Like I’ve said, that is a possibility! Probably not this summer, but a locomotive service area is under discussion…or a rack railway.
In the meantime, he has removed the flashing from the parts he intends to use. He will be leaning into a Wild West / Late 19th Century theme, with gloss black boiler, brass trim, and yellow “wood” work.
I am working very hard to remain an observer, advisor, and occasional prod…
Eric
Update:
Most of the flashing is gone. He is working through paint schemes. I am working on letting him do things at his pace in his order…
One sticking point has been the cab, poorly photographed by yours truly below:
You’ll note the gap between the boiler and the cab walls. He briefly thought about just enlarging the passages from cab to the future running boards. This would be not unlike the hulks at our museum, as seen in a photo from our 2024 “victory visit” with Golden Star.
That still leaves the issue about the space between the upper windows and the boiler.
He is confident that he can glue a styrene sheet to the back of the cab’s forward wall, but neither of us our sure how to shape it from there so that it fits over the boiler and leaves little gap between the boiler and cab wall. Any suggestions?
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
How about trial and error with paper and scissors until the contour is close enough. Then use the paper to mark the styrene cut.
There are profile copy tools available on-line but are probably too bulky for this application.
Another method I have used is to take a picture dead straight on from the rear of the boiler measure the base of the boiler at that point, if you can, prop your ruler so it shows your actual width of the boiler at that point.
Open your just taken picture in paint on your PC. that will open on a grid.Make your grid read in what ever measurement increments you used and increase/decrease the pictured boiler to match with the grid size. i.e. if the ruler shows 2 1/2" make the boiler picture show the width if the boiler being 2 1/2" on the grid.
Print that picture out and you can cut the picture to remove the section of the boiler you want to cut your pattern too. 
Scribe it out with a tiny golf pencil. Or since the cab isn’t mounted lay a sheet of styrene on the back of the boiler and trace it out (the 1/2 circle ) on the front. Then put the cab back on lay the 1/2 circle sheet on top of the boiler,cab front and trace out the window lines on the back.
Update:
We finally returned to this project today as we waited for the paint to dry on the bakery ( Refurbishing Mama’s Bakery No Ka Oi). Neither of us felt up to taking on the cab front, so we turned-to stripping the wiring from the boiler, clearing flashing from the chosen headlamp, and figuring out how to mount the weight we got from @PeterT . The eyes that would usually fit over the plastic stems in the chassis are gone, so Kid-zilla rummaged some crafstick scraps from the bakery project, cut them to size…
…glued them together, and made the brace fast to the weight with two-part epoxy. It fits very neatly into correct place in the chassis. He photographed his work in the picture below.
We’ll find a bit of tubing, washers, and appropriate screws to serve as hold-downs once I can linger at the hardware store without serving as Patient Zero for the next local COVID outbreak.
The other thing we’ll look for is a collar to fit between the stack and the boiler. We are actually considering using the end of a spent rocket motor.
We agreed that the rocket motor was a cool solution, but we doubt its ability to withstand the elements, even after a good soaking in TiteBond III and coat of paint.
Oh… he likes the yellow-on-black, so that scheme will likely remain. It has given rise the name Bumblebee.
Updates as progress merits!
Eric
P.S. He had his rebuilt circus engine Emmett, the project that got him started on this journey of B’mann rehabilitation ( Triple O – Bachmann 10-Wheeler Salvage Campaign), out on the rails today. One of the pins on the connecting rods gave way, and the rods bound. He had a test track out, got Emmett on the rollers, slowly reversed “him” to unbind the rods, pried a pin from a derelict chassis, applied it to Emmett, and had the circus moving in about 15 minutes. My only role? I advised the use of a test track rather than the mainline. Kid is learning!
Kid-zilla has learned a new skill…Devon-ing! 
I offered to help him paint the boiler, but he “can’t decide” on a scheme. While he practices Devon-ing, I thought I’d pose another question. What can we use as pins for the rods on this old chassis?
We’ll try to get to the hardware store this week to get the sundry screws he’ll need to put Pre-Commissioned Unit (PCU) Bumblebee together. I’ll also try to nudge him towards the Palm of Spray Painting without violating my intention of letting go more as he finds his own way in this hobby. Encouraging progress without becoming a nag or the leading force is proving difficult.
Eric
Since progress helps spur the imagination, I have found setting a phase of a project aside and moving to the next step and coming back to the stumbling block with a clear head, helps move forward without frustration
Take the loco along or a wheel with the same size driver pin hole then take a look at the rivets. Especially like “frying pan” ones which I bet they may have for repairs.
Before this turns into JUST BUY IT FROM THIS PLACE or YOU CANT RIVET THAT ON.
I am simply suggesting that you look at them for something with a shoulder that fits into the hole that can be pressed or glued in.
First thought: steal some from another old chassis!
Actually, as the wheels are metal, and thus the hole that you push the pin in to is also metal, I believe on occasion I have used a short self-tap screw to hold the rods. Take a plastic pin to the hardware store and see what you can find.
Thanks to @Rooster and @PeterT for the tips. We have salvaged what we can from our derelict chassis, so pins will be on the list of purchases when Kid-zilla and I w make a run to the hardware store to get the screws we need to hold PCU-Bumblebee together.
I am still trying to encourage progress, so, as @David_Marconi_FOGCH suggested, I got Kid-zilla to talk through the paint scheme. The boiler and smokebox will be in the flat black and blue-grey of the Triple O, but, as mentioned, he has elected to retain the yellow sand dome and steam dome. He was worried that there won’t be enough yellow, so I will help him with some trim on running boards, cab, etc. So that he could see some progress, I had him mask off the domes.
Later, he masked the boiler and took it out to the Palm of Spray Painting.
I only supervised from afar, and I think he did a pretty good job laying down an even coat of paint.
We also discussed the cab. I think he finds this intimidating. As the front of the train starts to come together, though, I think he will work through his unspoken concerns and turn-to!
Updates as progress merits!
Eric
Update:
Some masking and painting this weekend:
We also ransacked the Bachmann Bit Box and found a treasure trove of screws to put PCU-Bumblebee together. A trip to the hardware store provided Kid-zilla an opportunity to find a collar for the stack (three nylon washers) and an L-bracket to secure the weight (we’ll detail that effort when we get to it). A pleasant and unexpected chat with Fred ( @freddy ) today offered an opportunity to discuss other missing bits. I think Kid-zilla is starting to see a final picture in his mind, but I can’t quite get him to attack the cab. In fact, he said, “I wish we had a real Bachmann cab.” And, that, of course, is why I am going to gently force him to use the cab that we have! Evil parent trick!
Looking ahead, I am concerned about the pilot truck. We have selected the best of our braced pilots, which we made last year, but none have the post that fits into the frame. I am wondering if I should try to use a strip of brass and bend it into shape, thus emulating the modern pilots. Anyone ever tried this? Or should I just buy the new pilot truck? This is one of those parts of the project that teeter between teaching moment (for both of us!) and breaking point. Open to thoughts.
More as progress merits!
Eric
Absolutely. I think I have seen a few such ‘conversions’. It isn’t that tricky - just bend it to clear whatever is in the way.
OK, we will go in that direction first. I have some brass bits lying around from other projects. May as well but them to use!
Eric
Update:
The Palm of Spraypainting bears some black and yellow. Nothing picture worthy, bu notable for being self-driven. I think once we get the boiler married to the chassis, the impetus to take on the cab will be too much to resist!
Eric
Update:
@David_Marconi_FOGCH found a cab that may be a better starting point, so Kid-zilla took another crack at progress today. I provided safety overwatch and stood ready to prevent catastrophic failure, but otherwise put some finishing touches on a pair of rockets.
PCU-Bumblebee got her black paint…
…and he was pleased with the results.
There’s some masking and hand-painted yellow trim to come, I am told.
He also sanded and shaved his salvaged pilot truck.
Yours truly found some brass from an abandoned project, so we have the material on hand to mount the pilot.
Only thing, I’ve no idea how I am going to tap the holes to mount the brass. I am thinking a metal-capable drill bit and some nuts and bolts, two into the pilot and one into the chassis. I will probably do this part of the project for him or at least provide more hands-on supervision.
He stopped today puzzling how to mount the weight. You may recall, the tongue is broken. The hardware store guy suggested using this plastic L-shaped shelf pegs as a base, then cutting and drilling them to shape.
Sure. I’ll let Kid-zilla figure it out! I am wondering if some E6000 would be the answer, secure enough for most situations but not so tight you can’t wrestle the thing out if you have to.
Not shown are some of his other endeavors, like touching up the stack, painting the backhead, and turning two nylon washers into a collar for the smoke stack.
Oh, as for the old cab, he has a plan for it…Stand by, as summer vacation is coming!
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
Hmm… you only need one pivot hole at each end of the brass strip. Take a look at the photos on the Bmann website of the replacement. It has to pivot at both ends.
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.
Well inspect my butt for flying monkeys! (He’s old enough for that kinda language now!)
That looks great!!
Wait…“What brass” ?
It’s on the third pic down from the one you posted.
