You're so right! I worked at a university for a number of years before I moved to the Netherlands, and it's funny how many students were unaware the campus library contained books. The internet has spoiled us - me included!
In the basement of one of the libraries on the campus at my college were stacks of a great many railroad industry magazines dating from the early 1900s, all in very good shape. I was astonished when I found them and wasted far too many hours reading them instead of studying. That was 40+ years ago and I've often wondered what became of them. Hopefully someone had the wisdom to digitize the collection.
So! The thrust washers came today, and I have installed them which did tighten up the gearbox significantly. In addition, I have drilled the headlight housing for a teeny LED! The front of the boiler is just a press fit which made this job 10x easier. Now to figure out a connection scheme between the loco and tender so I can install DCC in the tender!
So, have you decided on the temperature "color" for your headlight? How was your prototype lit? Curious.
The prototype was lit by a Mars light, which B&O used in a high mounted position on most (all?) of their steam for the last 25 or so years. They seemed to have been a very yellowish color, and I am using a "warm yellow" LED. I will further make it a cooler yellow with the lens, which I will cut from some clear styrene from a package some 12mm hex nuts came in. I think!
With a bit of luck, the heat shrink tubing and decoder will arrive tomorrow. I'm excited to send 2804 on her 1st run!
I was able to install the decoder today and test run the loco. It runs wonderfully; quieter, it will crawl along if I wish, and very responsive. However, when I put the boiler shell back on the loco some of the (admittedly crappy) wire I was using broke off; the - wire to the motor, in fact. It must have touched the shell, because when it was assembled, I put it on the track and tested the headlight. It worked! I then told the loco to go... and nothing. And the headlight wouldnt work anymore. And now I can't read the decoder. So, 42 euro mistake. Sigh again.
A trio of new resin car kits are on the way, as is a new decoder. I've spent the past couple of evenings weathering my very modest freight car fleet and waiting for the mail to bring the new goodies. I may also be employed once again soon, which would help move construction forward. We will see!
And we're off! Here is 2804 taking a stroll around a loop of Kato unitrack, pulling our whole fleet of freight cars! The mods to the loco include a new NWSL 2032 can motor, an ESU LokPilot decoder, an LED headlight, Kadees on both ends, and thrust washers in the gearbox to help quiet it down. It's still noisy, but MUCH quieter than it was when we got it; the microphone in my phone was right next to the track as it rolled by, so it's louder in the video than in life. The Seneca Branch has seen its first freight run! And a still photo, showing off the headlight and painted capital dome plate! There are still a handful of cosmetic things to do yet (weathering and adding a crew) but the mods are done!
