Large Scale Central

Worth continuing?

Modeling
#1

Inspired by Victor, I’ve been messing around with an old big hauler and the remains of an old aristo Pacific I decided to try to make one of these:

an early PRR B6 It has a simple valve gear but more piston valves, which give a more modern look. So here’s how far I’ve gotten:

Domes, stack, drive, and pilot are from an old big hauler, cab and cylinders from an aristo pacific, drive rods from somewhere, I think an LGB mogul Its not going to be exact, by any means, but I want to get in the ballpark. I need to lower the pistons, bring the cab forward, and fabricate some kind of superstructure for the cab to rest on. So should I keep on? What does it need, keeping in mind that I’m totally new at this and not capable of a high degree of precision or accuracy?

#2

Mike,
Definitely keep on!
But having said that, remember the heart of the thing, the motor and gearing, is an old big hauler. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#3

Nice start. One thing to keep in mind is make it easy to get to the motor. Don’t glue stuff in place that makes it impossible to get to it without breaking something. For me, that meant attaching the foot boards to the boiler and then screwing that in place.

I’d lower the cab just a bit more. - and reverse those numbers. :wink: Brass rod should work well for the piping. Do you have an airpump, or are you going to make your own?

#4

Thank you!

At first I started out thinking “I should do something with all these parts lying around.” My goal was to scavenge the thing together out of the junk box. Now I’ve started thinking that since I’m spending all this time and effort I should end up wth something that runs better or pulls better than a Big Hauler. Maybe an aristo Mikado drive, cut down, or a Barry’s Big trains “annie” drive…

That’s good advice on engine access. I have no idea how I’m going to do the footboards. I have the air pump from the Pacific, that should work. I’ll make sand lines and handrails out of wire, I think

It’s fun!

#5

I like it.

#6

Keep going, you’ve gotten this far.

I mounted my footboards and the cab to the boiler and used the stock screw mounts to mount the boiler to the chassis, the whole chassis on mine is removable so I could replace it if needed.

#7

You’ve got the hard part done. What’s left is the little bits and pieces…A BBT drive would work well. It would slide right in from the bottom.

#8

Mike,
until you actually do something you are not aware of your limitations (or your latent talents). You have gotten this far, so keep at it. When you complete this locomotive it will inspire you to keep going on other projects.

#9

How did you make the Belpair firebox?

#10

Looking good so far, no reason to quit!

#11

So I’ve made some progress, learned a great deal. This is fun! Most of the hard part has been figuring out how/where to attach things. I also decide that if I was going to do this, I ought to have a better drive in it than an old Big Hauler. So I found a lightly used Annie on Ebay for an excellent price, and used that as the drive. So here it is to date:

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/lownote/_forumfiles/progress.jpg)

And the prototype:

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/lownote/_forumfiles/reversed.jpg)

I lowered the cab, and made a riveted jacket for the smokebox. I need to finish up the superstructure under the cab, add the domes and stack, and then start prepping for paint. Then the fiddly bits! I started out wanting to make something kind of whimsical, then got drawn towards making it more accurate. This is probably as accurate as I can get

#12

Looking good Mike, I need some rivets to count in the smokebox though! :slight_smile:

#13

I think you’re doing great. You’ve certainly captured the proportions very well. I don’t think there’d be any doubt in anyone’s mind that that is a Pennsy switcher. I’m looking forward to seeing this one all painted and track ready.

#14

(http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u118/curiousmrb/DowntheRabbitHole-1.jpg)

Welcome to Wonderland Alice! :lol:

#15

Looking good Mike. Go for it!

#16

Looking good!

BTW, does anyone know what the vertical, cylindrical thing under the cab is on that prototype? Is it an airtank for the brakes?

#17

I’ve been wondering that myself–there’s one on each side

#18

It’s the brake cylinder.

#19

Paint really does cover a multitude of sins! I got some paint on it this weekend

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/lownote/_forumfiles/painted1.jpg)

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/lownote/_forumfiles/painted2.jpg)

It’s not all attached–the cab is not screwed down in this image. Now I need to make a pilot for the front, do some touch up and start adding the “bling.” The airtanks are made out of dowels with styrene jackets. You can’t really see it but I used a tracing wheel from a sewing store to put “rivets” on the smokebox and the airtanks. The Airpump is made out of brass stock and that marine epoxy putty

#20

“Paint really does cover a multitude of sins!”

Thats what I said :lol:

Looks great!