Mason Bogie kit bash

[chocho willy]

  Started a new project of building a 2-6-6T Mason Bogie out of existing train parts. Started with a Lionel gold rust 0-6-0 engine and a extra cab, a LGB spreewald 2-6-0 engine and a eztec tender. I pieced the cab to make it look like the ordinal mason bogie and extend the roof. Cut all the extra plastic material off the spreewald chassis and chopped and shortened the tender body. I have added rivet detail using Mirce model air plane rivets and being as they are flat rivets I raised them by adding a drop of gel super glue to each, a little time consuming, but still much faster than adding each rivet individually. So far I have gotten the cab, and tender body completed with paint that matches my passenger cars, and road name lettering that I did on a cameo silhouette. Added real coal to the to the tender and the only thing left to do on it is to pick a number for the side of the tender body that will be placed in the large open area.

  Have shortened the chassis of the spreewald and added the gold rush special cowcatcher + added rivet detail to the smoke box. Purchased 1 1/2" tubing for the boiler from Plastruct. Replaced the European engine cylinders with American style walschaerts. It is surprising how much of the Lionel engine I will be using but if you take the time to read (www.npcrr.com/Articles/PhilJensenStory/ThePhilJensenStory.pdf) 

but understandable when Phil Jensen was responsible for much of most US manufactures designs. Plan on articulating the motor chassis the same way as LGB did their Forney which is really a 2-4-4T mason bogie not a true Forney, LGB did it so the engine would negotiate their 4' diameter track. I will up date this thread as I progress, Bill

[PVT Kanaka]

Bill,

Thanks for the detailed update.   It fascinates me how you are able to see the finished product in all of these disparate parts.  Do you think you could detail a bit in how you decide what to use?  There are obvious things, like wheel configurations, that dictate motor block selection, but there are other things like what cab will marry to what  boiler and what cylinder will mesh with what motor block that just blow my mind.  It is that inability to "see" how things will come together that really makes me reticent to - at last - make a swing on e-Bay.

 

Thanks!

 

Eric

[chocho willy]

PVT Kanaka

Bill,

Thanks for the detailed update.   It fascinates me how you are able to see the finished product in all of these disparate parts.  Do you think you could detail a bit in how you decide what to use?  There are obvious things, like wheel configurations, that dictate motor block selection, but there are other things like what cab will marry to what  boiler and what cylinder will mesh with what motor block that just blow my mind.  It is that inability to "see" how things will come together that really makes me reticent to - at last - make a swing on e-Bay.

 

Thanks!

 

Eric

 

bashing

Eric, how about we just concentrate on 1 part, the cab? I have always liked old steam engines and particularly different styles and one that caught my eye was the 6 driver mason bogie. They were engines that were unique in as much as the driver part articulated under the boiler and this was done with a special pivot joint that was designed by builder Mason. The Brits had something similar I believed called a Farie(sp) and this allowed a powerful engine to negotiate tight turns with out overhang like happens with a Forney ( non articulated). Interesting fact is that Mason believed that engines needed to be powerful but also good looking so all of his creations have very detailed paint and window designs. Let it be know that LGB's Forney is really a mason bogie because the drive is articulate for the same reason that Mason built his to do the same. There are several wheel configurations for different models but all worked on the same principle, there is even a 2-2-4T that really funny looking almost like a toy.  ( I will attach pictures in order with attachments), I came across a Lionel 0-6-0 gold rush special, look at the cab and especially the windows and doors and you will see they are very close except that the Lionel one is missing a set of windows so I got hold of a second cab and determined that by cutting the front off one and the back off the other I could marry the pieces together and come up with the desired results of course there was a little course correction once the cutting started and as well as the cab the roof had to be sized larger as well. If you look closely at the picture of the gray cab you can see the vertical seam between the door frame and back window. Also in the same picture if you look thru the rear window you will see new plastic on  the rear wall as that wall had a circle hole in it for the boiler which had to be filled and I was really unable to tell how much to fill until, #1 had the tender cut down #2 the cab parts joined together, # 3 what parts I had available. The idea was there but some of the parts had to be assembled in order to proceed and then somethings had to be altered from the original plan because of 1 thru 3 above.

   Hope this helps a little and we can get into specifics later on any part of the build, but as a general rule my builds are dependent on what I have available, or can alter to achieve my goal and stay within a budget. If you look at the Lionel green engine you will notice how similar it is to the real picture of the mason bogie. This because the Lionel was copied by kalamazoo builders for Lionel with the mason bogie used as a guide. My selection of drive was I needed a 6 driver model and I had a LGB 2080s that was already apart + I had two LGB spreewald one of which was real ruff, so that is the one I picked + the fact the 2080 had sound and was worth some money if I ever decided to sell it. Hope this removes some of the mystery of a bash, if not we will continue Bill 

[PVT Kanaka]

Bill,

Thanks for the detailed answer and accompanying pictures.  I have to digest it but, in short, it begins with a prototype, continues with a detailed knowledge of what's available (possibly the trickier part), and ends with craftsmanship.  Along the way comes the cost assessment of time and dollars relative to effort and desired outcome.  

 

I recently was in a hobby shope that had a trove of trashed Big Haulers, G-gauge toys, and a pair of lightly beaten LGB 2-axle freight cars.  The prices were right, and there was probably room to dicker.  I just couldn't "see" a project in the parts before me any more than I can "see" one in the e-Bay advertisements.  

I am wondering in part from your description if my problem may be a lack of study of the prototypes.  Hmmmm...

 

Eric

[chocho willy]

[PVT Kanaka]

Great progress, Bill!   She is going to look great pulling a load of snow birds to the beach!

[chocho willy]

Moving right along, got the bases for the domes done out of PVC pipe and also fitted the boiler running boards + sizing the boiler to the chassis and installing the upper section of the fire box

[chocho willy]

   Further progress on the mason bogie, boiler painted using cab light green and missed with silver over spray and the fire box I added rivets and colored both it and the smoke box with a dark gray metallic graphite. Pretty much most of the detailed fitting is done allowing a better look at the articulation suspension. which will be next along with the coloring of the running boards. Domes are done and screwed to the boiler with single 8/32 screw and leaving only the bell to be built and fitted to the top of the boiler. More to come, Bill

[PVT Kanaka]

This is going to be a real beauty, Bill!

[chocho willy]

Moving along at a snails pace the Mason Bogie is taking shape. Finally got everything fitted, what a pain, being as I'm not a master builder I adjust as I go along. Funny after fitting 1 piece and going to another when rechecking now the first piece is off a little more readjustments and so it went, on and on but finally everything is now fitting. Next is fitting the headlight and making the bell bracket and mounting, always touch up paint and the motor chassis has to be re assembled but the tunnel is getting shorter, more as it progresses

[PVT Kanaka]

Bill, I was curious about your choice of colors for the boiler until I saw this loco with its train. Very nice!

[chocho willy]

               

Since last post I have got the headlight done and mounted + got the side gear in place except for the reversing bar but moving r...  moreSince last post I have got the headlight done and mounted + got the side gear in place except for the reversing bar but moving right along, ordered the Gscale graphics rail boss 4 and a charging (door way) board and still looking at mounting the batteries in the boiler, more to come, Bill  

[PJM20]

Your kitbash is turning out great! Thanks for sharing the build so far. 

[chocho willy]

and thank you for the vulcan video reminds me of my kit bashed "Rosy"

[PVT Kanaka]

Anytime Rosy gets tired of pulling cane in Florida, she is welcome to come haul cane in Hawai'i!

[chocho willy]

 More progress on the Mason Bogie, got the boiler handrails done and piping for the sand dome and was done with 1/16" brass wire, reused the stanchions from the original Lionel 0-6-0 and was going to purchase 2 more to put 3 on each side but after reviewing the shipping cost I decided on 2 on each side. Received my G scale graphics R?C system and am looking forward to getting it install but first will have to make some more detail parts like the bell and the firebox but at least it is starting to look like something, more to follow.

[PVT Kanaka]

I am trying to decide of if this is model building or art! Gorgeous!

[chocho willy]

Got a little more done this weekend but we also had a tropical wave come thru wich meant cleaning up and shoreing things but I did get the firebox finished, just need to add the spool to the starbord side and hightlight the rivets so they show up better, more to come and on to the bell

[chocho willy]

Slowly moving along, got the rear firebox bulhead detailed out and have the bell/reversing lever bracket  made, not if i could just find the darn bell, more to come, Bill

[chocho willy]

While still looking for the misplaced bell I have gotten most of the shifter mechanism done still in styrene white but as soon as it dries up around here it will get some paint. Left to do on it is designing the vertical lift bar that runs between the shift leaver at the top and the side drive bar on the chassis. Am considering using round cord elastic that would give with the turning and side rod movements, got to get it on the rollers and see how much everything moves, More to follow, Bill

[PVT Kanaka]

Cool! Meanwhile, in the Tropical Pacific, I almost mastered a straight cut...

[chocho willy]

   Update to the Mason Bogie bash, tested the operation of the reversing bar in relation ship to the reversing shaft at the bell housing and found very little up/down movement and very little front to rear, most of the movement comes when the engine is in a turn and that seems to more or less just flex with the turn. Not having the patience or tools necessary to machine parts for the vertical lifting bar I settled on elastic black cord and small crimp on fittings from Hobby Lobby to simulate the steel lifting rod and it seems to preform very well. The cord is stretched just enough to make it look straight and it puts up well with both side rod and turning applications. Both ends are secured with 2/56 Allen head screws which allow the grips to move freely and still looking for the bell, train show in a week might find one there. Being as the reversing shaft is free to move the shifting bar that runs from the cab interior to the long bar from the shifting shaft will be secured to the rear section of the boiler just before the cab in order to keep tension on the cord. Pleased with the out come so far and as with everything on this project it comes apart with 2/56 screws, just a lot of screws. At the moment I'm gathering parts to build a flickering fire box which I have built several and look really neat at night. So next step is getting into the wiring of headlight, smoke unit along with R/C and battery, more to come, Bill 

[PVT Kanaka]

Looks great! As ever, I am impressed not just by the work but by your eye for "non-traditional" parts!

[chocho willy]

  Still working on the mason bogie, got the port side piping done and the reverse linkage secure, and on the starboard side I got the reach rod installed to the shifting linkage it is secured to the side of the engine in the black part of the firebox and does not enter into the cab,  all the piping and grab rails move forward to remove themselves from the cab this way I can remove the boiler, cab or chassis for repair. Everything is built with styrene except for the bolts which are 2/56 black hex bolts. Next on the list is the sand dome activation bar and pull rod, still waiting on a replacement bell to arrive. More to follow, Bill 

[chocho willy]

Thanks to a new friend in NJ the Mason Bogie has a bell, really adds to the looks of the top of the boiler, left to do on top is add a shift leaver and shift rod for the sand dome, more to come

[chocho willy]

Put a coat of matt on the bell so it would match the brass domes on the steam and sand dome, also installed a leaver at the base of the sand dome along with an activation rod, think I'm pretty much done with the boiler detail except for the builders plates which I have been experimenting with and so far nothing has worked. Had some brass paper that I tried printing on from an image of a real mason bogie plate which looked good on regular white paper but wasn't dark enough to show up well on the brass, might use the stricker end of a 38 caliber shell cartridge, just have to see, till then, Bill

[chocho willy]

Got the sand dome pull rod blackened and the builders plate transfered to decal paper and now on brass/gold foil paper tomorrow will try and laminate it for strength and weather proofing

[PVT Kanaka]

From inception to near completion, this has been an incredible journey!

[chocho willy]

Placing the builders plate on decale paper worked out well, They could have been a little bigger but not something I can't do later Put the printed decal in a hot laminate machine for water proofing and thickness and applied with a dab of glue. While up there I made my bell rope out of twisted strands of wire and colored it with Jax pewter black. Being as the bell didn't have the long spread out activation arms that the original did I put so eyelets on the side of the sand and steam dome for the rope to go thru.

[PVT Kanaka]

Looking better each post!