This is my latest makeover of Bachmann’s versitle Connie. I purchased this Connie as a basket case, no gear box, pilot truck missing, neumerous detail parts missing, like air compressor, sand dome top, whistle, and a lot of the piping plus the boiler section was in bad shape and the smoke box top was cracked at the smoke stack and the tender was not included, so figured, why not? She"s a free lance model so you rivet counters can have your say. The tank is a section of 3" PVC pipe split and widened and wrapped with a thin plastic sheet with hand embossed rivets, I added a second Bachmann steam dome and put lids on both, a new whistle, compressor with regulator, generator with base made from tin, built the walkway from brass and plastic and the ladder from brass, added a water hatch, relocated the bell and head light, added a rear light, cut the pilot down, made a new rear end cill and Kadee couplers fron and rear, gland hands and hose, the cab was completely modified and there are full cab and back head details using Trackside Details parts, including injectors, lubricator, steam turret, brake valve, new throttle, reversing mechinsim, oil firing valve (she’s converted to oil and has a new oil tank thanks to a Bachmann 2-6-6-2), steam/air and oil/steam gauges, all related piping was added, a new cab LED light, electrical box, etc. All piping was made from brass rod and or tube. A TAS Smoke unit and Phoenix sound with reed switches mounted in each cylinder for chuff inputs. Airbrushed with Scalecoat 2 Loco Black (Matte)
That is absolutely awesome! The craftsmanship is flawless, it looks like it came from the factory that way.
I really like the look of that loco. I may have to try doing something like that myself someday.
Only one word for that;
WOW!!!
That is superb
That is a classy lady
Wow is right Joe. Great looking model.
Fantastic, better than factory made. IMHO
John
Wish I had the material to build something like that
Nice rebuild. Ya dun good!
That is awesome and what a unique engine.
Looks like a fun and fulfilling project. And definitely fits the flavor of these Industrial Steam
“They’re down right ugly, {well … that kinda depends … FSW} but they were needed in every branch of industrial activity, such as mines, lumber mills, manufacturing plants, and construction. Saddle or side tanks were often used to eliminate the need for a tender.”
That looks really great. Bring it to the Drag & Brag in York?
Wow! Nice job!
What a great idea and execution ! I don’t know how many times I passed up getting one of these when they were practically giving them away because I could never figure out what I would do with it.
Over the top! Very nice build.
Awesome job, Joe. What a great looking locomotive! It reminds me of an SP yard switcher I used to see in LA when I was a kid.
Is the cab roof removable? If so, how is it held in place?
Great build Joe. That is a much needed switcher(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
What scale? did you leave it 1/20 or change scale?
Well done! Nice crisp details and plenty of them.
The cab is removable, actually I cut it in half just aft of the windows at the top so I could remove the back half to open the back head and get to the electronics which are in the boiler just aft of the motor, both sections of the cab are held on with screws from under the cab floor, there are also two small 0-80 screws just above the door ways that are tapped into brass angles reinforce the opening at the top. The sound unit is located in the oil tank and its’ top is also removable the speaker is in the ash pan. The scale was not changed and was kept as Fn3 (1:20.3 3 foot narrow gauge) The brass tube representing an electrical conduit on the cab roof actually is one of the conductors to the rear LED light, there is a length of #30 teflon coated wire in the tube that makes the other conductor. The wire going to the head light from the electrical junction box on the front is a small 2 conductor wire salvaged from a ear bud headset. Inside on the cab roof are the cab light, a small bridge rectifier, and limiting resistors for the LEDs, connected to the electronics in the boiler via a small ribbon cable