if i had known half a century ago, that there exist places, where one never needs any heating, i would not be, where i am now.
Awesome! We had one project we didn’t get to this year that could use one, and Kid-zilla found the foundation for a second project! I think you have my address. I will PM in a moment!
Eric
Thanks. We’ve almost had to learn this the hard way, too!
Update:
The smoke unit arrived today, and we got it installed. We then partially closed up the loco to enable safer storage, as we have to put projects on hold for a bit to attend to other duties. We did forget to wire in the headlamp in our haste to get the smoke unite safely inside the smokebox, so that will take some creative wiring and soldering later. Fortunately, we noticed the missing headlamp before Kid-zilla, screw driver in hand, began buttoning the chassis and boiler together. As I said above, we are close, and we need to be extra careful to not rush as we bring PCU Silver Star closer to completion.
Eric
I’d like to the smoke unit that sucker goes into!
a disturbing thought, indeed. specially if you want to power that thing via trackpower…
but really, smoke units should not be a problem.
1 - all these double plus cheap locos, be it on plastik track, or bump and run type, have integrated 6 volt smoke generators. complete with fan and a little motor.
must be twenty or thirty years ago, that i installed one in a tender, using bendable straws to lead the smoke into the stack of a dummy-loco.
that dummy-loco smoked more, than any LGB loco ever did.
2 - for years now, i am Devoning over a project to install an E-cigarette and a fan into a loco.
Update:
Full court press to get PCU Silver Star on the rails this weekend! While we came up short, we…are…almost…there!
Some elements were decorative. We printed out PCU Silver Star’s number in several font sizes until we found a font that fit on the number plates. After a bit of contact cement, we put them in place.
With a bit of practice, we might get good at this in time!
A good part of Saturday was spending time doing battle with the head lamp. Because we cannot remove the plastic smoke box cover (the previous owner had glued it fast), we had to find an accessible point to solder the leads. We settled on this circuit board far in the stern.
This thing is for the sound machine in the tender.
Naturally, we blew up the bulb in the process, so I had to find one in our stores. We had an LGB bulb, which, just as naturally, did not fit in the B’mann lantern! One of Kid-zilla’s buddies came over, so I augured out the hole to make it fit.
Somewhere along the line, Kid-zilla prepped and tinned the leads…
…resulting in a perfectly lit headlamp…
…on a smokebox / boiler we could no longer mount because his parent had selected too short leads!
Schimpf!
Not to let bad parenting stand in the way of good modeling, this morning Kid-zilla spliced in longer leads.
His soldering is actually quite good! I may let him do it all the time!
This cleared the way for a successful - and parent free - reassembly.
PCU Silver Star only awaits a few detail parts to fit her out and O.D.'s steady hands to letter her up! Kid-zilla wanted to take PCU Silver Star to the rails tonight, but he agreed to hold off until the old loco is pau.
Updates as progress merits!
Have a Great Week!
Eric
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Update:
This was the weekend to drop the “PCU” (pre-commissioned unit) from Silver Star. We ransacked our parts bins…
…and found an uncoupling lever for the tender, completing its restoration.
At some point, O.D. helped letter this awakening ka’a ahi iki (little fire coach) to help complete its transformation from generic toy to personalized model. After which, Kid-zilla set-to fixing any paint runs and chips.
Finally, it was off the mainline for a few drops of oil before the test run that would bring PCU Silver Star into service as Silver Star.
The company brass boarded the coaches, a steady hand went to the throttle…
Video: Test Run of Silver Star
…and a locomotive entered service as a Triple O Starliner as a project slipped into history. The 1:24 gang, justifiably proud of their work, posed on the trestle for the traditional acceptance photo.
That will bring this thread to a close after a campaign of learning that began 147 posts and 6 months ago! I have done my best to convey the ups and downs of this experience through words and pictures, but what I really wish that I could share are the palpable waves of pride that emanate from Kid-zilla as he stares at a shelf full of three locomotives that he converted from trash to treasure over a half year of trial, error, learning, failing, more learning retrying, and, finally, succeeding! I have taken great joy and pride myself watching his growth as a modeler and human being, and I would ask all who’ve read these posts and cheered him on to bask in that joy and pride a bit, too.
Many helped, but there are a few folks who deserve a special “Mahalo!”
- @Bill_Barnwell , who has gently prodded me over the years to make this sort of a step
- @David_Marconi_FOGCH , @Rooster , @freddy , @PeterT , and @Pete_Lassen who kept the parts flowing when we ran up against logistical walls.
- The late Tom Trigg, who, from his vantage point in the dome of the Wabash Cannonball, is able to see we are still outside, we are still getting dirty, and we are still having fun.
End of the line for this project! Thanks again for all the help and encouragement along the way!
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
P.S. But wait, there’s more! It looks like the 1:24 gang got hold of more parts and has plans for 2025!
Kid-zilla has a plan and is up to the challenge. But first the Mik! There is always the Mik!
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And to me that is the most important bit. Great job K-z you have shown great strides in your abilities while finding a path to a lifetime of enjoyment. Just never forget the KISS method that has held this railroad endeavor on the right track for apparently generations.
Eric, thank you for sharing these family moments through both words and pictures. It is great seeing the youth come into their own while sharing with their elders.
A special note to O.D. for the impressive lettering work on both engines.
And to CINCHouse (did I get that right), for mandating that all be included but none must.
A real joy all around. 
3 Likes
Finding someone that will use parts and stuff I have no use for is rewarding in its self, and to see those cast off parts being used and including in growing new people to the hobby is rewarding in its self, HUZZAH and well done Kidzilla , been a great journey from breaking things to building your own fleet of locomotives, and we are all proud and impressed with your work! Look forward to next project
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Finding a junk 4-6-0 for $10 at the latest show is always a good excuse for sending parts to Hawai’i.
That boy needs aristoo streamliners to build a proper amtrak train 
i disagree.
for diesel locos he can use discarded tupperware with some paint.
steam engines have so much more personality.
(and more room for playmobil engineers)
Pretty much …they will handle the curves and can use hook and loop couplers. I know a guy that is friends with a guy that has a second cousin who can make Amtrak Stickers if the boy needs them!
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Go on! Keep upping the ante. 
Spoil sport
i’m just too traditional for these newfangled contraptions like diesel engines…
He has been badgering me to enlarge the garden so we can install the wider curves to accommodate such a train. I’ve told him to convince his mother of this necessity. She has, after all, noted that the square corners of the garden bed don’t look very nice…
Uh-oh.
Eric
Hey, she’s the one who started this
