Turning a Bachmann USRA 4-8-2 Heavy Mountain into a NYC Mohawk

[tstage]

I'm just curious. Could the above pictured Bachmann USRA Heavy Mountain 4-8-2 be turned into an NYC Mohawk? If so, what kind of modifications would be necessary in order to make it prototypical? Lastly, is this even be reasonably feasible and/or would it be worth it with the Bachmann? Thanks!

(If anything, I'd definitely have to do something about the multi-colored wires...[:0])

Tom

[orsonroy]

Tom,

I'm helping a modeler go through possible conversions to Southern steam now (including the *%*% multi-bearing crossheads). The Bachmann 4-8-2 to L-1 or L-3 is possible (and maybe even a L-2 or L-4). Give me a week or so, and I'll email you something full of photos, diagrams, markups and tips.

[tstage]

Thanks, Ray! [:)] No rush. I don't even have the Bachmann 4-8-2 HM. I was just curious if it was possible or not.

Tom

[doctorwayne]

I used a Bachmann USRA Light Mountain to make this Mohawk for my own Elora Gorge & Eastern.



While it's not intended to be a copy of a NYC Mohawk, I did try to give it a bit of a NYC flavour. The Worthington feedwater heater arrangement, the position of the running boards, the turret casing in front of the cab , and the cab roof wind deflector were all copied from a picture of a NYC Hudson. I used the Bachmann tender, slightly modified, as my mainline runs don't require a large tender. It shouldn't be difficult to do a similar job on the heavy 4-8-2, although raising the running boards might be more difficult with the metal boiler. In my opinion, the one real signature detail for NYC Mohawks (or Hudsons) is the shrouding covering the piping in front of the cab.

[orsonroy]

That's VERY nice work there Doc! When are you going to have your layout in the magazines?

What did you do for the backhead shroud? I'll need to do that to at least one of my NKP MIkes, and I've been struggling with an idea that would work well. Did you just use some sheet styrene and cut it to shape, or is there some other sort of wizardry that I'm not thinking of?

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by doctorwayne

I used a Bachmann USRA Light Mountain to make this Mohawk for my own Elora Gorge & Eastern.



While it's not intended to be a copy of a NYC Mohawk, I did try to give it a bit of a NYC flavour. The Worthington feedwater heater arrangement, the position of the running boards, the turret casing in front of the cab , and the cab roof wind deflector were all copied from a picture of a NYC Hudson. I used the Bachmann tender, slightly modified, as my mainline runs don't require a large tender. It shouldn't be difficult to do a similar job on the heavy 4-8-2, although raising the running boards might be more difficult with the metal boiler. In my opinion, the one real signature detail for NYC Mohawks (or Hudsons) is the shrouding covering the piping in front of the cab.

That's a really nice piece of work, doc. The front end greatly resembles a Cotton Belt L-1 4-8-4 while the area just forward of the cab gives it an NYC look. Personally, I like the looks of the light 4-8-2 to the heavy. Esthetically, it just has more pleasing lines.

BTW, where did you get the Delta trailing truck?

Andre

[doctorwayne]

Thanks to all for the kind comments. The shrouding started out as a saddle of lead sheet draped over the boiler and extending down to the running boards on either side. Then another piece was added on top of that, but extending down only about half as far. This was covered with an overlay of .015" styrene and then the front was closed in with more of the same material. Finally, the access doors were fashioned from .005" styrene and laminated on top, with "hinges" made from .010"x.030" styrene strip.
As best I can recall, the Delta trailer came from a Rivarossi Heavy Pacific that I modified for a friend.
The front end modifications required the frame to be extended a bit in order to cram in the air pumps and the radiator/shield, as there wasn't a lot of room under the smokebox for the air pumps. The air tanks, by the way, are brass tubing, filled with lead. Part of the factory weight, along with the headlight circuitry, were also removed and replaced with a custom cast lead weight. This Mohawk pulls quite respectably.
If anybody wants to see more of my layout, I have a number of threads on another site called The Gauge. Probably the best ones are in the "Photography & Books" section: pretty well everything there started by doctorwayne is of my layout, the most comprehensive being one called "A mysterious move...". There's also one in the "Scratchin' & Bashin'" section called "at the head end of some more headend equipment" and then three in a row on page 2 of that same forum. Unless you're very patient, these are not very user friendly for those with dial-up. I hope everyone will forgive my rather shameless self-promotion. I felt that if I'd posted them on the MR site, they probably would have been on page 26 by now, and not likely viewed by very many.
Wayne

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by doctorwayne

Thanks to all for the kind comments. The shrouding started out as a saddle of lead sheet draped over the boiler and extending down to the running boards on either side. Then another piece was added on top of that, but extending down only about half as far. This was covered with an overlay of .015" styrene and then the front was closed in with more of the same material. Finally, the access doors were fashioned from .005" styrene and laminated on top, with "hinges" made from .010"x.030" styrene strip.
As best I can recall, the Delta trailer came from a Rivarossi Heavy Pacific that I modified for a friend.
The front end modifications required the frame to be extended a bit in order to cram in the air pumps and the radiator/shield, as there wasn't a lot of room under the smokebox for the air pumps. The air tanks, by the way, are brass tubing, filled with lead. Part of the factory weight, along with the headlight circuitry, were also removed and replaced with a custom cast lead weight. This Mohawk pulls quite respectably.
If anybody wants to see more of my layout, I have a number of threads on another site called The Gauge. Probably the best ones are in the "Photography & Books" section: pretty well everything there started by doctorwayne is of my layout, the most comprehensive being one called "A mysterious move...". There's also one in the "Scratchin' & Bashin'" section called "at the head end of some more headend equipment" and then three in a row on page 2 of that same forum. Unless you're very patient, these are not very user friendly for those with dial-up. I hope everyone will forgive my rather shameless self-promotion. I felt that if I'd posted them on the MR site, they probably would have been on page 26 by now, and not likely viewed by very many.
Wayne

Promote away. You do good work (I looked at The Gauge). Howzabout sharing some of it in some MR or RMC articles. I'd especially be interested in an article on how you altered the 4-8-2.

They pay you money for that kind of stuff, you know.[:D]

Andre

[doctorwayne]

Andre,
Yeah, I know that they pay money. I had an article in MR's Paint Shop about 25 years ago and I've submitted a couple of things to RMC over the years. The problem is that when I get an inspiration to build something, I just do it. Everything else gets put aside so that I can fini***he project before the fire of interest dies. And getting decent photographs seems to be a problem, both in-progress and finished shots. You can put a fair amount of extra effort into documenting a project in order to offer it to a magazine, but since it's unsolicited material, there's no guarantee that it'll be accepted. I did a couple of photos and a brief write-up on how I built a gas-electric car. Sent it off to RMC, along with an offer to write it up in more detail and with more photos, and a couple of days later, got the latest issue with an article on......a gas-electric! I must be psychic, just not soon enough.
My next project, aside from working on my layout, is going to be a conversion of a brass USRA 2-10-2 into a CNR T-3-a. This won't be a how-to, but if it goes well and doesn't take too long, I'll be posting it on The Gauge. Probably in pictures as "before", "during the rebuild", and "after", along with a list of the commercial detail parts used. I hope to finish it quickly so that it will be useful for anybody wishing to do the same conversion to the forthcoming Bachmann USRA 2-10-2.
Oh, and by the way, thanks for your kind comments, Andre.

Wayne

[TomDiehl]

According to the old saying, you shouldn't make a mountain out of a mohawk, but maybe you can do it the other way around.

[wjstix]

Ooooh that hurt !!! Good one. I've been thinking for a long time of doing a conversion to get a Great Northern P-2 4-8-2 using a Spectrum heavy mountain with their long vandy tender. Wish you could get the undec version with a vanderbilt tender !!

The C&O 4-8-2 heavy is pretty close to a GN S class northern with the pumps on the smokebox etc., but don't know how easy it would be to add a 4-wheel trailing truck to the northern.

[Newyorkcentralfan]

You might be able to use the chassis with monagram/revell, AHM/Rivarossi or con=cor j-3 hudson boiler castings. You'd probably need two.

IIRC, the J-3 and some of the L-2s and L-3s look similar to each other with the extra length being between the cab and the steam dome.

Get Staufer's 'Later Power' book and rough scale pictures using side views of both types and a constant like driver diameter to figure where you need to stretch the boiler casting.

[Anonymous]

Subscribing to this topic. I just got a 4-8-2 C&O Heavy Mountain as well but ended up deciding to follow NYC line. Even though the C&O from the spectrum line came with a vanderbuilt tender, I think I can manage with some good old styrene sheets as long as some one can provide more info on the engine conversion. Much appreciation ahead of time. Or else it has to go back onto ebay... [sigh]