Kid-zilla vs. Bachmann...A Story of Dad Learning to Let Go

[Eric_Mueller]

@PeterT

I would drill holes in the brass strip. Use a short self-tap screw to attach it to the chassis, into a pre-drilled hole. A small bolt and nut on the truck end should work.

OK, we’ll try that.

In the meantime, Kid-zilla has been busily masking and painting. Today, he took on the steam chest. He had previously sanded away all the flashing. He partially masked it, allowing a little paint to get on his fingers as a compromise to allow for finer control.

It took two trips to the Palm of Spray Painting. He took the photos below and provided the commentary.

He was busy using markers to touch things up when the sun went down.

Today, incidentally, he didn’t wait for me to come home. He was already at it. I think someone see the end product already serving the Triple O!

On Behalf of Kid-zilla,

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

Kid-zilla is hellbent for leather (my phrase, not his! ) to get PCU-Bumblebee as ready as possible to receive a Delton cab (Thanks again, @David_Marconi_FOGCH !). I am finding myself increasingly out of a job, with cries of “I can do it! I know! It’s my project!” coming off the lanai (Mixed emotions, here, if I am to be fair…). The main effort over the latter part of last week was the boiler, which he masked and painted. He also staged some shots to get a sense of what PCU-Bumblebee will look like when she takes the rails. The following photos are his:

He got some overspray onto the rods and guides, which he declared, correctly, “looks like weathering.” The yellow trim paint that oozed under his masking job on the port side sand lines, however, he plans to correct, though whether by hand or spray paint, he has yet to decide.

We have to bring the railroad to full dress for a garden party we host for my coworkers each year, so Kid-zilla has time to think about that. That’s cool, as I owe him an operating pilot truck!

Updates as progress merits!

On Behalf of Kid-zilla,

Eric

P.S. He has allocated cash reserves for his next project. We’ve scoped it, and I provided most of the resources last year. I am not allowed to spill the beans! Summer vacation starts soon!

[PeterT]

If you haven’t already, I’d put some small Bachmann wheels on that tender. The originals are a bit toy-like.

[Eric_Mueller]

Pete,

Thanks. We’ll see if we can scrounge some or add them to a parts-and-pieces order as he gets closer to the end of this project.

In the meantime, progress continued with some careful touch-up painting.

I am letting him make the choice between re-masking and respraying or careful hand painting. He chose the latter.

He also touched up the backhead with paint markers.

The yellow stripe is a trim tape that @David_Marconi_FOGCH forwarded along to us. That sped things up considerably! We found four hands were better than two, and I carefully peeled back the tape as he aligned it and pressed it flat. Here is the tender.

We did have to make small cuts to get it to fit flush on some of the corners near where the fireman will stand, but, other than that, it was a pretty hassle free process.

I still owe him that forward pilot, but, alas, I will enter an overtime rich environment this week, so cutting that brass will have to wait!

Final note, I am letting Kid-zilla take the camera more and more often. I also try to capture his words and thoughts when I can.

Updates as Progress Merits!

On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

Progress continued despite me being absent earning overtime.

Air tanks and running boards got paint and trim.

The pilot wheels got paint.

He plans to touch these up.

The drivers also got some paint…

…but it was a poor match. That has been fixed, I am told.

The cab, a surplus B’mann (Thanks @PeterT. The Delton cabs were a bit small @David_Marconi_FOGCH . We have a plan for them! ) got masked and entered the paint shop, only to have the spraypaint can get screwy. There may be some sanding the in the future.

Folks, we are near self-sustaining. We started with me doing it and him watching, to us doing it, to him doing it as long as I was outside. This was on his own. I have to try to make that pilot truck work to sustain this!

For my part, when I have been home, I have been building rockets slowly, ceding the lanai table to this project, and letting him get PCU-Bumblebee going his way. He still likes the company, and the rockets are pretty easy to put down if he needs help. I am itching to get PCU-Bumblebee on the rails, though, as I have some larger projects to attack that need the space. This is, however, a good problem!

Updates as progress merits!

On behalf of Kid-zilla,

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

The convention behind us, it was time to get PCU-Bumblebee buttoned up and put to work. Kid-zilla had gotten frustrated with the weight, and the pilot truck is still beyond his skills. I finally had a purpose on this project!

The weight proved pretty simple. I trimmed those shelf holder things we got, found the right screw (thanks @David_Marconi_FOGCH !), and bolted all in place, remembering Pete’s (@PeterT) admonition not to overtighten the screws.

That’ll do!

The pilot took some thinking. I figured I could cut and bend a bit of brass (measure 97 times, cut once, screw up anyway…I gave myself plenty of slop!), availing myself of a structural screw to serve as a pivot point…

…but holding it to the pilot had me buffaloed. The stock 10-wheeler draws power from the pilot, and the metal transfer buses carry power from the rails to the wires. The also hold the pilot wheels in place, so I figured I had to keep them even if I didn’t intend to run wires from the pilot truck. This meant I had to find screws small enough that they wouldn’t short across the buses. At first, I tried to epoxy…nope. It sheared off. Then I noticed a cavity where the original post had broken away. It was big enough to accept the screw and naturally recessed to prevent shorting!

I think it’ll do.

This activity had the desired effect of getting Kid-zilla to mask and paint the cab.

He also soldered in the smoke generator and headlamp.

We ransacked our 10-wheeler bit-box, and we found that he has just enough stuff to finish this project (Thanks Fred (@freddy) for opening up your parts bin in the event we needed something)!

Then, at long last, came the reassembly.

Kid-zilla is fixing some of the paint, touching up the crew he bought in the secondhand box at the convention, and deciding on the numbering. We will make stencils on the Cricut for that job.

Almost there!

On behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric

[PeterT]

Lookin’ good! Great, even!

[Cliff_Jennings]

The paint job looks fantastic! I really like the thin yellow lines everywhere, it sets off the black so well. And then the reverse on the cab, headlamp and domes, very classy.

Keep going KZ!!

[Rooster]

Excellent work !!!

Eric,
I think it’s time to introduce the boy to expensive cab wood, metal rods and valve gear along with polished brass for details!

You could also just purchase an LGB Amtrak ICE unit which will handle your curves and if it does not send it to me and I will see to it that it will!

Think the latter might be a tad cheaper?

[Neil_Wiggins]

That’s simply fantastic Eric - hats off to Kidzilla (and supervisor) from 45 deg south.

Cheers
N

[Turbo4whl (Wayne Powell)]

@Eric_Mueller

We will make stencils on the Cricut for that job.

What model Cricut do you use or recommend?

[Eric_Mueller]

@Turbo4whl

What model Cricut do you use or recommend?

We use the Cricut Explorer Air 2. It cuts vinyl, paper, masking tape. It will not do small letters, but it is pretty good for the larger fonts we need to label locos, rolling stock, and building.

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

@Rooster

I think it’s time to introduce the boy to expensive cab wood, metal rods and valve gear along with polished brass for details!

You could also just purchase an LGB Amtrak ICE unit which will handle your curves

In all seriousness, I am close. He has the skills, so it is time to start upping the complexity. He also respects the models and the parts, and he knows when to get help.

As for the AMTRAK ICE set, he worked his Oma over for 20 minutes at the convention. No joy!

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

The local grandparents were coming over today, so Kid-zilla made the decision to press towards the finish line and add the remaining salvaged detail parts.

First, though, he found that he had forgotten to remove some masking tape. Worse, he found he had forgotten to mask the inside of the windows! It was nothing some paint thinner, a toothbrush, and scraping couldn’t fix.

He opined that rediscovering the windows removed some of the Hallowe’en feel of PCU-Bumblebee. I agree.

He also asked that I share a photo of the engineer, a refugee from a discount box at the convention. He added the facial features using a micro-brush and acrylics.

Let’s see if he touches up the fireman, too!

He found and removed the safety valves from a spare steam dome…

…while I helpfully lost the broken LGB STAINZ whistle I had prepared for him to mount alongside them.

Back to the bit box. I was more successful bending brass to replace handrails, which he cut to size. He also noted that the piston rod’s pivot point was cracked, so he swapped it out for a good one in our collect of bits.

We did not have time to prep the numbers, so, instead, he chose a consist and took PCU-Bumblee to the track for acceptance trials.

It looks really, really sharp! And he was justifiably proud!

Alas, however, it’ll be back to the shops. The port-side forward driver will not stay on the axle. This would suggest either the interior of the drive hub or the axle itself are worn to the point friction will not suffice to hold it in place. Also, the old B’mann drive train, while happy enough rolling about with neither boiler nor cab, whined disagreeably under load. This usually signals a split gear.

We will look to our bit box for a better set of forward drivers. I also have an aftermarket drive gear on hand, but swapping those is not much fun. I also offered to look for a secondhand chassis in need of a custom boiler and cab.

In the meantime, we will get PCU-Bumblebee numbered, after which he has authority to proceed to his next project, which I shall keep a secret!

Updates as progress merits!

On Behalf of Kid-zilla,

Eric

[David_Marconi_FOGCH (David Marconi CHHNNG)]

Growing fast in his modeling outlook. Most at his age would get disgruntled on the oversight with the windows, but he hit back with a quick fix and was on his way. Great work KZ

[Eric_Mueller]

I’ve passed along yours and the others compliments.

Working with him has been fun. I am always trying to let him go to the point of failure so that he can learn (and brag!) without letting him reach a catastrophic failure that might sour him on the hobby. Tough balance!

Eric

[smcgill (Sean McGillicuddy)]

Try Tandy leather … https://tandyleather.com/

[John_Bouck]

Well done!
I wished you lived closer. I have a huge tote full of Bachmann parts, bits and pieces, car body’s locomotive shells etc.
I would gladly let him have them!

[Pete_Lassen]

Box em up and send them

[PeterT]

@John_Bouck

I would gladly let him have them!

He’s got all my junk boxes. Shipping to Hawai’i isn’t that bad if you use Pirateship and USPS.