Here's one for the San Diegans: (Surprise, I'm not dead.) Firstly, other than my work with the SDSONS on their layout, I've pretty much left N scale in favor of HO. The better selection of detail parts and mechanisms is much more convenient and easier to work with. Secondly, after a several-year absence from locomotive-building, I'm returning with a very ambitious project: a scratch-bash of Mojave Northern Railroad No. 3, an unusual but endearing saddle tank that currently resides on display at the La Mesa depot in San Diego county [click here for link to the prototype]. To my knowledge, it does not look like anyone has attempted to build this engine accurately before, though MNRR #2 was the inspiration for a narrow gauge approximation in large scale by Bob Baxter. I had the opportunity to visit the engine in person and take, in addition to 200+ photos, a wealth of measurements of all of her parts and overall dimensions, enough to create complete scale drawings to ensure accuracy when building her. The Bachmann Spectrum saddle tank [click here for link to the stock model] is overall correct in length, but absolutely every detail needed modification or replacement in some way, even the gearing, rods, and parts of the frame. The result is one of the most intensive and involved builds that I've done, and while she's still a ways from completion, here's a sampling of this MNRR yard goat in various states of progress: Nearly every pipe, fitting and rivet of the prototype has been replicated on this model, including a full cab interior (with a Coca Cola icebox scratchbuilt on the engineer's side). More to follow...
The paint job came out a bit sub-par, but overall I think I can recover and complete the build without messing her up too badly: There's still a lot left to do, so I'll keep you all posted. Next on the to-do list are new Kadee 158 couplers or Sergent couplers, a final wash and dusting for weathering, silver paint on the whistle & pop valve per SP practices, touch-up on the silver grabirons (as they look a bit lopsided in the frontal shot) crew figures, and anything else that I may have missed.
Interesting placement for the air reservoir. I don't recall ever seeing that done. Is there a site on line which has some information about this particular railroad?
Yeah, she's definitely an odd duck with a ton of unusual detail. The oil bunker blending into the contour of the water tank is one of my favorite bits. Photos from the 1940s showed her with a very small air tank under the cab, but I'd imagine that a full train of hoppers coming down a desert grade required a much larger reservoir, for which there was no room other than atop the boiler. Not much is online about the MNRR (later Southwest Portland Cement Co.), but this is the most complete chunk of info about this engine in particular: http://sdrm.info/roster/steam/s-mn3/index.html
Now that is just outstanding modeling Tom, All the time spent measuring and cutting the rivet and pipe detail, it just jaw dropping efforts on this project. Very impressive indeed. Thanks for showing us.
I love that you used a cheap loco model to create a really stunning and unique engine. Wonderful work.
Thanks to all for the kind words. Cosmetic work on #3 has ceased for now, as I am currently gutting her insides to make way for a new gearbox, motor, and decoder. The stock Bachmann mechanism is a very inefficient use of the available space under the saddle. It also lacks NMRA compatibility and an actual gearbox; the gear axles (connected to those abysmal brittle white plastic gears) are just wedged in between a split 1-piece frame, making regular maintenance a pain. The pickup system is also questionable, with small, flimsy driver wipers that tend to lose contact due to the large amount of play in the wheels. Regardless, her innards are now cleared out and I can begin milling out the old firebox with a Dremel to make way for a small NWSL gearbox with better reduction for slower, smoother speeds. MNRR #3's firebox is completely behind the drivers, so the old one (over the rear pair) will be removed to enhance the gap between the frame and the boiler, which is quite prominent on the prototype. I'm taking a unique approach to modeling that I call "removing any 4th wall breaks." In other words, anything obtrusive that makes it glaringly apparent that this is a model rather than the real thing will be removed or hidden as well as possible. Usually a big, bulky frame, a clunky coupler and magnetic hook, or a visible mechanism underneath the boiler is the most common offender, as a key factor of realism in miniature is not just the details that are there, but the open gaps that should be there, closing off gaps that shouldn't be there, and so on. I'm going to try some Sergent scale couplers to see how those work out. From what I've heard, they look great but are a bit more finicky than other couplers, so I'll also order some Kadee 158's as another scale alternative.
Apologies for the low-quality images here, but I've added another dusty weathering wash to #3, along with Kadee 158's and some touch-up paint. The scale couplers really aid in close-coupling and the overall look of the pilot. I've also included an earlier image that showed the cab details better. Furthermore, the second piece of rolling stock in the 3-unit display train, a 40-foot PFE reefer in 1960s paint, arrived in the mail this weekend. I'll order some black gothic lettering to renumber it to match the one at La Mesa before I modify and weather it. https://www.google.com/maps/@32.763...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sxeamkBN7q4v_18k7_BCAGA!2e0
Here's a few more photos in natural light. The model is basically 95% cosmetically finished and awaiting a mechanism, but she's being put on the back-burner while I get my next build up and running. You can follow the HOn3 8-18c scratchbuild thread here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine...ratchbuilt-Whimsy-Baldwin-8-18c-4-4-0-in-HOn3
Thanks again, guys. For those who don't know, I've continued this thread over at Railroad-Line: http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=45340 Various updates included preparations for a mechanism and a complete repaint to remove the weird yellow hues from the weathering. Now she shines with bright blue highlights and stands up better to close-up photography.