Carpenter Matt's Annie/Mogul bash update 5-9-06

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dave it's been extremely educational on so many levels. I recommend it to anybody.

It's definately a labor of love!

[Anonymous]

Very impressive indeed - I have  often considered LOcomotive construction but  it  always puts me off with the  detail required , I must say yours is looking very good and captures the prototype well.

[Anonymous]

Finally back to work on this mogul!

A little paint and added detail.

Here’s the tender, you can see on the rear right corner where my styrene jacket cracked, need to fix that.

This ones a little dark but shows the true color of the smoke box. Also you can see more detail.

You can see I still need to spray the cylinders and pilot. But the light almost looks like it’s on.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Vic! I should have used a wrap over the the tender sides like I did on the back. All those small rivets I made along the top of the tender below the coal board sides made the sides curl inward, hopefully the braces will fix them.

[vsmith]

Hey Matt keep at it, as I said earlier its moving along nicely! Those rivets look great!

[Ray Dunakin]

Holy cats! That tender is beautiful so far. How thick is the styrene? Was it difficult to punch the rivets?

[Anonymous]

Thanks Matt, the lack of response on the last two updates almost makes me think I did something really wrong somewhere in the build.

[Train 284]

I agree with Kevin, youare doing a great job! Keep at it and update us on your progress!

[Anonymous]

Thanks Kevin, means alot coming from you.[:)]

I should have mentioned above that the tender will house some RCS/battery and seirra. that is the gutted nature of the inside which will be covered by coal load. The speaker will end up being depressed through the floor slightly between the trucks/frame rails to make it all fit. TOC gave the gave me dimensions of all the gear and I cut little block of all the components, batteries included to make sure I didn't need to stretch the dimensions abit from my scale drawing to make it all fit.

[kstrong]

Sharp! Lookin' real sharp.

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

Well I managed to get some styrene and have worked on and off the last couple days to get the tank 1/2 done. I find Styrene hard to work, but I am getting better with practice. The rivets turned out fairly good other than ones near the end of panels should have been punched before the side was cut. Live and learn. Tank was built in "Fletch fashion" per a article in MLS Master class.

[Anonymous]

While I'm contemplating on how much detail I want to throw into the cab of the loco, I decided to start on the tender.

Frame constructed out of Mahogany


Hartford Trucks with bachmann wheels. Threw a bunch of Ozark castings at it to match my print.




Just when I was starting on the tank I relized I didn't have enough styrene[:(!][V]. I'll go back to the LHS tommarrow.

[Train 284]

Looks like your making great progress Matt!

[Anonymous]

Well I have managed to get the cab close to completion. I was really hoping to fin***he loco by now but staring at photos of the proto type and blue print have prolonged the project in terms of where to make compromises. I have also found trying to make this thing be able to come apart in such a way that it can be serviced and pieces broke down for painting.
Here's the progress thus far.







constructive critisizim is appreciated[;)]

[Anonymous]

It has been a while since I updated so here it is.

First I did end up moving the cylinders outward to acheive crosshead wheel clearance, never again will I alter these dimensions.



Please note that the valve gear rod to the steam chest goes through the crosshead support, this was done to add strength while lifting the model and does not do so on the prototype. Also the spacer used for the drive rod is a RC car collet found at the LHS, It's a 1/4" one I believe.

Here's a funny side note on the build, if you look at the lower left hand corner of the picture of the plans on page one you will see a diagram of the top of the engine relating to modifications over the years, the sand dome I built was for the W&W's #7 not #4's. # 4's the is the sand dome on the loco top left hand corner of the page. O.k anyways I got another Annie at Sam's Club this year!


You'll note that I painted it black and it is not the final paint, I just need to see the PVC pipe color gone and get a feel for it as well as black shows everything.

Cab construction has been underway and the sides are board by board construction where as the ends were scribed plywood. The side were originally going to be scribed but I just for some reason want a functioning window and the plywood wood have crowed the cab inside. Board by board just look better to!

Below are the side window frames built as halves and the glazing sandwiched in between after paint.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I'm long over due on an update! Boiler is painted and the cab shell is half done. pictures will be forthcoming. Maybe this weekend.

[Anonymous]

GREAT WORK!
More inspiring to me, however, is the attitude of everyone who keeps saying, "a little per day, keep going, patience, etc.!" I'm bashing an Annie into a standard gauge ten-wheeler, and it seems to be taking FOREVER! No detail parts available (or very few) so everything is a project in itself. Still, as I look at it sitting on the test track, it really is looking pretty darn good, and has really lost that 'narrow-gauge" look. Thanks to the inspiration I've gotten from reading the supportive posts here, I'm goin' back in today when I'm tru with my work!! When I figure out how to do it (or get my wife to show me how) I'll start a new topic on my little Soo Line lght-duty ten-wheeler.
Dave Z

[Anonymous]

Update!

Pilot and coupler issues are worked out, final mounting yet to take place. Pilot wheels have also been changed to a solid wheelset off of a Connie bought off of John Kolb AKA Slimgauge who was gracious enough to search his scap bin for it.

Smoke stack is brass tubing with an added flare at the top done with an automotive flaring tool.

Smokebox details and rivets were added, Rivets were done by using The Joat's method.







Please not on the side view that the crookedness of parts is due to thenm still be unfastened.
Unfortunately time has been very limited lately due to hectic work schedule.

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys! Your right Vic it does all add up, I have more modeling time but the wife has been making me watch all the "Friends" episodes back to back, funny but monotonous.

[vsmith]

Cool, looks good,

Matt just keep at it! Remember my "15 minutes a day" philosophy, it all adds up.

[Anonymous]

Keep it coming Matt, looking excellent all the way,more pics pls mate when you have some Ozark on there!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

UPDATE, about time Huh?

I've ordered some smokebox detail parts from Ozark and should be here within the week. Smokebox and cylinders are in primer but I'm awaiting the above parts before proceeding.

I did manage to build a pilot and am in the process of trying to figure out which Kadee coupler to use before I complete it. Below are the original Annie pilot and my scratch built one side by side. Mine's made out of some scrap redwood.



I'm starting to layout my cab walls this evening, maybe cut them out during my lunch tommarrow while my tools are already set up[;)]

[Anonymous]

Thanks Guys! Your absolutely right!

Capt, That's why I keep putting of ther wood cab!

[Anonymous]

Matt that is outstanding work!!!! I am glad that you prowess extends beyond the realm of wood.

I am looking forward to the end product!!!

[vsmith]

Matt, Troy

Just keep at it, one day you look at it and realize, "Hey, its done", I dont know why but usually the next thought is "Well, that was easy!" then promptly forgetting all the hastles and frustrations you encountered on this project, you jump right into the next project.

[Anonymous]

That's the joy of it Matt.
Totally immodest I know,but when I run the trams I still wonder sometimes how I had the patience to build them from nothing.I won't touch any building now until autumn sets in.
I love the white and gold.shame that engines were so messy that that colour scheme wasn't a viable option.
Good work.

[Anonymous]

Well it's been a while since I updated this although not much has happened.

The steam and sand domes have been worked out with PVC pipe from home depot. Please note they are not glued up as of yet. Please also note that the boiler bands have been installed.



Ineed to work out the pilot now and the pilot wheels I changed something along the way and pilot mounting point is now in between the pilot wheel flanges and needs to apparently be raised, I guess that's the problem with not working on them more you tend to forget how they were[%-)]
I am amazed with the amount of thought and time put into each step and tracking down the right part or material to make it happen[:0]

[mgast]

Ahhh HAAA!

There is another page!!!!

I'll be posting my progress here also.

Marc

[Anonymous]

All part of the fun Matt.
I'm having some serious problems with my new build.Not impossible but a pain none the less.Good to hear you have not given up!