Working on the doghouse Mike Trent from another forum ( Narrow Gauge Railroad Discussion Forum :: Narrow Gauge Discussion :: Re: 497's tender top in 1960 ) mentioned that the K-37 doghouse should not be on a board base. Apparently, the K-37 tenders were too high for the customary elevated doghouse to still fit into the Durango roundhouse. So I have now tried to give the model's doghouse a more prototypical appearance. This is not quite that easy. I basically removed those "boards", though I left a thin layer to imitate the fastening sheets. On the John West picture, that doghouse looks like it is just a bit removed from the tender deck. And my model now looks somewhat like that. Attached are two pictures showing the lose doghouse upside down, plus one that also shows the blackened tender wheels and axles. Because the truck sides are so much removed from the wheels in this case, I felt the blank wheels and axles were too conspicuous. Note that notch I made on the side of the thin doghouse base that is left. It's for the pipe (steam line?) to go in. I have no prototype picture showing it, so I went from what was there on the model. Filing down the base left no room for the wire/pipe to enter. One major problem for me was getting the holes for the screws back into working condition. I don't have any tapping tools, so I almost ruined one of the original screws. But I managed to keep it working at least. I had to put in some washers to compensate for the missing base. Otherwise, the screws would not have gone in sufficiently to fix the doghouse. Another problem to deal with is that brass dust that falls into the inside of the doghouse. It tends to stick to the window frames and is a bother to get out. Particularly so since I had to do it three times. Every time thinking I had done all the filing for that pipe/wire. Meanwhile, that doghouse is back on, after all those attempts to make that pipe fit. I have added some spilled coal and some at the front as well. Basically, that tender should be finished now, unless I find some other excuse to do more work on it.
Robert, Can we see some pics of the finished tender? I find it funny that there are these inconsistencies in a model of a SPECIFIC loco. With my Bachmann 2-6-0s I expect it because they have made a "generic" model of a 2-6-0 that could fit on several different roads. Looks like you are doing a great job getting this thing to fit the prototype...
I'll post a picture tomorrow. I had to do some touch-ups as the paint did not have the right semi-gloss to fit the rest. I think it has always been clear that MMI was using their already available PSC detailing parts. And for some reason, their K-37 doghouse is not correct. However, they did apparently issue different versions with regard to the tender light. So the idea of having specific models is there, it is only lacking a full implementation. But with their HOn3 K-27, there was only one tender version, whereas Blackstone had many. I should say that I could not get into the details I do on my models without the ideas I get from forum contacts. And as I'm glad I get those ideas, I try to provide some info for others to get their own ideas of what they might want to do. But we can all choose how far we want to go with it, with the given financial and time constraints, of course. Being retired gives me a bit more leeway regarding the latter.
K-37 tender pictures OK, here are the promised pictures. Note the "spilled" coal I added on both sides of the doghouse. So the next thing to do will be searching for that short on the engine that I reported earlier. But I'll wait with tackling the engine for a while. Still some other things in the works, and the garden is calling as well.
Let me add to Robert's notion about the tender's with different detail implementation. I too received #497 but in herald motif which places my unit as up to late 1930's operation. My tender arrived with the Offfset Pyle light which was not prototype until the tender was replaced after the early 1960's rollover of #497. Mike Trent at the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum has informed me that he has a picture of #497 taken by Kindig in 1950 which shows that #497 had no light as of 1950. So - it appears that MMI in Korea was randomly choosing tenders without regards to historical accuracy. As I've indicated before in other posts I can live with it for now and in fact have already made allowances for inaccuracies by planning to install a 65' turnatable on my Chama layout. However, MMI did include parts for the small center mount light in the bag of extras so I can correct this if it gets to bothering me more in the future.
They may also have taken a middle of the road approach, rather than a random selection. If the tender changed over time they may have chosen an era that could have fit multiple time periods. The fact that they include parts to change the light out suggests that this indeed was what they had in mind. This is the same with Bachmann, and other producers...make the thing just generic enough that it has appeal to everyone interested in that model...
Hi John, That is a possibility however I don't think I can agree. Robert got the correct tail light configuration for his #497. It seems that they made a certain amount of tenders with both tail light configurations and then parceled them out in whatever manner they chose. Putting the extra parts in was their outlet for those of us who will nitpick the small stuff. Again, I'm not trying to make a big deal about this. I will continue to buy their offerings as these are great models. I also understand the effort it takes to get these thing manufactured. I have spoken to Mark at PSC/MMI and he says that despite his best efforts someone will always complain. In a perfect world they would be more perfect. Dan
Hmmmm....yep, I agree, sounds like random assignment. Seems like they would try a little harder to match things up. Well, gives us something to talk about
MMI also has model versions on their list that would be certain to be way off. Thus green boiler and flying RG combined should at best be found on a museum or movie version. This is from their present listing: "D&RGW K-36 2-8-2, painted w/green boiler, flying Rio Grande #480". And how about the following: "RGS K-37 2-8-2, painted w/green boiler, D&RGW herald, #490" and "RGS K-37 2-8-2, painted w/green boiler, flying Rio Grande herald, #492". Well that RGS might be a typo. But if it is, then why not get rid of it after all these months, or rather years? It is apparently not possible to see pictures of the various MMI versions, unlike what Blackstone offers for their HOn3 K-27. Thus my question: After all the inconsistencies regarding the tender, how is the size of the numbers on the side of the cab? It should be smaller for the herald era than for the flying RG era, as far as I recall. But that may not have been universal? On my HOn3 K-27 models with the flying RG on the tender, there is only one out of three that has the larger numbers. But 461 with its larger numbers is the only one which has a flat sided steel cab. And it seem that only the smaller numbers would fit well into the indentation of the wood cabs' sides. But the other K versions all have flat sided steel cabs. So the numbering should not have had any such constraints.
Funny you should bring that up Robert. I wondered why they were doing that. Perhaps it's because some people wanted them. As you know I get my units from Southwest Narrow Gauge in Phoenix and Bruce there indicates that the dealers have some influence on what MMI manufactures. As for the K-37's, there were many new schemes offered after the initial run was announced. PSC also doesn't appear to do any maintainance on their site for older pages on a regular basis.
Yes, they still list their On3 K-37 - which we are discussing here - as "coming soon". And at i-sng it is always difficult to find what is really new. I think webpage technology still has not advanced to a point where updating is really easy and does not require major time involvement. So it's not just lazyness that keeps these sites from being regularly updated.
I remember more than six or seven years ago, Caboose Hobbies inquired among their customers about the market potential of mass produced NG engines at a correspondingly lower price than brass products. They had been asked by a manufacturer (my guess is PSC) whether there would be a sufficient number of customers for such products. Apparently, there was sufficient positive feedback for us to enjoy today what was then merely a tentative look into a new direction. And I think it is good that manufacturers do actually ask dealers, as these are closer to those who have to come up with the money to buy the products. Needless to say that I gave CH a positive nod at the time, too.
The big three are: SWNG, Coronado, & Caboose Hobbies. I'd never realized that SW and Coronado were both in Phoenix. Makes me really wish I lived there.
I thought Caboose Hobbies was in Denver. I just learned of SNG within the last year or so after passing over all of their ads in NG&SL Gazette. However, I'm not sure you can call Coronado big. Have you ever been to their store? It's tiny. However, from a knowledge base the brothers are great guys to work with. I've bought many items from them over the last 25 years as I have family and friends in Phoenix and always stop in. I'm still trying to find out a way for them to convince them to let go of their On3 Chama oil platform kit that they wouldn't sell to me the last time I was there....
Caboose is in Denver. It is the only one of the three I've visit in person. I refer to Coronado as big because of their reputation. If you want to build a such and such locomotive, Coronado is the place you call. Many obscure plans are exclusively offered by Coronado. And so, while not physically or fiscally big, it casts a big shadow as a specialty shop.
The first time I went to Caboose Hobbies I had no idea of their size. Thought I was just running into a hobby store that happened to have the rare parts I needed...you know ten minutes and back on the road. Nearly five hours later I was leaving, all my money spent, my energy drained, my mind on model railroad overload...man was it great!
I was 16, and I was actually disappointed! I was in the market for HOn3 equipment, and I was shocked out how little there was. They had Grandt Line and Rail Line kits. No passenger cars. Their MDC 2-8-0 had basically no discount. That being said, I spent a ton of time admiring a large scale K-28 with train, all the brass stuff, the detail part selection, and an Aristo Craft pacific with matching cars. I know realize that 1999 was before the modern era of HOn3 got started with all of the Blackstone and Micro Trains offerings, but around the time the older HOn3 offerings (Master Creations, etc) were closing up shop. I walked away with a PSC DSP&P harp switchstand, a Grandt Line stock car kit, some code 70 rail, and some Kappler switch ties (they were out of normal ties). My enthusiasm was definitely tempered by their prices (which are better than Coronado) and the lack of offerings in HOn3. Having moved from a RTR and kits HO/HOn3 modeler to On3 kits or scratch, I now could appreciate Caboose a bit more. Of course, my LHS has better discounts and can get most of what I want...but there is something to be said for seeing it in person first. Michael
