After wanting one for some time, I finally got an Aspenmodel 4-6-0 kit. My kit arrived today from RSLaser Kits (Thanks Rich for sending it so quickly). I figured I would document the kit build up as I work on it in the coming week(s). The kit comes in a orange Westmodel case. The contents of the kit are very complete. It even comes with an MTL coupler and #13 decals for the tender. In comparison to some of the RLW Nn3 conversion kits, this kit appears easier to build. All holes are pre-drilled and screw holes are pre-taped. The Marklin chassis also doesn't required any milling or modification. The only thing I need to supply is wheels for the tender. The wheels sets on my donor loco are insulated at the middle of the axle and will still short the metal trucks so I will order some new wheel sets on Monday. The majority of the work will be cutting parts from the spurs, adding all the fine details and painting. I will be building the engine for DC use however the tender is hollow and could easily house a decoder.
Just a quick mock up of the major components. The engine is defiantly Z scale, and doesn't appear to be between scales like the Marklin bumble bee. I'll post updates as I work on it.
Maybe French? I wonder how it would look with the Bavarian dark red or dark green wheels? Or the French black ones.
I spent most of today just removing parts from the spurs and cleaning up the castings. Brass is a much harder metal than I'm used to and it took a lot more work than I expected. Also some of the handrail stanchions had to be drilled out. I managed to get all the parts ready for assembly. The next step is to disassemble the donor loco. The only parts that you need is the main chassis and the running gear components. The stock steam chests, boiler, and tender are all surplus. The I also had to work out several fit issues that would be expected with a kit like this. The underside of the boiler was filed smooth to enlarge the cavity slightly. I plan on adding an insulator to ensure there are no shorts and needed the extra room. The steam chests were too tight to fit over the chassis and had to be filed out slightly for a proper fit. To use the original running gear, the parts will need to be modified slightly. Cut the Marlkin cross-head guides in the location shown here. This will allow for easier installation into the new steam chests as shown below. I always felt the support rods on the pilot were too thick so I will replace them with thiner rods. I cut the rods and filed that area smooth. I then drilled holes in the pilot and smoke box for the new rods.
Looks like a sweet kit for sure. I look forward to seeing the finished product. You probably already know this but grimey black is a great paint to hide the red spokes on the locomotives wheels. Keep up the good work!
Inspirational, I am really awed by you who dares to rebuild your locos - I have a few project but I cannot build up my nerve to start. Your thread really helps!
Ive been working on getting every thing put together. I also decided to git rid of the diamond stack and replace it with a fluted stack from an MDC/Athearn 2-6-0. I'm not entirely sure if I'm happy with this stack, as its a bit too wide, but for now it will stay. The pilot was glued to the steam chests, at which point I realized it wasn't perfectly level, so I broke them apart and filed some more. Eventually I ended up with a level pilot. The rest of the big parts went together quite easily. The boiler seemed to be lower in the rear so I leveled it out by gluing a small piece of plastic to the chassis here. The small details were another story. The handrail stanchions were particularly difficult to install as they are rounded and sometimes slipped out of my tweezers. The kit only includes 8 of them so extreme care should be taken not to lose any of them. Replacing them with photo etched stanchions from the Gold Metal Models N scale steam detail set may be an easier route altogether. I also started in on the piping. I decided to install piping for the steam injector/check valves from some 0.015” wire I had sitting round. The kit does this in a slightly different method of having the pipe disappear below the walk boards as seen on the RTR model, but I like having them visible. I still have a few more pipes to add. Its starting to look closer to the way I want it to look. I just wish I could switch the locations of the bell and sand dome.
Looks fantastic! Wonder about the tender trucks. If you could insulate each sideframe somehow and then take 8 wheelsets cut them in half, toss the insulated side, and remount the axles into plastic tubes. You could end up with 8 wheel tender pick-ups. That would give you over 100% increase in pick-ups.
Almost a shame to have to paint it! It looks really good for sure. I like what chris is thinking. I never thought of that. After all if the side frames are brass, then they would conduct. This would eliminate wipers, or having to design your own Kato stye pickup side frame.
How about just split the frame. The wheels are already insulated. If the truck just touches the tips of the axles, you are set! If it is the "Marklin type", which has the clips which grab the axle, as long as the clip does not contact the flange, you could still split the frame near the outside edge. Just turn the axles around 180 degrees on one truck and split the frame on the other edge. One truck picks up one rail, the other truck the other rail. The insulation is where the axle goes into one flange on one side. At least on the FVM steel axles I have looked at.
David, That would only give you 4 wheel pick-up, but yeah it would be easier. I'd try for all eight wheels though.
4 wheel power pick up would be easy to pull off with this tender. Simply replace the the wheels with properly insulated wheels. Install an insulator between the trucks and the tender frame. Then replace the mounting screw with a nylon screw. Might have to rrill and tap for the new screw.Then solder the wires. I know FVM wheel sets would work for this purpose. Are Bowser Buckels and AZL metal wheels insulated the same way (one wheel and axle live)? 8 wheel power pick up almost sounds easier. The side frames could be glued to a micro trains plastic truck bolster. The wheels that came with my Marklin tender are already insulated for 8 wheel pick up as seen in the photo below (they will short the track as shown). Then you have twice the amount of wires to solder. The hardest part of either method will be permanently attaching the tender to the locomotive. Maybe thread the end of the tender pin and install a nut on the end. Or just risk pulling on the wires.
Curn, Solder a PC board to the bottom of the bolster then slice through the bolster on one side of the hole. Solder a wire to the short section and use the truck screw for the other half. looks like your wheels already have insulated axle centers. I have done this with MTL Nn3 trucks: https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/Nn3#5116119667116837186 https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/Nn3#5116119731541346642 David, If you leave the wheelsets like they are one wheel is insulated from the axle or it would short. To get 8 wheel pick-ups you need both wheels to be un-insulated then insulate the axles from each other. That is why my axle are white plastic, the metal axles inside them don't touch. This is the bottom of those Chinese 2-8-2's tender: https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/ZScale280#5443416911957277090 Same principal, but instead of the pick-up cup inside the side frames you can just use the brass sideframes.
After a little experimenting, I decided not to wire the tender for power pick up. I tried ca gluing a plastic truck bolster under the truck frame, but it wasn't strong enough to survive any flexing, and would have melted during soldering on the wires. Chris' soldering of a pc board method would be the best route for this in the future. For now, I'm going to finish the project and get it painted. I replaced the metal wheels with MTL plastic ones from the trucks I sacrificed. The power pickup of the locomotive seems to be adequate as is. I finished adding the sand lines and the whistle lever. I also made whistle out of a piece of brass that was holding the headlight onto the parts tree. I filed the brass level on the ends and drilled a hole on the end, I also drilled a hole on the top of the steam dome. I used a short piece of steel wire inserted into the holes to attach the whistle. Being I got rid of the diamond stack (common on wood burners), I felt it necessary to build a oil tank on the tender. This was built with sheet styrene in a similar manor as I did on my 2-6-0's tender. I used a Detail Associates water hatch for the hatch, and punched rivets around the edges, and hope that it will show up when painted. A few casting irregularities were filled in with squadron green putty on top of the tender. I added a ladder to the rear of the tender that I had left over from my MTL water tank parts. I'm not sure I like the ladder, and wish I had a thiner photo etched one. At this point the Apspenmodel 4-6-0 kit is finished. I obviously did alot of extra detailing beyond the basic kit. Anyone who has completed an RLW Nn3 conversion kit could easily finish this one. Having a good set of needle files, pin vice, micro dill bits (#70-80), good tweezers, and cutters would be a prerequisite for building this kit. I also used my Dremel tool for grinding down the part tree feeds on the tender shell where my files couldn't reach. Brass is much more forgiving than white metal, but also takes more work to get the parts ready. The basic kit would also need either a wood or coal fuel load to be added. The price of the RTR version is a fair deal for those who are uncomfortable with performing the work shown. The next step is to take it all apart and start painting it. Say good bye to the red wheels.
The wheels are insulated across the axle,but the axles are not insulated from the truck frame. so as supplied they pick up on one side. so if off set you could pick up on one truck from one rail and from the other truck from the other rail and I would put a pin down from floor to ensure the truck stay aligned properly so yo don't put it on the track with one reversed. Alternately I would replace the cross bar on the truck with a pcb version and drill and tap for 00-90 screws to hold cross bar to pcb material.Then I would solder a phosphor bronze wire from top pcb placing wire so it runs on inside of flange so any dirt on the wheel is not collected on the pick up wireand runs on the wheels that are insulated from truck side frame.(make sure the pcb cross bar insulates the two truck side frames one from the other) the other pick up is from the truck side frame where the wheels are not insulated from side frame. Now you have a truck with pick-up from all four wheels. cheers Garth
