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An article in the August 1986 Model Railroader triggered this kit-bash. It showed how to make a Northern Pacific W-3 Mikado from a Rivarossi Heavy Mike. This N.P. class mike is my favorite Mikado steam locomotive. While it certainly is not an exact copy, it is close enough to capture the look of N.P.'s big W-3 mike. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v642/markdeschane/a2a02405.jpg[/IMG] (Image changed from original to show caboose, which is discussed on a different thread). To start the engine kit bash, I disassembled the locomotive. I cut off the sand dome and filled and smoothed the place where it had been. I made a new dome from wood with a dowel for a mandrill. I chucked this in my drill motor and turned it to the correct shape and size. When satisfied with it's shape I applied a coat of Squadron's green putty and sanded this smooth. Finally, I glued the new dome in position and used green putty to make a fillet around the base of dome. A turret dome was added just ahead of the cab, as well as two deflectors in front of the cab. I sliced off some of the boiler walks, where these needed to be moved and re-located them. I removed most of the boiler piping and other unusable details. The head light was removed and replaced with a brass N.P. style headlight, MV lens and L.E.D. headlight. Number boards were made up and added. Brass details such as; power reverse, injectors, cocks, blow offs, cylinder cocks and other equipment added. Air tanks of plastic tubing and brass wire piping was added in the locations the W-3 had them in. The running gear, motor and mechanism are stock. The trailing truck is the original, however modified to look like the W-3's. The stock Rivarossi pilot was cut off and a commonwealth cast iron pilot installed in it's stead. The tender was modified, also. 3 feet were cut out of the water tank to shorten the tender' length. The coal bunker was raised with Evergreen plastic and a Brakeman's dog house built and added on the tank's after deck. The original trucks were used, but modified to look like the tender trucks used by the N.P.'s W-3 mikes. Since being built a few years ago, a Digitrax DH123 decoder was installed in the tender. Right now, she's too shiny and needs weathering. People have told me number 1800 was also an oil burner, as were many of N.P.'s locos out on the west end. The unique thing about the W-3 to me is the shorty tender! Why N.P. used such a short tender on a big loco, I don't understand. Many W-3s carried an auxiliary tender with them almost permanently. I have a photo on the back of one of my NPRHA Calenders showing Number 1800 with Albert Farrow at the throttle. I have a VHS tape from the NPRHA, of home movies taken by Mr. Farrow of many N.P. steam locomotives. Mr. Farrow died not to long ago. One of the last of the steel men of the Northern Pacific, which after all, was "Really Terrific".
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