Märklin Mikado Update to NP Class W-3 Mike

That's good to know. I just followed the decoder wiring diagram, and assumed red motor wire was positive.

 

Thanks Scott, that will help. Maybe i can come up with an on the trailing truck solution, then cut my funky hangers off.

 

Okay, so I am back to my NP W-3 conversion project, now that I got my my side of the trade for detail part design done (I'm trading a dock with 3 structures for 3D designed steam loco detail parts) I got one part in that fits, and that is the Power Reverse on the engineer's side.

With the Reverser installed I cut some brass tube for the air reservoir on this side, then laser cut tank ends on and ran air lines from one side to the cab, and the other side is the crossover line from one of the two cross compound air pumps. I suspect that they coil the pipe like that so the air will cool, and thus more pressure can be pumped into the air tanks. I also made a reverser control rod to the cab out of brass wire soldered to a small piece of tube, and the reverser linkage to the drivers was laser cut from polybak paper.



Prototype reference:

 

I ordered some Archer N Scale Double Row Tank Car Rivets for pre 1920 tank cars. I need a double row of offset rivets to separate the smokebox from the boiler. What these are are a decal film with resin bumps that you apply before painting, and were all the rage in N Scale several years ago.

Also I ordered some TOMS MODEL 1/192 2-Rail Stanchions that are etched brass, and I can cut in half. I need something to hold the handrails on the boiler, but they got to be small. These are for ship models, but it's as close to Z Scale as I can find. If they don't work I can try n scale steam loco stanchions, which are a lot more expensive.

 

I got the air pumps installed, they arrived last night from Scott. Thanks Scott! I had to add the lubricator reservoir to them, so I soldered a piece of .008" wire in a piece of .04" brass tube then bent the wire to match the prototype pipe arrangement. I also added the coiled pipes to finish that part of the detailing. Waiting to see what detail parts I get from Walter before I continue.

 

Yes, I did! The Reverser Cylinder is on the other side, but the Reverser Linkage is on both sides, so I put it on. It's very hard to see because it is black. My thinking is, I might not be able to make the details as fine and crisp as I would like, but I can at least try and apply each and every detail I can see. You just have to comb over the photo's for something you can see but is not on your model, then make something to represent that detail. Keep at it, and after a while you have a long list of items that were applied and the more NMRA AP points you get for your project.

 

I made a bit more progress on my locomotive build too. I messed up trying to make holes for my handrail stanchions, by using an automatic centerpunch set on it's lightest setting, where it punched through the polystyrene tube I used as a smokebox extension. I decided not to mess with it until I get the stanchions in next week, and I can superglue in the stanchions, then fill the holes with putty and smooth out before inserting the handrails.

As you can see I received some 3D printed boiler details, and I added piping made from assorted brass wire. It looked kinda rough, so I will give it a shot of Tamiya Primer, but here you can see the tender's electrical pickup. I ran the loco for a couple hours at different speeds in forward and reverse, and while it runs OK, even at slow speed, there is a chugging sound and squeel coming from it. Also, it don't pull many free wheeling cars, at about 7 cars the drivers started to slip around turns. I need figure out how to pack some more weight into this model.


So the sun peeked out for a few minutes this evening, and I took the opportunity to prime the shell again to see if things smooth out a bit. It's a little better, but you can still see some step lines on the 3D parts, and those handrail stanchion holes sure look terrible:



The Engineer's side is not very cluttered, but he is busy driving, and can use a clearer view.



The Fireman's side is a lot more cluttered with piping, and valves and fittings and stuff. So I still need the handrails and stanchions, the rivet details, the bell, number boards, the whistle, and where that painting dowel is, is the screw hole to hold the shell to the drive. It has to be covered with the superheater dome, which is a very low profile dome. It's kind of fun adding all the piping, because it makes the model look busier and more complex.

 

I have been using Tamiya Fine Light Gray Primer, and Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty for filling and smoothing. I used to use Tamiya Putty, but the guy at Hobby Town recommended Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty as better than Tamiya, which he also had in stock, so i gave it a try. It's easy to use and sand, and dries fast.

 

I received the Toms Modelworks 1:192 Two Rail Stanchions in today, and they are very fine. I think they will work. I planned on using .010" EDM wire, but found I had to drill out the stanchion holes because they only accommodate .006" wire. I could order up steel music fire for them but the brass wire I can solder, so I'll try that route. I plan on cutting them down, and using the bottom rung of the 2 rungs because it has a thicker base.

If these work, they are definitely the most economical solution, as you get about 600 double or 1200 single stanchions for your $12.
Here is a macro shot of the fret, along with a piece of .010" and .006" wire to compare, and careful observation will see the 3 holes I drilled out with a #80 bit to accommodate the .010" wire, where the .006" wire just fit through:

 

I am actually surprised how well that went. Although it took a while to make just one of the handrails, it was actually quite do-able. What I did was to drill out a sacrificial pile of about 20 stanchions, thread several on a length of .010" wire, apply a dab of flux and then solder the first one on. Next I used my micrometer to measure the center of the first hole to the center of the second hole, and solder the second stanchion on, rinse, repeat, until all the stanchions I needed were soldered on and hanging straight down from the wire. I had suspended the wire between a couple 1" steel square blocks, so the stanchions were easy to jostle into a straight down position, re-measuring with the calipers:


After all the stanchions were soldered on, I drilled a hole in the cab, fished the end through, and cut each stanchion to length till they all sat in their holes with the handrail wire straight as possible. Then I bent the end by the smokebox into a circle, and into another hole drilled low. After tweaking the bends out, I filled the holes with superglue, and TADA! Now I have to do the other side.