Lil Big Hauler Bumble Bee Loco, adding Big Hauler pistons kitbash
The only thing trainwise I got for Xmas this year was time, time to finally get around to modifying one of my LBH engines, I decided to start with the Bee version first, here are the results, Big Hauler (BH) pistons mounts cut and shaped to fit the slots from the stock piston mounts:
The stock BH pushrods were then cut down and mounted back onto the sliders with a micro nut and micro bolt and some very small washers between the moving parts, I locked the nut with a little tiny dab of CA.
The trickiest part was fixing the pushrod to the wheel, I ended up searching for a long enough bolt that was just large enough to thread into wheel's mounting hole for the plastic siderod locking pin. I used a styrene tube spacer to fill in the opening space in the pushrod.
More pics to come, I have since added water feed lines to each side of the boiler, a more complete looking backhead, an air brake compressor pump and storage tanks, a new BH bell that luckly fit into the left over opening after I cut the bell off, link/pin couplers from and rear, and stirrups and grab bars to the tender. Certainly looks better, even if the pistons are a tad larger than I would have liked, but you use what you got. Will be doing the same treatment to the Saddletanker one of these days.
PS you WILL need a Dremel or some sort of tool to do the piston mount cutting efficiently, it could be shaped with a razorsaw and xacto blades, but it would be tedious work.
Have fun with your trains
I've been on face book to much lately, I couldn't find the like button
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
Vic....
In nearly every shot there is a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol. Are you thinking of steaming something?
regards
ralph
The Home of Articulated Ugliness
Finished my bash:
Added air compressor/tanks, spark arrester, backhead details, tender steps and grab bars
Added other various bits, I will try to take more detailed pics when I convert the saddletankers siderods
looks great I love the idea of using phillips screws for valves I always thought these would make a great little self contained engine like a forrney
When I read about the evils of drinking I quit reading.
Vic that looks great! Would you do one for me? lol
And one more time the Master has done it, turned an ugly duckling into a Swan.
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