Spent this evening re-assembling the tender for my brass 1337 class Santa Fe pacific. I'm in the process of painting it and decided to start with the tender since it seemed easier to do. I put it back together and it still works great. This weekend I will tackle the locomotive and hope I have the same results. Here are a couple of pictures of how it looked before I started to paint it. I can't wait to finish it to add it to my roster of working locomotives. My wife Maureen and I have a layout we call the Southwest & Santa fe.
I ran into a delay in getting the locomotive primed and painted. I've been chasing an electrical short and after a few tweaks and modifications I have figured out that it is the center wheels on the tender that are shorting on the mounting screws that hold the tender trucks in place. The locomotive runs well with a different tender or with the center wheels removed. So the next thing will be to eliminate the short to the mounting screws on the center wheel sets.
Are you speaking of the axle touching the bolster screws? If that's the case try coating the screw head with clear nail polish,that should solve the problem.
Also check out www.markschultzer.com for many helpful tips on working on brass locomotives Like the torque arm you'll need for your gearbox problem.lol
Yes, tinkering with the locomotives, rolling stock scenery, etc is part of the fun of model railroading. It can be frustrating at times, but when the problem gets solved, the satisfaction in knowing you solved it, is worth the effort.
Thanks for the tip. Yes, it is the bolster screws. They seem to be not going into the bottom of the tender far enough to clear the axles. I think the axles are rubbing on the screws at times and the wheels are not always turning as they should. I may have some paint clogging up the screw holes a bit. I'll try cleaning them out and also use your tip on the clear nail polish.
Tender truck screws often have a shoulder that is supposed to fit deeply into the hole in the bolster. If that's the case, just be sure the screw is properly seated & that may solve the problem.
Tom
After cleaning out the paint residue, making sure the bolster screws are seated correctly, the short is cured. I even put a dab of the clear nail polish on the screw heads for insurance. It is working just fine and the locomotive is running like it should. Thanks for the tips guys, I'll post more pictures as I progress with the painting.
I have put the first coat of primer on my 1337 Class Pacific. Here is how it looks now. It is going to dry at least overnight and get a second coat of primer soon.
Ken, give it at least a couple of days to dry, to test give it the old sniff test, when you can't smell the paint go ahead with you 2nd coat.
I'm glad you have it fixed, but what was the cure? On a typical brass tender, it picks up current from the left rail. So, if the axles (or trucks) were installed correctly, no short would have occured even if the screw was touching the axle. The only thing that would have caused a short is if an axle was turned around allowing that to pick up current from the other rail.
Each tender axle has an insulated side. They all go on one side of the tender, most likely the right side rail.
Drawbars are famous for causing shorts, so be careful when reassembling the loco.
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
gn.2-6-8-0 Ken, give it at least a couple of days to dry, to test give it the old sniff test, when you can't smell the paint go ahead with you 2nd coat.
trwroute I'm glad you have it fixed, but what was the cure? On a typical brass tender, it picks up current from the left rail. So, if the axles (or trucks) were installed correctly, no short would have occured even if the screw was touching the axle. The only thing that would have caused a short is if an axle was turned around allowing that to pick up current from the other rail. Each tender axle has an insulated side. They all go on one side of the tender, most likely the right side rail. Drawbars are famous for causing shorts, so be careful when reassembling the loco.
It seems that the truck screws were not seated correctly and once I fixed that it was just fine.
doctorwayne gn.2-6-8-0 Ken, give it at least a couple of days to dry, to test give it the old sniff test, when you can't smell the paint go ahead with you 2nd coat. I agree that you should let the primer fully cure before continuing, but can't see the need for another coat of primer.Did you also prime the loco's frame and the tender and its frame at the same time?I like to apply the primer to all such parts and let it cure for a few days. Then, when I paint, I apply all colours (four or five different variations of "black") during the same session, using a piece of paper or cardstock as a masking device where needed.When that's fully cured, lettering and brush painting of details can be done, and then the final clear coatings - gloss, various degrees of semi-gloss, and flat, along with no clear overspray of the smoke box and firebox. I let that harden before adding weathering.The running gear often needs to be painted, too. I prefer to brush paint drivers, valve gear, and siderods, then airbush it all with the chassis moving, either under power or pushed, free-wheeling, along a length of track inside the spray booth. Brass models which have been given a factory coat of clear lacquer or brass-coloured paint don't necessarily need to be primed at all. Wayne
Thanks for tips. I do want to give it another light coat of primer because I can see a few small spots that I missed. I'll give it a couple of days to dry and use the sniff test before spraying it again. I have not done the frame section yet. I ran out of time last night. It will get it's turn to be primed soon. I'm not in a rush to get it done. I've had the locomotive since last August and am finally getting around to painting it. I just want it to come out good and I know from working in an auto body shop that the prepwork is key to a good finished product.
Good to hear that you got running. Looking forward to seeing the finished loco.
Ken you didn't mention which procedur your using for painting, air brush,rattle can etc. if an air brush which paint are you using?
I am using rattle cans. I have an airbrush, but have not used it in years. The compressor I have is rather large and I never got around to getting a regulator for the airbrush. I use it mostly for changing and inflating tires around the garage. I always seem to get really good results with the rattle cans and they are easy to use. Just shake'em up good and use light coats and quick passes so the paint does not build up and run.
The driving mechanism with the pilot and cylinders are primed. The leading and trailing trucks are now primed too. I'll let all that dry real good for a couple of days and then do my second primer coat to whatever needs it. I'll post more pictures of it all soon.
Although I do not plan on doing it, does anyone bake their metal/brass locomotives or all metal models in the oven anymore? I kind of remember that being the thing to do many years ago. We bake the paint onto the cars we paint at work in a big oven/paint booth everyday. Like I said, I'm not going to do it, but just wondering if anyone does anymore.
I baked a couple of engines back in the day but that was mainly cuz I was using the original Scale Coat which otherwise seemed to take forever to dry,and it did give a bit harder finish it seemed.
Scale coat was great because it was about the only one used in a air brush that dried with a gloss finish.
With today's acrylic's bakings not really neccesary.
That's what I was thinking too. That with the more modern paints, it would not really be necessary to bake it.
Thanks
I like using Scalecoat II on brass. It's an enamel, but it seems to cure to the point of safe handling much quicker than traditional enamel, and doesn't require baking. Gloss paints have a real high gloss shine, which is great for decals, and it's thin enough that it doesn't obscure any details. Some of my work with Scalecoat II looks almost as good as a factory finish!
_________________________________________________________________
As most of you know sometimes real life gets in the way of our modeling and working on our model railroading projects, and that's just what happened to me this week. The good news is that the primer had plenty of time to dry and cure. I've now got a first coat of engine black on the locomotive so when that cures really well the final coat will be added. Pictures still to come soon.
I still have to finish up some of the engine black detail work on the mechanism, but the boiler and cab section are done. I will give it all a few days to dry and then do the reassembly. After that it will be time to add the decals.
It is all painted engine black and back together. It is running better than ever. I still have some detail work to do like the front of the smoke box, adding the headlamp and running lights and of course decals, but for now it is looking good.
looks great so far!! I've enjoyed this thread, painting some of my brass locos is next on the list of things I want to learn to do--these last photos are a great inspiration, thanks for sharing them.
Jim
Thanks for the kind words Jim. Glad I could inspre you to paint your locomotives. Just remember, if you mess up, the paint can be stripped and redone.
Being as you used a rattle can I have say Well Done! Very smooth looking paint job,I normally use a air brush and from what I can see you could have said you used one and I wouldn't have doubted you for a min. congratulations.
Thanks GN. I am very please at how it came out too. Overall it took longer than I planned, but I gave the paint plenty of time to cure between coats and before I re-assembled it tonight. If you go see my photos, the 1491 Atlantic was also done with a rattle can last year.
Decals have been added and cleared over.