With the tender finished up, it’s time to start on the motive power. This berk started as a LifeLike and I removed the drivetrain and replaced it with a Kato Mikado to get the correct driver diameter and alligator crossheads. 10 years has passed and it needs a complete rebuild. I tore it down and soaked in 91% alcohol to remove all the old paint. I prefer working in brass these days, but will delve back into plastic for this one. First order of business will be to correct the sand dome. The B-1 and T-1 engines used an octagonal sand dome with two hatches instead of 4. Then on to the cab and then add piping and all the greeblies. Follow along as I kitbash another locomotive.
Plan B. Removed the sand dome completely and filled the hole with styrene. Applied my favorite, JB quick weld to fill. Now I wait to sand to shape. The remnants from the old dome and sand lines were just not going to work. Starting with a fresh section of boiler.
Some progress on filling the sand dome area. I put tape over the boiler band details to prevent inadvertently sand in them.
The prototype has a significant slope in boiler into the cab, whereas the LL berk is straight with some molded in details. Contemplating grafting the rear of a Kato mikado boiler onto the current shell to capture the original’s profile. This will also allow me to use the Kato cab which is closer to the SP version. Hmmm, do I want more work?
You're modeling a bizarre, Coffin-nosed B&M hog as modified by the railroad that went in for big multiple headlights, huge train number billboards and tenders that looked like coil cars -- the only railroad in the world that went to the trouble to streamline a pacific, then trotted it out with a Vanderbilt tender -- and you're asking a lazy Santa Fe modeler if you want to be overworked? Of course you do! Go for it, man! You do you. God has blessed you with courage, and you did pick an interesting one.
So I went for it. Will keep the Berk cab, but put in a section of Kato Mike boiler to change the taper towards the cab. It will suffice for this project. have a bit more fitting and filling to do yet. I have to replace the pop valve guard from triangular to rectangular next. Then I’ll start tackling the Sand dome.
I had to figure out a way to get a Kato Mikado on my SP layout somehow, just picked an interesting way to do it.
Well if it doesn't run right you'll know the mikado firebox grate isn't big enough. My favorite of that group of seventeen surplus engines is ATSF 4197. https://www.railarchive.net/randomsteam/atsf4197.htm
First round with the sand dome. Bent a piece of styrene around a brass pipe I heated up for the base. Used the original piece from the boiler and shaped it to approximate the prototype and glued to the base. The original was a bit wider, so I attached some .020 styrene to the sides and filled with JB weld. Will sand to shape in a few hours once it has cured. Fingers crossed on this one.
Hatches on the dome. .010 styrene cut to shape and then sanded to about .005 thickness. Just have drill a hole through the right side for a linkage to pass through.
Windows corrected on the cab and removed the molding around the original window frame. The windows on the SP are smaller than the original. Now I have to correct the roof hatch from rectangular to square.
Getting close to gluing the boiler back together and making all the piping. Have to turn a couple of air tanks on the lathe too.
Valve guard changed to rectangular. The boiler is about 2mm too long, but I’m going to leave it alone since the trailing truck would require shortening to fit.
You convert everything to mm? That's logical. They're sized right for the purpose and easy to use. So do you have a math shortcut? Just multiply original measurements by .29?
inches x 25.4 = millimeters. That number is burned in my brain, I model in inches and my printer prints in millimeters. I've got a lot of OpenSCAD code that does this: Code: scale(25.4) { (a bunch of model code...); } I've started to model in prototype dimensions. That way, I can do this: Code: scale(25.4) { scale(1/87) { (buncha code in prototype dimensions) } } and poof-tink, HO scale in millimeters.
It’s what my calipers were on at the time. Most of the time I use imperial measurements when working out dimensions for what I’m scratch building. I can put up with a bit of space between the rear driver and the firebox to save a lot of pain in rebuilding the printed rear truck.
Looks like tomorrow’s day off will be the moment of truth to glue the boiler all together and start applying the goodies. Most of the pipes will be done in phosphor bronze wire instead of brass. I’ve found the former to be much more resilient over time and is easier to solder than pure brass.
Not as much done today as I would have liked. Finished putting the boiler back together, installed the sand dome and reworked the feedwater heater in the smoke box door. I managed to get one pipe done with standoffs soldered on. I also installed the pop valves, difficult little buggers. I think I’m going to have to put it all together and then carefully mask the smoke box door for the silver paint. Still working on the sequence. The first time I did it, I brushed the silver on afterwards and it looked like hot garbage.
