Quite a while ago I aquired a pair of Western Maryland IHC 2-8-0s, they were always good runners just a little lacking in good detail. After buiding a roster of custom engines I came across these 2 again and started thinking what could I do with them? The original plan was 2 Lehigh Valley M-36s but thinking about it I have had a New Jersey Central caboose for a while with nothing proper to pull it. The plan expanded to do 1 LV M-36 and 1 CNJ I-5.
The LV M-36
CNJ I-5
I had made and fitted a boiler tube for the LV engine while building the Reading I-6. This shows the starting point of the engines.
I started with converting the running gear to what is suited to the prototypes, baker for the CNJ engine, Walsherts for the LV engine.
This is the frame converted to Baker.
Then the camera I had died on me and theres a little lapse with no pictures...
With a fatter boiler tube made and mounted for the CNJ engine I started to focus on the Lehigh Valley M-36. The frame needed to be shortened to fit the smaller boiler and the fly wheel also had to go. The CNJ engine is much bigger and I do not anticipate having to do the same thing.
The firebox was installed on the boiler before the frame was cut.
I wanted to use the original weight and add to it later but there is not enough space to insert the weight in the rear of the boiler so I had to make a removable smokebox front. I used .040 and made a star pattern with everyting a little oversized to trim to fit. Once it fit snug I sanded the edge flush to the boiler
Before finishing the detail on the smokebox front I redid the cylinder heads to not be so tiny and added the steam delivery pipes.
Using .010 I added the hinge and clips for the door.
With the cylinders fixed up the pilot could be started, also the stack appeared.
My focus then turned to the tender starting with a frame made of .040. The regular LV M-36s had tenders resembling the Bachmann Reading I-10 tenders, but whats the fun in just using one of those? I am building a later version with a better rear view tender on it.
The shell started with a ring of .040 with most of the front open. The screws had to be cut to finish the shell. Then the top and bunker were built, all .040 styrene.
Here is the spacing mock up.
Then I did the ash pans and started the domes. The ash pans are strips of .040 then a piece of .040 with the edges rounded by sanding. The tube pieces for the dones are .010 wrapped around a few layers then glued together, then the seam is sanded to a smooth surface.
With the glue setting on the dome bases I moved to the running boards, made of .040 glued to the front of the firebox and the steam dilevery pipes.
The dome bases were then sanded shorter and then capped with 2 layers of .040. After the glue set they were then sanded into dome shapes. I was also playing around using a mantua cab as a place holder to get a feel for the look and size of the domes.
Then it was all puddied.
before sanding I worked on the front footboards, starting with .010 strips then adding the actual footboards.
Here is the puddy sanded.
Now that the mojor sanding was done the cab could be started. I used .040 for the front and back wall. On this engine the rear doors are short doors that open around the firebox, the openings in the walls reflect that.
The side walls were made of .010 and I installed the window frames before gluing in place.
The rear shade was then built starting as a piece of .040 glued to the end but still on top of the firebox then wrapped with a piece of .010.
Then with an other piece of .040 I fitted the running board on the side of the firebox.
Heres where the project sits now, the CNJ engine is still a boiler tube on updated running gear at the moment.
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60361449@N02/
Anthracite Modeler - YouTube
Where is the like button? This is looking very impressive!
Looks great! Can't wait for the next update!
Charles
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440
Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440
Work picked back up with installing the air tanks, made of styrene tubes. I filled the ends with putty and used .010 strips for for the mounting bands.
Then installed the air compressors for no real reason.
IHC 2-8-0s are pretty light engines that don't have a lot of puling power. Knowing I wanted to add weight in the boiler I noticed the frame was just a lot of open space, so I did what I could to add weight pieces in the frame being careful to not interfere with clearances.
Next was boiler bands cut from .010 about 1/16" wide.
The mount on the front of the boiler is the original method with a screw up through the steam chest. For the rear I made a new anchor. A piece of square rod was glued to each side of the frame at the end, and a .010 plate was glued to the bottom of the firebox. Screws were then fitted and self tapped into the plastic sod stock on the frame.
Attention was then focused on the cab. I leave the roof off a while until I paint the inside. More recently I have been adding some plastic "details" to give the idea of controls in the cab. Not something easily seen, I don't bother with is being super detailed and perfect. Also seen are some .040 extra support pieces to sure up the .010 cab sides and to support the incoming .010 roof.
While glue was setting in the cab I did the rear running board steps.
The roof starts as a fitted piece of .010 then the bottom is painted. The piece is then glued into place. A .010 strip is glued around the edge and the top space/vent is added along with the gutters. Pictures I have seen of the class I have not seen the sliding roof vents I normally add, so they were not placed.
A draw bar was added and a test run was preformed. After a little running gear tweaking, it ran well and all other clearance checks were fine. This is where its at now.
I did some tender work on the M-36 before jumping into part 2 of the project. The steps, footplates and water hatch were placed.
The CNJ I-5 starts with the boiler tube made to be just under an inch wide. This is the tube fitted to the frame.
The Lehigh Valley M-36 has a smaller boiler then the CNJ engine, here is the comparison to another tube the size of the LV engine.
The firebox and smokebox front starts with getting the boiler size by tracing around the tube face on .040 styrene. 3 circles are made for the smokebox front, the front hip joints and the backhead, all based around the tube size.
The shapes are drawn out and then cut out. The circle for the smokebox front is an over sized rough cut in preparation for making a removable front. Once the cross members are fitted the circle is sanded flush to the boiler tube.
I thought I was going to get away with not cutting off the fly wheel but I didn't. The front hip joints are placed just in front to the motor right up to the gear box and the back head is placed using a .040 frame. This is the pre-wrapped firebox.
A piece of .010 is then glued to the curved frame, oversized to be trimmed down.
Before being trimmed down the floor is placed straitening out the bottom of the sides made from .040.
After trimmed down another .010 later is added to the boiler barrel to be the jacked section of the boiler, also hiding any bumps in making the tube and bringing the boiler to the level of the wrapped firebox eliminating a bump.
To get it to start looking like something I did the smokebox front next. The door is 2 layers of .010 then the door itself is .040 sanded into a dome.
Before the pilot I redid the cylinder heads.
And while I was at it I did the steam delivery pipes and the base of the stack.
The pilot beam is a styrene rectangle rod with .010 styrene as the floor. A notch was cut for the coupler pocket which is shortened to not interfere with the lead truck movement.
I then started the domes with the same method as the LV engine.
capped with 2 layers of .040
then sanded
Before putty I finished up the pilot construction.
Putty was then added.
This is where both projects sit at the moment.
RDG Casey:
Another excellent 'how to' build series!
Thanks
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Work this week started on the CNJ I-5 sanding the putty around the domes, then the running boards were added.
With a trip to the hobby store I was able to pick the few parts I needed to finish both projects, so work was focused back onto the LV M-36. I applied the rest of the detail parts and made the few other minor styrene structures that were left.
Then rivets were applied using microscale decal rivets.
Then final detailing was started. At this point all that is left is the fireman's side plumbing, then it is ready for paint.
Amazing and impressive are not strong enough words to describe what you do with locomotives. You make me look forward to winter weather so I can apply a little of what I learn watching you here. Dan
Thanks! Still quite a bit more to these builds, and why wait, football has started thats close enough for thinking its winter haha.
RDG Casey, I've sent you a PM regarding these locos.
Wayne
The detailing was finished up and then painting started.
After paint and ready for service!
And the accompanying video.
So part 1 is done but the CNJ I-5 had really just begun so stay tuned!
Wow! Great job!Can't wait to see the CNJ 2-8-0!
Looks amazing. The 'canvas' sun shields are a great touch. Also the rust where the injectors spit water and steam and on the tender where the deck drains out.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks! The "canvas" is from a cloak material from a Gundam kit (a giant robot commonly mistaken for a transformer) Sandrock Custom. Something I don't really need for the robot and is a nice light weight material for the sades and the rear screens for the fireman.
RDG Casey!
That is really nice work! You are an excellent modeller.
With the Lehigh Valley M-36 all finished the focus can now be fully shifted to the New Jersey Central I-5.
Work picked back up on building a tender. The trucks are left over from the roundhouse engine used for the Reading I-6 build. A base plate is cut using another tender, in this case the discarded IHC tender shell, to get the width measurement. The front and rear beams are rectangle rod I use for pilots but I want it to be square so I added another layer of .040 to them. The vertical pieces on top are space .040 from the edge of the frame and are used for a friction hold of the tender shell.
The shell itself is all .040 styrene with the 4 corners sanded to be round. It starts with the main box, the top and inset coal bunker is then added. After the base is done the upper coal bunker is added allowing me in independently shape it, I run some extra glue in the seam and then sand it flush while sanding the 4 corners.
The shell on the frame.
Starting the cab is all about using set landmarks. The height is not over the domes, the width is a little less then the edge of the running boards to account for the cab sides of .010. The spacing is eyeballed from pictures just after the first driver and ends in the middle of the third driver. Having a Mantua camelback cab also helps for some generic dimensions. Put the boiler face down and trace the edge for the center cuts too.
With the front and back in the side are the length created by the placed pieces. I installed window frames before placing the side, its easier to do them in that order.
Extra .040 support pieces were added to the top of the cab sides and the middle of the roof to prevent any sagging of the .010.
The rear shade starts with a .040 base, shaped and then glued to the top of the fire box. A piece of .010 is then shapes and wrapped around the .040 glued to the firebox. Once shaped and installed a strip of .040 is glued to the underside to not be seen but to help keel the shape in the rear half of the shade.
The rear running boards and air tanks were then installed. The running board section set to the height of the window sill and the air tanks are tube stock capped with putty and have .010 strips wrapped around as straps.
This is where the project sits at the moment, but it is starting to look like the intended locomotive.
RDG Casey,
In your case prolific is an understatement!
Fine job on your latest...
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!
Work resumed fitting a few of brass castings. Tucked in the running board is the power reverse, then the air compressors and bell were added.
Adding the boiler bands started when placing the air compressors one ring around where the jacketing starts. The straps are made from .010 sheet stock aout 1/16" wide. You can buy strips of this size, not having any on hand at one point I just started cutting my own.
Attention then sifted to the tender where a lot of finishing things were added. The rounded coal bunker, the front door, the gangway, rear latter, water hatch etc.
I tried a different method for the front steps using .010 brass for the side of the step to keep the shape better.
The rear steps and footboards are still all styrene.
Wanting to get the cab roof on this week I added some cab detail. Again to save cost on something you aren't really going to see it is really just the jist of some controls that will only bee seen trhough the window.
After the interior was painted the base roof layer of .010 went on and the the gutters and top hatch were then added.
Here is where it sits now, most major construstion is done, there are still some odds and ends before rivet decals and then final detailing.
One of the last things I needed to do after getting the rest of the major detail parts installed was the break shoes. A small hole is drilled in the frame a short piece of .020 wire is glued into the holes. Strips of .010 are fitted to the posts and then little .010 arches are made to be the shoes them selves.
A draw bar was then made simply using a piece of .010 brass and an extra screw from the parts box to fasten to the tender frame, a piece of .040 wire is used on the locomotive frame. I set the engine to 22" radius.
Before final detailing could begin I applied the decal rivets.
Final detailing was then applied, starting with the tender and then focusing on the engine. A figure was also repositioned for the cab. This is how the engine sits at the moment, ready for paint.
The CNJ I-5 is ready for service!
And both projects together...
In action!
Wow! That looks great! Love how they turned out! Wish I had your skill...
Thanks!
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
That is a really neat chunky looking loco. Makes me want to turn my clock back about 10 years so I can justify running things like that.