A few weeks ago I decided to pull a TCS Wowsound out of a Rivarossi Big Boy and put it in a Broadway Limited Blueline light Mikado I purchased in 2007 (bought it after getting some birthday money, I was 17). It had been sitting for a long time in its box and I wanted to do something with it. While working on it I saw an opportunity to practice some different skills and in the process I've discovered that I really enjoy detailing my locomotives and rolling stock to more accurately portray the prototype - at least as much as is reasonable within my skill (and price!) level. Even if I don't exactly have a place to run them at them moment I still get that satisfaction out of the hobby, I'd say it's my zen. I pulled up as many photos of 2480 as I could find and got to work.
If you're wondering about the Big Boy, it's getting a Tsunami2.
Some of the modifications to the model include moving and repositioning the footboards at the smokebox on the driver's side - I believe the ATC box was placed under there early in this class' lifetime? Also the pilot on the prototype had wider footboards. This was pointed out to me in Kalmbachs Steam Locomotive Projects and Ideas book that I've had for as long as this model. There is actually an article in there covering the modifications done to an Athearn USRA light Mike to more accurately portray a UP owned loco. The stack was replaced with a wider 'sweeny' style stack, really just a piece of styrene rod put into the chuck of a drill and then shaped with some sandpaper to get that taper. Not perfect but I'm happy with the look.
Some extra brass wire for pipes and handrails at the cab roof and sand dome. The generator was repositioned from the top of the boiler to the side and turned sideways. The stock whistle was flat forward and is now standing up and to the rear slightly with a shield behind it, and I ran some .010 brass wire from the cab to the whistle - my favorite detail on steam models is a cord going from the cab to the whistle and its so rare on plastic models it seems. Numberboards are from Cal-scale I believe, decals from Micro-scale.
I swapped the original PCB board mounted headlight which didn't work anymore for a warm white LED and just ran wires up into the smokebox. I also fitted a red LED into the firebox since a flicker function is included on the TCS Wowsound. Once I saw the holes in the butterfly doors I had to include that. I've never had a locomotive with a firebox glow before so that is a lot of fun. All LEDs have a 1k resistor.
The entire Blueline DC/DCC ready soundboard was removed but I kept the loco/tender harness. There was a cam on the flywheel in the boiler that I removed and that spot on the wire harness was used for the firebox glow. For what its worth, I didn't have any issues with the Blueline soundboard and in my other BLI models I haven't had any issues either (knock on wood), but I didn't like the stock whistle and the 'rolling' audio tone it had, and it overall sounded a little flat. But in 2007 I was thrilled and I blame this locomotive for my investment in sound. It's a lot of fun, even just letting it sit idle on the desk I get great enjoyment out of it.
The tender got the water hatch extended, the walls and rear of the coal bunker extended, and a tool box brass detail piece from Precision Scale. I'd like to fix the steps at the front of the tender and make them more like the ladders on the real thing but I haven't committed to that yet. I also have some micro chain and I'm thinking of adding it to the tender trucks. The coal bunker will also get a load of real coal eventually.
There are still some touch-ups to do, some of the decoder settings need to be tweaked slightly, and it needs some weathering. It's not perfect but I had a lot of fun and I learned a ton. I could add more wire to the smokebox but I'm happy with where its at. Considering UP had 20 USRA light Mikes and I have photos of several that have equipment in different places, I may have to get another one or two as a good way to fill out the roster as well as personalize some of the motive power.
Thank you for looking.
-Mike
The Backshops - A blog dedicated to modeling projects
That's a very nicely-done conversion, Mike. I'm very familiar with the satisfaction of doing conversions like this, and I know that it will help to push you to go even further on your next project.
Wayne
Hi Mike,
That is a really well documented upgrade, and your workmanship is excellent too!
Thank you for sharing.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Mike: Great work, and the finished locomotive sure looks amazing.
The pictures of the locomotive with the all-white background look nice. Did you use a photo light-box for these?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
doctorwayne That's a very nicely-done conversion, Mike. I'm very familiar with the satisfaction of doing conversions like this, and I know that it will help to push you to go even further on your next project. Wayne
Thank you Wayne! I have a spreadsheet going of possible next projects already. The Rivarossi Big Boy is rather plain and I think I may try tackling that next. Talk about satisfying, replacing a lot of that cast on plastic pipes...
hon30critter Hi Mike, That is a really well documented upgrade, and your workmanship is excellent too! Thank you for sharing. Cheers!! Dave
Thank you very much! I gotta say that the MRR Archive was a huge help in finding articles relevant to locomotive detailing. I ended up with a binder of printed articles from the 1940s - present for reference.
Documenting what I do has also been a fun part of this process. I've started keeping a blog so I can track my progress, but I find that it helps me figure out why I did things the way I did as well as act as a reminder to where I left off on a project. If for some reason the trains get put away for a long time, at least there is some documentation to let me or whoever after me know what the deal is, at least thats what my thought is.
SeeYou190 Mike: Great work, and the finished locomotive sure looks amazing. The pictures of the locmotive with the all-white background look nice. Did you use a photo light-box for these? Thank you for sharing. -Kevin
The pictures of the locmotive with the all-white background look nice. Did you use a photo light-box for these?
That is actually just a big sheet of drawing paper from a Strathmore sketchbook! I brought the locomotive into the kitchen where the light was better. The paper was placed against some cereal box in a half-U shape to give a pseudo lightbox effect.
And thank you, I always enjoy seeing projects like these so I wanted to put mine out there in case anyone else wanted to "dress-up" an otherwise plain USRA model.
Looks really good! Thanks for sharing
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Modeling the PRR & NYC in HO
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/@trainman440
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Thank you Trainman. I feel like if I can manage to do even a halfway decent job detailing models, anyone can.
I spent this morning sipping coffee at the kitchen bar, with some youtube reviews of OO gauge locomotives playing as I think some of those are my next purchases and adding some chain to the trucks of the Mikado tender. This is 40-link per inch chain from A-line.
Quite a bit fiddly, I just super glued it to the trucks and to the frame after cutting the chain to length.
The chain is just long enough to allow the trucks to turn to their limits without pulling the chain off. I don't think I would add this to every locomotive (that warrants it), but 2480 here has been kind of a guinea pig. She's one of my favorites though!
micktropolisThat is actually just a big sheet of drawing paper from a Strathmore sketchbook! I brought the locomotive into the kitchen where the light was better. The paper was placed against some cereal box in a half-U shape to give a pseudo lightbox effect.
Amazing! Your simple technique worked wonderfully.
I am going to put off the purchase of a light box until I try that myself.
SeeYou190 micktropolis That is actually just a big sheet of drawing paper from a Strathmore sketchbook! I brought the locomotive into the kitchen where the light was better. The paper was placed against some cereal box in a half-U shape to give a pseudo lightbox effect. Amazing! Your simple technique worked wonderfully. I am going to put off the purchase of a light box until I try that myself. -Kevin
micktropolis That is actually just a big sheet of drawing paper from a Strathmore sketchbook! I brought the locomotive into the kitchen where the light was better. The paper was placed against some cereal box in a half-U shape to give a pseudo lightbox effect.
Glad I could help! I would recommend some .50 cent poster paper from any craft store. It's usually big enough that you don't need to crop your images like with smaller paper.
Your work looks Great Mike!
I've never attempted doing a project like that. Dealing with N scale perhaps I won't. I can imagine it wasn't but you did a great job as you made it look easy.
Nice!
TF
Thanks TF! I don't think I would attempt these sorts of projects at less than HO scale just because of how clumsy my fingers are. However the 3D printed parts I've seen for making new models in N scale is really something else! I saw someone put a few chassis's together and 3D print a boiler for an N scale 4-12-2. That was really amazing, a lot of creative ideas and people out there with that technology.
Very nice work.
Sheldon
Track fiddlerI've never attempted doing a project like that. Dealing with N scale perhaps I won't.
I really wish digital cameras would have existed when I was building N scale models. I would love to be able to share some of the crazy things I built back then.
I'm sure you would and I know you did Kevin. It shows every time I look at those beautiful Stratton & Gillette custom N scale models you made for me
P.S. I don't think I'd even try to attempt to do fine, tedious detailing like that.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Very nice work. Sheldon
Thank you much!
I had a day off yesterday so I tried my hand at weathering a locomotive. I've done rolling stock before that came out decently enough in my opinion that I thought I'd try similar techniques, mainly dry brushing. Since this BLI model has been a guninea pig for a lot of new techniques I decided it was the perfect candidadate.
I don't have an airbrush so I used what I've learned building and detailing model tanks and armor. All the paint is water based craft paints applied with a brush.
I need to touch up a few spots especially around the wheels on the driver's side since the coupling rods blocked the paint brush a little.
I'm not worried about the paint coming off. So far it's held up just fine with my moving the model around and running it after cleaning the wheels. I may matte coat it with the expectation that the weathering may get muted somewhat. I used some Vallejo carbon black pigment on the top of the boiler and cab roof. I avoid touching those areas if I can.
I like working with basic craft paints since fixing mistakes is easy - just a cotton swab dipped in water will lift the paint followed by a clean towel.
Thanks for looking!