Q
Love it!
This one belongs to Mr Wayne Firelock Antoniazzi a Berkshire to Mikado conversion:
Same me, different spelling!
Thanks so much for posting the pictures Becky! Let me give everyone the backstory.
My reason for converting my 736 Berkshire to a Mikado was for the greater applicability to various railroads than a Berkshire had. Not every railroad had Berks but just about all of them had Mikes. For most of the 20th Century the 2-8-2 Mikado type was darn near universal as a freight hog with some lasting right up to the end of steam. The question was how to do it.
Looking at the two-wheel trailing truck on one of my late MPC-era Pacifics I wondered if I could adapt one of those trucks to the 736. Lo and behold it was an easy swap, the 736 truck is attached with an easily unscrewed bolt which accepted the Pacific truck with no problem, so I ordered in a truck assembly from Brasseurs. I did have to apply a coil spring to lift the Pacific truck drawbar up high enough so it wouldn't touch the center rail. Again, an easy adaptation and if needed the original 736 truck can be re-installed with no problem, no modification of the 736 frame was needed.
Having gone this far I figured why not give the 736 shell a refresh? Under the skin the engine was just about perfect mechanically but the original finish was worn and tired so it wasn't a mortal sin to do so. It goes without saying I'd never consider it with a mint example! Paints used were all Tamiya brand, flat black for the boiler, gunmetal grey for the smokebox, and flat dark red for the cab roof because why not? An overspray with Tamiya semi-gloss clear coat took the metallic edge off the gunmetal gray and gave it a nice graphite look. I used Testor's gold enamel for the whistle and bell. I decaled the cab with the number 736 so there'd be no doubt in the future as to the model.
The whole project turned out just as I hoped, and by swapping tenders with different railroad names I can cover just about any of them. A LOT cheaper than buying a bunch of engines!
Runs good, looks good. Not bad for an engine made in 1953, just like me!
Next up, a conversion of a Lionel 2065 Hudson to an Erie K5 Pacific! But a bit later, I want to enjoy this one for a while first!
Very cool Flint!
Thanks!
I like your Dreyfuss Hudson, very impressive! It that a Williams brass model?
Not sure ..I found the tarnished boiler (I could find no markings on the boiler)for 35 bucks on the Bay and I modified it to fit an MTH 4-8-2 chassis,which I happened to have on hand .
A Dreyfus Mohawk . Seriously, they should have had those!
philo426 Not sure ..I found the tarnished boiler (I could find no markings on the boiler)for 35 bucks on the Bay and I modified it to fit an MTH 4-8-2 chassis,which I happened to have on hand .
Right! I'd forgotten, you told the story a while back!
And Becky's right, the NYC should have had a Dreyfuss Mohawk! They could have if they wanted to and it wasn't unusual for Mohawks to "pinch-hit" on name trains.
Indeed!
Here's mine SMR General McCallum
Very nice wood burner!
mersenne6 Here's mine SMR General McCallum
WOW! It's gorgeous!
I'm familiar with the SMR brand, they make beautiful stuff. I wish I could afford it!
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