A trainshow in april allowed me to get my hands on a roundhouse "old time" 2-8-0 to get this project rolling. It is a project I have in mind for a couple years, just stalled by getting a late Roundhouse or Athearn 2-8-0 for the better motor already in it.
Each project starts with a bunch of research and a quick drawing I do for myself. It makes me look for minor differences in plumbing or other details. Sometimes I choose different detail variations during the build then my original drawing. This drawing was done probably around 2 years ago.
A really quick boiler over view is the frame, with the material used for the boiler tube, then the tube done, and finally the basic boiler shape on the frame. The boiler went from tube to finished basic form in 1 afternoon. I will be doing a clinic on boiler construction in October and I intend to video tape it and put it on youtube. I have a ton of pictures to sort though and organize for it.
I decided to make the boiler just a little bigger then the original roundhouse boiler but it still makes the L-5 look big and the I-8 look huge. Both engines have totally scratch shells.
Then the old pilot got cut off with a dremmel keeping the original coupler pocket.
The main pilot beam was built back up and I decided to go with a totally scratch tender and made a new frame. Taken next to the L-5, I think because I was doing some measurement comparisons to the tender on that at the time.
Retaining walls for the shell frame were placed .040 inset from the edge. Then the shell frame was built around that. This shell is made from .010 so the tube pieces on the shell frame are to guide the curves.
A piece of .010 was then wrapped and glued around the frame.
Heres where it sits now, the main top pieces of the tender were placed made from .040, then I ran out of glue. It gives a good idea of the final spacing though.
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60361449@N02/
Anthracite Modeler - YouTube
Now I know why your projects all "look right" without consulting erection drawings. Your sketch reveals you are part artist who has a natural sense of proportion.
I'm sure this next one will turn out great.
Got to ask: With all the builds under your belt, do you have a possible future build that you are thinking "boy that one would be tough"?
Looking forward to this one and your to come piece on YT on how to build boilers from the ground up.
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!
Thanks!
There are parts of things that still need to be figured out. Like I'd like to do a New Hope and Ivyland 40 (having history with the railroad) probably from another roundhouse oldtime 2-8-0 for correct driver size but the boiler on that has a big expansion angled section, not being a strait boiler. I don't view this as impossible to do I just haven't had the need to do it yet. There are other engines with spaced rear drivers and such that I might like to do and I haven't done a scratch frame. Unless I really want to do it, it is cheaper to get something that already runs then start from scratch on that part factoring in motor, drivers which are normally high end to get exact size etc. I try to do something new on every project, that how you learn.
I got a lot of this done this week, taking advantage of the cool weather. I had this feeling the boiler was too small and had to prove to myself that was I thought I was doing was right and pushed it until I got to that point and then decided to work on it more.
Work resumed on the tender making the coal bunker.
Then the sides when up being .010 and 1/8" high. The bunker walls followed.
Using the bottom of the firebox as a guide the deck was placed.
Here is a height comparison of the original to the built to an IHC more modern tender. As you can see I was going for in between.
With a bulk of the tender done focus returned to the engine starting with placing the ash pans. They are made from .040 with .040 spacers.
A piece of styrene was cut as a guesstimate which can always be sanded later. Then the smokebox base was placed in the .040, .010, .040 sandwich I have used before. The hinges and latches are .010 pieces, the headlight and number board were also place at this point. I chose the rectangular number board which the engines got late in life just before retirement. Through most of their career they would have had a circle number board.
Then the running boards were installed glued to the front of the firebox.
I wanted to revise my cab design a little as some of the full .010 cabs have drooped a little after being finished. This is normally fixable but I'd rather not have to. I went with .040 front and back walls with the rear section being glued to the running board first. Then the cab sides, still .010 were glued to the rear wall, and the front wall followed being glued to the side then the floor. This gut down on measuring and having to place the front and back perfectly before the sides went in. I also meant to do the window frames on the cab side before they were installed but forgot. Not a huge problem its just easier to do it that way. Putty was used later to fill any open seam around the boiler.
Next was the rear shade, starting with the .040 base. Then a piece of .010 was wrapped around the frame. To keep the shape at the end, a piece of .040 is glued to the rear under side.
The boiler bands and air tanks were next to go on.
This was the point it was looking right to me.
The sand dome is placed in the center of the short boiler section between the cab and smokebox. The dome started as .010 wrapped around several times and glued together with the outer seam then sanded flush. It was then capped with 2 layers of .040 and sanded round to finished the dome shape. Other parts appeared as I was waiting for things to dry.
Also while things were drying I got some finishing done on the pilot, first extending the coupler pocket and then making the footboards.
The stack and dome were then puttied and left to dry. After drying the putty was sanded.
I wanted to do something for a cab interior on this one. Nothing too complex just something to give the idea of controls. The block in the center is quick steam dome, if you can manage to see it with the roof on. The injector lifter is a reused bachmann spectrum 2-8-0 piece.
I even dismembered and reassembled an old proto 2000 diesel figure for a cab figure. This one will be the first to have an engineer.
The roof is .010 fitted for the base dimensions then the center line is found and the vent holes are cut. Then the vents are placed on the glued down roof.
Heres where it sits now. There is still a bunch of little things to do before final detailing.
Looks like a great build, can't wait for the finished engine. Wish I had your talent.
Thanks! Anyone can build, just have to go for it and practice.
With the major structures all done, most of the work to be done before adding plumbing is a lot of finishing edges and detail pieces. Work continued the tender making the water hatch and placing the rear headlight with the LED that came with the engine in place. The headlight protector I usually make out of brass to hold its shape in one piece I did in plastic to not short the leads of the LED.
The rear footboards and steps were built too at this time.
I then added the steps to the rear running boards on the firebox and made some fire doors. Then the a strip of .010 was put on the rear shade as trim.
Some putty was added to smooth the seam of the bunker before the trim on the tender was added. The images shows the trim in place around the top parameter.
The roundhouse engine did not come with break shoes so that is what I focused on next. This starts by drilling at least a divot on the frame for a piece of wire to be glued into in between the drivers.
Thin strips of .010 are drilled and cut to fit in between the drivers testing the driver movement.
Then small crescent shapes are made for the shoes themselves and glued inline with the wheel.
Then the rear ladder was made on the back of the tender, all .010.
With rivets placed it is now ready for plumbing and final detailing.
The final detailing started with the tender, I added a number board in the process.
On the boiler the sander lines went down first then the air compressor was hooked up. I used a piece of "wrapped pipe" left over from a steam turret as the steam lead to the compressor.
Here is the fireman's side ready for paint.
The engineers side started the same way with sanders first, then the injector lines. The electric line to the markers and headlight starts at the little box on the cab front to the left marker light where I put a small junction box then it continues to the other marker light where another junction box is, seen on the previous picture. Its .010 wire with little .010 styrene squares.
Here is the engineers side ready to go.
For the sake of trying not to crush the details I was adding while I was doing them I added weight last from lead sheet pieces. I did what I could to where I knew it would not effect the motor or drive, but i didn't cram it in every place possible. Being a smaller engine if it does 15 cars I'll be happy.
The weather is supposed to be nice this week so I will probably start painting sooner then later.
While painting I did a painted unlettered shot. Still a bit gooey in the shot, gloss spots for decals seen as well.
1102 is now in service on local jobs where ever management sees fit.
The fireman gives a wave to the camera while waiting for a high priority train to pass.
Here it is in action. The last clip is of a Wilmington Northern local complete with combine and caboose.
Simply awesome!
Nice. That little bugger can really pull!
I'd like it to pull more, probably with some bullforg snot. I have been wanting to put some on the LNE 2-8-0 I did too. The clip of 31 hoppers is pulled by an I-8 I did, I like putting clips of other trains mixed in as "other traffic" and was going to have the I-6 "waiting" for the line to clear. I think I got a little caught up in trying to bet the room bright enough to really get that across.
Another excellent piece of work. Looks awesome.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Where can I buy a ticket to ride that combine?
Tom
That turned out really nice. Congrats.
Steve S
Thanks guys, stay tuned for more...
What's next, a P6? Dec 1982 has Geissel drawings of some - just saying.
Certinly one I might do, but having moved recently while going through some things I came across some engines I had that didn't fit the anthracite theme. Some have been done already like a Reading E-5 and the Lehigh Valley R-1. Next up is to do something with a pair of IHC 2-8-0s that at this point are going to be built to engines for 2 different roads. Its something to work on until I go to a show and hunt for something else.
AWESOME WORK YOU HAVE TO START ANOTHER PROJECT