old Athearn tank car first.
Trainman;
I picked some up about five or so years ago. If one uses really good magnifiers, they might be able to make the "oversized" diamonds on the tread. ICCL! It looks good. I used it on the deck plates between the locomotive and the tender. I have been using Cal-Scale (found now with Bowser) brass investment castings, and used a really neat switching/road pilot, headlamp, compressors, etc, on the SY (green card) Mike, along with a brass USRA cab I got from Al (Greenway) at the W. Springfield show. There are also a fair amount of parts through Evil Bay, but it has been my experience that you really have to watch it there.
I still have the second SY slumbering in it's original box on the shelf...But one of these days...
SGT C.
Quote from: Trainman203 on January 02, 2015, 06:13:07 PM
Hey Roger, painting the adhesive backed part of a "post it" note black, cutting it into boiler band strips, and applying might be a glue-free way to make the bands. I'm going to try it on an old Athearn tank car first.
Good idea. In addition, I'd then spray the boiler with Dullcote or equivalent matte spray to help hold them down. I'll try it on a piece of PVC or Evergreen plastic tube and see how that goes.
Headlight replacement is a the next task as the one they used is awful.
Cheers
Roger T.
Let us know what you replace the headlight with. The stock one looks like an N scale headlight. However, the LEDs in these lights are the best Bachmann ever used. Maybe they'll start using it in the 2-8-0.
I have now modified my two Alco 2-6-0.
I previously added the pilot deck as first suggested by trainman 203.
I have removed the funny looking headlight and added a new one to the centre of the smokebox. I'm sorry but I do not recall the manufacturer of the headlights as I found them in my details drawer. They are black plastic and have a transparent headlight with a small diameter rod through the back. As luck would have it, the transparent rod lines up exactly with the rod Bachmann use in this locomotive.
I moved the bell from between the steam and sand dome and temporarily relocated it on the front of the smokebox where the old headlight was. It will be replaced as soon as I get time with a better model bell. Fortuitously, the base of the bell happens to mask the light pipe for the old headlight. :)
Some time ago I'd added "canvas" sunshades over the cab windows as I do on all my steam.
Still to do is to add boiler bands and a whistle, paint the headlamp number plate red and add "brass" numbers white numbers in the headlamp side number boards and finally add classification lamps either side of the smokebox. I may add a touch more weathering but as these are branch passenger, sometimes branch freight engines, they will not be heavily weathered as suits passenger engines, even branch engines.
Someone asked for the driving wheel dimensions in another post, they are five feet as near as I could measure with my scale rule.
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/The%20new%20Great%20Eastern%20Railway/IMG_0605_zps3331b5ab.jpg) (http://s94.photobucket.com/user/rogertra/media/The%20new%20Great%20Eastern%20Railway/IMG_0605_zps3331b5ab.jpg.html)
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/The%20new%20Great%20Eastern%20Railway/IMG_0603_zps6c13d010.jpg) (http://s94.photobucket.com/user/rogertra/media/The%20new%20Great%20Eastern%20Railway/IMG_0603_zps6c13d010.jpg.html)
Cheers
Roger T.
Roger;
That is one heck of a great looking engine!!! Great work!
SGT C.
Quote from: electrical whiz kid on January 03, 2015, 08:10:23 AM
Roger;
That is one heck of a great looking engine!!! Great work!
SGT C.
Thanks.
Still a little more work to do. They are great running engines BTW, too bad the detail is lacking.
Cheers
Roger T.
Yeah, but Roger;
lacking a lot of the fine detail can be a blessing in disguise. It is a good basic engine, runs well, and sounds good. THis locomotive lends itself readily to a lot of modifications to suit individual tastes, without making a federal case out of super-detailing. Like you, I favour a smoke-box centre mount headlamp, as well as a bell more behind the sand dome. I have some brass that I will be "detailing also. In all, I will be running about five moguls, four mikes, two prairies, and one 2-6-6-2 on a regular basis. Unless I find that I want more big steam, the Berkshires, the Texas, and the Santa Fes will snooze on the shelf.
SGT C.
Roger that is very close to the little moguls the T&NO ran down here. I'm going to have to lower the headlight on one of mine. Maybe Bachmann one day will make an alternate smoke box front with center headlight, like they did on the Richmond 4-4-0.
The main reason the bell is now above the smokebox is laziness on my part.
Removing the original headlight left a flat mounting pad behind.
Rather than take the time to carefully file the mounting pad down to match the diameter of the smokebox, it was easier to remove the bell, file the slight bump where the bell was mounted down to match the boiler diameter and mount the bell on the old headlight pad. Besides, many of my GER locos have the bell mounted in front of the stack, so it was a no brainer. :)
SGT C. As for the extra detail, it's only class lights and boiler bands left. Classification lights are easy as I already have some in my parts drawer and boiler bands, I'll follow the advice of Trainman and other regarding using pre-painted paper.
Cheers
Roger T.
Roger;
Do you know if these engines came equipped with a Worthington feed-water heater? I wouldn't think so right off the bat; but if they do, then why not install that appliance on the smoke box in front of the stack where that offensive headlight is/was??
Also; Trainman 203: Diamond tread, etc, can be found on this site: www.railflyermodelprototypes.com . This stuff is pretty nice, but not exactly cheap. Roger: "Cal scale" (marketed by Bowser) still carries a lot of brass steam parts. They have some really nice headlights. I usually move nay of mine that need it, down to the smoke box centre.
SGT C.
Quote from: electrical whiz kid on January 05, 2015, 12:09:30 PM
Roger;
Do you know if these engines came equipped with a Worthington feed-water heater? I wouldn't think so right off the bat; but if they do, then why not install that appliance on the smoke box in front of the stack where that offensive headlight is/was??
Also; Trainman 203: Diamond tread, etc, can be found on this site: www.railflyermodelprototypes.com . This stuff is pretty nice, but not exactly cheap. Roger: "Cal scale" (marketed by Bowser) still carries a lot of brass steam parts. They have some really nice headlights. I usually move nay of mine that need it, down to the smoke box centre.
SGT C.
Not sure if they'd put a heater on a 2-6-0 but I have my doubts. Now watch someone prove me wrong. :)
I have many Cal-Scale casting on hand and have just ordered a few extra bells so I have some spares in case of damage, ditto for whistles.
Cheers
Roger T.
When the 2=6=0s were built they didn't know what a feedwater heater was. I don't think any were rebuilt with feedwater heaters.