Those unsightly firebox gaps

RGW1 Sep 14, 2015

  1. RGW1

    RGW1 TrainBoard Member

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    It bothers me when i see one of my steam locos with the big gap between the trailing truck and the firebox so I modified my Kato mike to look better. Her are two mikes stock and one DSCF7376.JPG DSCF7385.JPG DSCF7386.JPG with Polystyrene strips added and a delta truck .
     
  2. HOexplorer

    HOexplorer TrainBoard Supporter

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    Is this like 'thigh gap'? You need a camera with the little flower button to have these close ups in photo. But no, I'm not a rivet counter so they don't bother me. Jim
     
  3. RGW1

    RGW1 TrainBoard Member

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    At eye level you can see it. Its not something that drives my crazy. However if the opportunity present it self I try to improve the appearance of my engines.I had the shell off of this mike and was doing some work on it so I decided at add the strips, only took about 15 min of work. May be others can use this idea.
     
  4. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    The different truck, alone, makes a difference.
     
  5. gatrhumpy

    gatrhumpy TrainBoard Member

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    Nice job!
     
  6. robert3985

    robert3985 TrainBoard Member

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    I AM a rivet counter and that gap always bothers me. Some of my non-rivet counter model railroading friends are also bothered by "the gap" which is so common on model steam engines and is the rule rather than the exception as a concession to allow these engines to run on ultra-small radii.

    I take measures to fix it, but I still have a number of brass and plastic engines which need it done to look more prototypical. I've found that even a simple single partition painted black makes a huge positive difference when operating or taking photos.

    I was really gratified by Kato's U.P. FEF-3 and the effort they made to close "the gap" between the firebox and trailing truck on that model, which really adds to the desirability of that engine IMO.

    I also fix "the gap" between tender and cab on most of my steam engines. I run a 24" minimum radius on my layout, so I'm able to close that up pretty easily on most of my steamers, and arrange tender/engine electrical wiring to a position to look more like prototype tender/engine connections.

    I agree that a lot of times, a small addition or maybe several can make a noticeable difference in the appearance of our model railroads, our engines, our rolling stock, etc., which is a good thing.

    Well done...

    Bob Gilmore
     

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