As a die hard SP fanatic, I’ve built a few kitbashes over the years to get USRA locomotives closer to their SP counterparts. In this build, I’ve taken a Hallmark light pacific and completely torn it down to meet the spirit of the venerable SP 2472. Enjoy the build.
Here is the boiler after a bath in aircraft stripper. Acetone and brake fluid wouldn’t touch the Samhongsa original paint.
Stripping the boiler of its parts, a high heat soldiering iron and a butane torch with careful application of heat to remove solder joints in the right places.
Running boards on the P-8 are lower on the boiler than the USRA version. I will take brass stock and make all new running boards with a lot of elbow grease and a file.
Running boards made and installed. Includes the cutout for the power reversing mechanism on the side. This will be covered later with some filed down C channel. The running boards were made from excess gold medal models stock that I put in a small machining vice and filed with needle files. The work went relatively quickly using a styrene mock up as a guide. Only a bit of fine tuning once the rough was made.
Time for some plumbing. Used .012 phosphor bronze wire for the engineer side. 2472 had the piping transition from vertical to horizontal along the firebox. The weaving of the pipes proved to be a challenge in N scale. The full assortment of beading pliers came in handy for this one.
Adding the previously removed air pump and added a feedwater heater. I had Eric from Minatures by Eric cast a several parts in brass that he now offers on his site. Using brass over white metal allows them to be soldered to the brass shell. I also used his RS 3 number boards a bit later.
It may seem like I’m moving pretty fast on this project, but it’s 90% done and I’m just getting around to posting all the pics. I’ve been working consistently on it for the last 5 weeks. It’s going out the door when done to a fellow brass modeler. I’ll be replicating it in my own Hallmark 4-6-2. I need to find a second one to add a skyline casting to in order to make a brass P-10.
RS number boards soldered on and steps built. Used more GMM excess stock for the steps and .012 phosphor bronze wire for the supports. You can also see the cover for the reverse on the walkway to the left and the piping added to the boiler. Although not quite correct, I used the factory valves along the boiler after trimming and moving the about 2mm further back. The bell is from Eric as well with the air actuator. I also added a new whistle casting behind the steam dome.
I was initially hesitant to go all brass on this build, when I’ve kitbashed brass locos in the past, I’ve used styrene. Styrene just didn’t give me what I was looking for here so I dove in head first. This has given me quite a bit of confidence in the medium. Brass is actually pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. Not to mention if you goon it up, going back for rework is much more forgiving than with plastic.
Here is the smoke box door, removed the original light and plugged the hole with brass stock. I notched it for a fiber to pass through so I could use the headlight. I added a brass Pyle headlight on a piece of .010 brass wire that inserts into a hole I drilled below centerline. I soldered the wire in the backside to keep the heat away from the light. Once it’s painted, the fiber will be painted black to prevent light leaks.
Here is the completed front with steps and an SP specific pilot. The hoses were lifted from the factory tube pilot and soldered on. Another casting done by Eric.
Let’s talk valve gear…. The USRA used baker valve gear which isn’t prototypical for the P-8. I carefully hacked the valve gear piece to keep its frame and the cross head braces. Kato to the rescue, their GS4 uses Walsherts valve gear and this can be modified for use. I clipped off the forward mounting pins and removed the first section of the plastic frame behind the valve rod. I then mounted them with epoxy to the existing valve gear frame. For the rods, I removed the pin and drilled them to the same diameter as the driver pin and soldered them on in the same fashion as factory. Just be careful to quarter the rod slightly off axle center. Now you have the right valve gear. This along with a Bachman 4-8-2 cab are the only plastic parts in the loco.
Sweet rebuild! I was initiated into brass steam repair not too long ago when I purchased a used 4-6-2 (DR Class 18) commissioned by Lemke. I found out the reason I got such a good price on it was the because the someone before me had repaired it with the result of things binding up after a couple of revolutions. Short of it was I had to rebuild a few pieces including the eccentric cranks using a set from a GS4. Not quite as dainty as the original ones used on the 18 but they do the job. Curious what you use for solder if you don't mind telling me that. I wound up drilling the hole slightly small on the crank and pressed it on the pin along with some red loc-tite. It seems to at least hold the crank in place but I don't trust it so the loco pretty much serves as a shelf queen at the moment.
I’m using silver bearing solder that I purchased from radio shack a long time ago. Don’t use rosin core!! Any sort of silver solder for plumbing will do. I also flux the parts with lead free tinning flux, easily found in plumbing supply.
Home brew blowdown spreaders next to a Kato GS4 sample. These will go on the frame once done. Used brass wire and brass bar to make. Tweezers really helped here.
Used the air eraser to blast the boiler, smoke box door and trailing truck in preps for primer and paint.
Primed using Duplicolor self etching primer. This seems to work well on brass, I hung it in front of an electric heater for several hours after. Another option is to bake in the oven on low for an hour.
