Restoring and Modifying an LGB and Bachmann Steamer

DragonFyreGT Jul 4, 2020

  1. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Aka my Ash Valley Rairoad (Currently indoors) named after my sister. So a quick backstory I have my original LGB Starter Set from 1986 whe nI was 2 and my Generation 2 Bachman Big hauler from 1992. Both are being upgraded and modified to fit a late 1800s-1900ss style layout that fits more in line with the time period of Red Dead Redepmption 2. So I repainted m y stainz/tender and big hauler shell with this baby blue and they will be sporting red and gold on them. I have my decal sheet mocked up for them just waiting to have them made by G-Scale Graphics. The LGB set has had their european brake hoses and bumpers cut off because link and pin couplers from LGB are expensive and kadee's are cheaper. The motorized tender is using my big haulers old pilot buffer as it's own rear buffer which will be installed when the kadees come.

    My big hauler shell is going to go on an annie gen 6 chassis with a matching tender. Both bachmann and lgb bobber cabooses will be sporting interiors. I stripped down my old Aristocraft BN Caboose that was broke, parted it out to repair my other aristo bn caboose and stole the interior parts for the bachmann caboose. I'm also detailing the engine inteiors with figures, mics details like lunch boxes, oil cans shovels throttle levers etc. The LGB Stainz is gonig to retain mosto f it's german charm as i love how lgb tried to americanize it. But than again the real Stainz model is a combination of the 2 surviving stainz units 2 and 4 I believe. Massoth sound/decoders will be added later with led upgrades on the units.The stainz will also get a modern stainz/tender jumper plug upgrade as finding the old cables is hard enough.

    So now onto what I jsut ordered today, I ordered replacement end platforms for my lgb bobber caboose, boiler grabs for the stainz, and a new backhead interior for the stainz with gold valve wheels on it. I'm also painting the roof of the lgb bobber caboose brown to chagne up the accents and I will be photographing and updating this thread as parts coem in and get installed.

    I started in G-Scale as a kid and It looks like I'm finishing in it. For anyone who knows my HO Scale thread, it's on hold as im still waiting on parts to show up. i guess anything worth waiting for is worth waiting for. But anyawys. All aboard.
     
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  2. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    It's been a week. All parts except the Stainz backhead part has shown up. So breaking down the photo, I am currently waiting on an Atlas Supersaw so I can chop my old Aristocraft Cupola parts to fit the bobber caboose. As you can see the floor is painted brown, the walls will remain black ans the side fin extentions as I call them will go white to match the interior parts. Aristocraft seats have been painted with C&O Enchanted blue from my remaining PollyScale supply for the cushions. The Roof has brow nwalkways as does the end platforms and the outter doors are painted brown (D&RGW Building Brown PollyScale Acryic). On the roof the gold parts aare the Stainz Boiler Grabs and Flagpoles. The underside of the roof is also brown but I wont' be showing that off til Later. The roof support irons are going in for a second coat of gold paint.
    [​IMG]

    Now there's going to be a bit of issue with Paint. I am going to be ordering an LGB Mogul Headlamp housing for the stainz with gold trim as they both mount the same. That means matching the maroon red which the closest I can find is Tamiya Mica Red.. The Gold I currently sprat with is Krylon Shortcuts. Because the end platforms are a single molded piece, I have to hand paint the railings and brake wheel/chains. This means matching the Krylon and the closest I've found is Tamiya Titanium Gold.. I'm also picking up Tamiya White for the interior. SLowly it's al lcoming together. I don't have much to do on this set other than kadees wheels, etc; Decoder/Soudn upgrades obviously, decals. But by god by christmas she will be running aroudn my xmas tree again. The caboose needs it's euro buffers cut off and I have to wait for a slew of parts from Germany which due to lockdown in europe is now taking longer than the standard month, we're up to a 2 to 2 and a half month delay on shipping. Not to mention the cost. I estimate by the time I'm done detaailing and repairing this set, i could have bought a used one on ebay. Oh well. We are talking LGB after all. Vintage Parts are wroth teh quality imo.

    When the inteiror of this caboose is done, it will be worth it but atm Im trying to figure out where to run the wires down to the ball bearing lgb wheels I am getting.Also need to find the G-Scale magnet glad hand airhose kit that was in Garden Railways product review like almsot 10/15 years ago. Anyways. Posting more photos as work gets done. Also Im keeping the stock numbers and just replacing the graphics for the caboose. I'll upload the decals when Im done workingi on them.

    Thoughts. I'm nto trying to do the most professional model building competition interior, I leave weathering for the outside anyways, but I'm taking suggestions for the niteior cabinets and what not for color. Obviously it's painted white but not fully sure atm.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2020
  3. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Update #2 today. Look a record! I had to go pickp a screwdriver bit set so I could get the slot screws off the back of the Stainz shell to pull the interior backhead and install the boiler grabs. I hate slot screws. Oh well. Here we go.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    I am grabbign parts from US Sellers as I can, including Train-Li who specializes in LGB Parts but when they aren't in the US, I have to go to Germany, which is not only worse in cost because Euros > USD apparently, but the ship times go from a month to 2 month plus because of Covid and lockdown over there. It's making this project take a bit longer than it needs to, but slowly it's coming back around. I do have to replace the cow catcher as it got busted one day when a cat knocked my locomotive off it's display track. well the cow catcher broke but the engine's still running. That's testimonial for LGB of Western Germany Quality right there It is interesting when you go to german LGB Sites and see the kitbashing work put into those locomtives. Kind of what inspired me to do this with my own.

    The funny thing is, it took 10 years after I bought that powered tender to find the proper replacement coupler part to hook up to the stainz. The things I've been through with this. Anyways, I plan to attach the rear bumper I have to the tender with some styrene bars glued under neath the bumper so there's support for the back of the tender to glue and hold on to. I may also have to cutout a notch for the Kadee 909's and we'll see as hopefully i can pick up a set of them at the end of the month. I also need US style brake hose, I needthe cut lever part for the Big Hauler cow catcher as that's where the bumper is from (upgrading the big hauelr so I parted out the non needed parts), and misc detailing parts. ANyways, that'll do for now Once my saw comes in I'll have some hacking fun times with my caboose interior. Also I'm gluing my end platforms on because I don't want to try and remove the body shell to install the platforms. Sometimes the Germans just over engineer stuff and LGB is no exception.
     
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  4. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Okay monthly update here we go. A) not a lot to be done this month as I had to order an external keyboard to stand in while my OEM Laptop keyboard ships in from HP's warehouse. A rainstorm went through my windows when I was out and toasted the keyboard, upside is, this laptop houses it on the top away from the electronics so we're good there.

    B) I have progress. I finished picking up sojme paint, Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black (bottle Paint, though I will pick up the spray version for larger projects) and I couldn't find my Tamiya Titanium Gold, so I settled for Tamiya's Gold Leaf. I used the gold paint on the brake wheel, railings and the roof support bars and the black is being used for a set of Aristocraft Delton Classics caboose shades which are currently dryying. One of the Platforms is painted and the stairs are edged with PollyScale Reefer White, the last of my PollyScale supply and the platform deck is PollyScale D&RGW Building Brown. I have enough of the PollyScale to last for a bachmann bobbercaboose before the supply is exhausted forever. I haven't started the other platform yet nor are they glued in yet as I ran out of Locktite, but the roof is holding them in place. I am not going to show the other platform as it's going to look exactly the same as this one:
    [​IMG]

    So next month is also going to be thin, I have a charity airsoft event coming up in october assuming it doesn't get covid cancelled so my rifle is getting some attentions and motor upgrades, but I will be picking up my stainz locomotive's replacement cow catcher and the smokestack part for my LGB caboose. Sometime around October i need to get a belt sander to thing down the old Aristocraft caboose interior parts to fit proper, and get the lighting kit and ball bearing wheels for the caboose. We're getting there little by little. I'm also looking for an old west O-Scale figure for the cupola so I can use perspective cheating and have a figure that fits too. I also painted the cushions of the aristocraft caboose seats in Chesapeake &* Ohhio enchanted blue, also from PollyScale. I miss them but I'm loving Tamiya's Laquer Based Paint. Hopefully November/December I'll be able to get G-Scale Graphics to get my locomotive/caboose decals done so I can go ahead and clear coat the caboose body.

    And finally I found the Red Mogul headlamp housing form y stainz (they ran the same housing and still do to this day) with the gold decaling on it...from Germany....for 60 bucks shipped *facepalm* Oh well, I guess anything in this hobby you want to invest in is worth the cost. And hopefully as soon as they pass that second check which we all know is going on right now, once my bike gets it's upgrades, what's left goes to having the Stainz/Tender get a modern jumper plug system and DCC/Sound. I think I'm going to skip the retro smoke system just because it's really not worth the cost and effor imo. But I am on the look out for old Aristocraft Sierra Coach/Combines to repaint as my Ash Valley Coaches so I have something with a smoke generator in it. Oh well til next month. Also excuse my cell phone camera it's been acting up lately.
     
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  5. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Suprise. I'm back. With a couple new updates to the project. First off I picked up a black with gold printed Stainz/Mogul Head Lantern that came with the housing, the lens, a new bulb and wire (mnot needed) and headlamp bracket.. It's installed. So I'm going to still do the red cow catcher and bumpers but decided to do the black headlamp since this one is cheaper than the red one which would be over 30 dollars hipped in from Germany. Makes it easier too for the Big Hauler's Tender Lantern which has been saved from the old broken tender. The rear Stainz Tender Lantern is from the 4 axle diesel switcher so it needs to be shimmed to fit properly in the hole but it does fit and with it's modled bracket design undeneath it looks a whole lot better imo.

    The next update is the paint. The gloss light blue is gone. And the way I did this without stripping the paint is to use Tamiya laquer based paint since it lays over Everything and creates a new surface. This way I can easily use a satin clear after the decals go on the tender. I chose to use their aircraft spray, AS-19 Intermediate Blue which would fit most WWII Navy plane models. And it shimmers in the light too so I Get that bare metal sheen with the paint like you would see on an early steam locomotive or aircraft. A couple of smudge spots from the previews spray are still their near the back of the tender but my work around is leave them so it looks like the unit was starting to rust and they just painted over it. A railroad that takes care of it's locomotives, jsut not to the level they should be doing. After all #100 (stainz) and #25 (Big hauler) are their only two workhorses. I think it turned out great. All that's left is to glue the Stainz windows back in which I'll do next month since I'm out of glue and money atm. But I am happy with the color and I think this is one that LGB should have used back than and should use now. Enjoy.
    [​IMG]

    Next month's Plan is to pick up the cow catcher and the grab irons for the stainz/tender. and hopefully get some styrene T beams to act as braches for the coal boards. Those will be paitned in a rusty weathered color from Woodland Scenics marker set. I'm also trying to see if Tamiya's bare aluminum spray will match the boiler so I can have the smoke stack painted to match as well. After that we move to couplers because by hell or high water I want this unit running around my christmas treet his year and by around I mean I'm building an interesting floor layout in my apartment because I can. So til next month. Oh and because people will comment on the european oval windows vs the normal US Square style, 200 is an import from Germany and 35 is an american built unit. and that's myu justification for it xD

    Update: Big Hauler paint job on the cab is done. I need to pick up a tender, generation 6 tender chassis with sound and wiring along with a generation 6 chassis for my big hauler which si a generatio n2 unit with a broken drivetrain. All of that will be done this winter mostly because I have 5 or 6 oem parts for the lgb stainz to aquire first than we can move on to the big hauler and it's new parts. Some are repair parts tochange it's look like the smoke sttack, others are it's own parts that i've retained. They'll look similar in color schemes by slightly different. SO that's all Ig ot for now.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2020
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  6. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Micro Update here, sorry no photos yet but this involves my stainz backhead and cab interior. In my quest to make things more realistic without destroying the charm LGB built, I painted the cab interior black, semi-gloss black from tamiya. I even painted the inside sections of the tender that are visuble near the coal. Now this part involves the backhead. The old Backhead my stainz came with had an open coal load on the left hand side, hence Why I installed the open coal bu8nker in the front like you see int he photos. I replace that backhead with one from a later model that had gold valve wheels and the same sticker decals p printed on. On the left hand side I have filed off a section where the open coal bunker load for the interior will be glued. Basically I cut the part out of my old backhead with the Atlast Super Track Saw. This thing is freaking awewsome, not to plug a brand but seriously, I love it. Next on the project for the backhead is going to be the backhead throttle and thanks to Illinois Railway Museum I have a decent photogram of Frisco 1630's cab to guide me in my endevours. I'm also picking up the firebox flicker LED Circuit board the later stainz' used. I also need a boiler plate step to fix a gap as this cab backhead isn't quite designed for this locomotive version so it doesn't fit entirely straight. But that's what is so fun about kitbashing , finding things to make it work. Also I painted the top of the air pump leaf gold. Looks pretty good for the look I'm trying to achieve.

    I have more stainz parts coming next month so I'll have photos galore. Peace out.
     
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