# Tuscarora Railroad #2 (Post-wreck)



## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Here's a photo of TRR #2, (former ET&WNC #2) after she arrived on the Tuscarora Railroad. Number 2 provided regular service on the TRR, handling freight or passenger trains with great aplomb. Unfortunately, she couldn't handle a washout that occurred in April 1923, which sent her rolling down the embankment, taking quite a toll on the loco and tender. She wasn't damaged bad enough to be written off, so she was loaded onto a flat car and shipped back to Baldwin for a rebuild. Baldwin sent her back, sporting many modern conveniences, and a much larger tender. She would go on to serve the TRR until the very end. 


Here's the "new" #2, ready for the paint shop. 











The reality of the situation is that I needed the cab, domes, and tender off of a Bachmann 2-6-0 for a model of EBT #3 that I'm working on. Bruce Chandler and I were going to trade some B'mann consolidation domes and tender I had lying about for the respective parts off of his 2-6-0, but I ultimately ended up buying it outright. Off came the boiler, cab, domes, and tender, leaving me with a 2-6-0 chassis. So, I decided to take the aforementioned consolidation parts and make a more modern 2-6-0. Instead of just building another locomotive, I decided to continue my theme of "latter day" TRR locomotives started with TRR #10. Many narrow gauge locomotives went through considerable cosmetic changes over their lives, so I figured it only natural for TRR #2 to follow suit.
















The chassis is stock Bachmann. The boiler is 2" ID ABS pipe. The boiler is lagged with 1/16" cork, then wrapped in .005" styrene. The smokebox is just wrapped in the styrene, with no cork lagging. The tender is a shortened and narrowed B-mann 2-8-0 tender, the cab from a B'mann 4-6-0.











The cowcatcher is a narrowed K-27 cowcatcher. I took about 1/2" out of the middle. A Bachmann 4-6-0 smokebox door fits nicely over the end of the ABS pipe. The number plate is off of an old Delton C-16. The coupler is an AMS 1:32 coupler, coupler lift brackets from Trackside Miniatures. The stack is from an Accucraft C-16, class lamps from Ozark. They will be lit once I'm finished. 













Perhaps the most noteworthy departure from my normal c. 1900 locomotives comes in the electric generator and modern fittings. The steam line is attached to the handrail stanchions with thin wire. I would have thought the prototype would have been a bit more elegant about that, but evidently bailing wire has many uses on the railroad. 











On the other side of the generator, electrical conduit carries the wires to and from the headlight, class lights, and cab. 












The running boards are .060" styrene, held to the brackets with PECO track nails. These are very thin tacks that have a nice, small head. The sand lines (probably my least favorite plumbing to fit because of the compound curves) are concrete rebar tie wire. It's a fairly soft steel, so you can easily bend it to shape, but it's hard enough to withstand being bumped. Why didn't I think of that before?











The underside of the brackets that hold the running boards in place. The pins are simply bent over underneath, then the bracket is screwed into the ABS pipe. You can also see the aluminum duct tape I used to cover the front edge of the cork lagging. 











I hate plumbing. Every time I do a dual airpump setup, I'm reminded why I prefer to model the pre-air-brake era.











The air tanks under the cab came off of a Bachmann 4-6-0. All the pipes are tucked behind the air tanks, where they conveniently disappear from sight, saving me the hassle of actually having to run them from one side to the other and up into the cab. Out of sight, out of mind. I was at first very leery of using the cab off of a Bachmann 4-6-0, given that it's a 1:22.5 model, and my mogul is 1:20.3. However, I compared the dimensions of that cab when measured in 1:20.3, and it came out very similar in size to the cabs on other narrow gauge moguls, so who was I to argue. I still have this little nagging feeling in the back of my head, but so far it's not enough to get me to rip the cab off and build a new one. (I've done that on other locos.) Fortunately, four screws pops the cab off, so if ever I decide to build a new one, it's easy to replace. 












The interior of the cab is only loosely detailed. It's not very visible, so I didn't worry about getting all the plumbing perfect. The fireman and engineer are loosely in place, though the engineer will have a proper seat when things are done. I've got enough room in the cab, I might put a third person in there--a fireman trainee, perhaps. 











The fall plate (the deck that goes between the cab and the tender) is held in place with some rather simple hooks--tie wire threaded through the openings and bent upwards, then tucked into the corner. 












The tender is a narrowed, shortened Bachmann 2-8-0 tender, sitting on a scratchbuilt frame. The headlight is off of the 4-6-0. 











Screws hold the front wall of the tender in place. The top doesn't have anything holding it together, as I figured I'd probably end up cutting that out, anyway for the electronics.











The rear of the tender is also held together with styrene splice plates, though they're just glued in place. Screws would have been visible. 











The frame is pretty simple--just a basic basswood frame with 3/32" basswood sheet for the decking. The trucks are 2-8-0 tender trucks, the air brake cylinder off of a Bachmann 1:20 flat car. 











From here, it's off to the paint shop, then some final detailing, weathering, and electronics installation. 


Later,

K


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

K -

I like her classic "turn-of-the-century" looks -- 20th Century, that is. Can't wait to see 'er all painted up.

Great job! 

P.S. Where do you get the rebar wire?


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

*Impressive workmanship as usual for your efforts, Kevin! *







*Looks GREAT! *







*Tom*


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## daveyb (Feb 28, 2009)

it looks really great but my eyes get drawn to the cab,,, it looks so small ,,, id just have to rip it off i couldnt live with it,,, and id probably have sleepless nights about it!! 



only joking ,,envy is a sin,,, actually it looks really good and im so jealous,,, i have a 2 6 0 and a 4 4 0 that i would love to modernise and this has given me so many ideas,, i have a big hauler that i was going to give to a nephew for a xmas present,, 

guess he will be getting a snooker table now!! 

cant wait to see your paintwork 

davey b


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Really beautifully done.I have no idea how you get wire bent that accurately and that smoothly. Looking forward to the final finish 

But why do you have power pickup tabs on the tender wheels? Isn't the Tuscarora a battery outfit?


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks great, Kevin. Very nicely done.


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## R Snyder (May 12, 2009)

Really nice work!


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

it looks really great but my eyes get drawn to the cab,,, it looks so small ,,, id just have to rip it off i couldnt live with it,,, and id probably have sleepless nights about it! 

Oh, you are positively evil! (I love it!) The biggest problem with my perception of the cab is that it's been sharing my shelf railroad in the workshop with my K-27. Try spending all day surrounded by NFL linebackers, then try to convince yourself that "average" sized people aren't tiny. In terms of relative size, it's the height and width as the Heisler, just under a scale 8' wide. It's wider than the stock 2-6-0 by a scale 6" or so. Once I see it on the railroad in the back yard, I think my eyes will recalibrate to normalcy. 

Jack, you can get the rebar wire at Home Depot or Lowes. Look next to the rebar. It comes in a spool around 6" round. There's more wire there than you will use in a lifetime all for around $5. What's particularly nice about it is that it's the proper diameter to thread for 0-80 nuts. I primarily use it for truss rods and things like that, as shown on my wood hopper: 










It's just under .060" diameter, which works out to a hair over 1" scale. 

Mike, get a pair of round-nosed pliers. I've got a pair that starts around 3/16" at the base, then tapers to less than 1/16" at the tip. It's great for making tight, smooth bends. If I need something slightly wider, I just bend slightly, move the pliers a bit, then keep bending; working around to get the diameter I need. For larger bends, I find something in the workshop around the right diameter and bend the wire around that. The sand lines are bent by hand--the benefit of a softer wire. 

The track pick-ups are there mostly for the benefit of my current GR column on various control methods. I'll be using this tender to show how to install different styles of controls, so track power leads are a must. The fringe benefit is that this arrangement also allows me to power the electronics from either track or battery power. This means I can go to operate on the club's railroad and not have to worry about making sure my batteries are charged if I so desire. (Assuming the club's track power is filtered, linear DC as opposed to PWM.) I've got that arrangement in my K-27 right now, not that I've taken advantage of it yet. 

Gotta run to the store to get some primer. It's going to be 60+ degrees today, perfect for opening the garage and painting. Tomorrow, we're expecting 12" of snow. Gotta love spring in the Rockies. 

Later, 

K


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Gorgeous Kevin! Some really nice detail. I assume you are going to weather her after the painting?


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

What a great "modernization" project! I'm really impressed at how well it's turning out! I can't wait to see pics of the engine painted up!


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## Greg Stevens (Jan 3, 2008)

K, love those running board brackets. Where did they come from? Are they pieces off of a brass shape, commercially available or home made. If home made, how about a short tutorial? I have been looking for something sturdy like those for some time. Great job on the conversion.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Greg, it's just Special Shapes (K&S) C channel, 1/8" x 1/16". I've used regular bar stock in the past, but (a) Caboose didn't have any, and (b) I like the aesthetics of this better. Two bends--one to make the main angle, and a much more subtle one on the downward leg so it curves around to match the curve of the boiler. That bend doesn't have to be perfect, as the screw holds it in place, but you want support at two points against the boiler so it doesn't wiggle. 

Later, 

K


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Mighty fine! And way out of my league. Great work, Kevin.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I also really like the hybrid modernized look--looks like a loco in use. The 4-6-0 cab look fine to me as well.

When I'm trying to bend wire, the problem is always getting the fit right. Do you bend them in place, or close to in place? Plumbing the compressors must have been a bear of a job


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin,

Been following your progress. Your conversion is excellent. I'm always impressed with your attention to detail. Many of us continue to benefit from your modeling ideas. I think I'll stick to rolling stock for now. In my opinion, locomotives are a lot tougher to model than cars.

Doc


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## Dave Ottney (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, 
This is a great, it acts as a tutorial for those of us who don't have a clue. Excellent modeling and I can't wait to see how it looks with one of your expert paint jobs. 
Dave


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, 

A lovely job as usual. I'm curious about your 'modern' look yet half your coaches are back-dated to the early 1900s ? Guess they never got around to putting electric lights in them! 

Where do you get those Peco track nails, btw? Are they the IL-11 'Rail Nails' ? Or the code 83 HO nails stocked by Walthers: 
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/552-SL8314

Suppose I could get my sister-in-law in Brum to find some for me. . .


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good, Kevin, as usual.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Mike, mostly I kind of measure and bend as I go--not necessarily right in place, but checking each bend as best I can against the model as I bend it. Some bends aren't quite as critical as others, so I can be a bit looser in how things go. There's also usually a small degree of wiggle room to where I can relax a curve here to compensate there. 

Pete, the track nails are PECO SL-8314. You can order them online from Caboose Hobbies. They had a bunch hanging on the wall a few weeks ago when I looked. 

As for the "modern" look, it's a seed that was planted when I "Rio-Grande-ized" a Bachmann 2-8-0 last year. I liked the look of that loco as much as I liked TRR #3, and it got me thinking that perhaps I'd like to experiment at least once with a more "modern" locomotive for my roster. Later, when I decided to do the K-27 for the TRR, it clearly wouldn't fit my c. 1913 scheme, so I began to think about what the TRR would look like later in its life. It worked very well with the notion of a "modernized" #2, so the two locomotives represent the "next chapter." It works to my advantage, really. Now I can continue modeling the EBT's rolling stock as it progresses into the steel era. (I'm thinking my two as-yet-unweathered B'mann hoppers may get lettered properly for the "rock" hoppers.) 

Later, 

K


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, 

I love the classic lines of that beauty. You've got a great eye for the steam lokies of that era. Makes one wonder why manufacturers have so little imagination for reconstituting existing models into different eras.


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## trainbuffjr (Jan 11, 2008)

Awesome job as usual Kevin!


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## ORD23 (Jan 2, 2010)

Kev, the nuts on the plumbing (air pumps/generator), where do you get those? Also, your figures, where'd you get those? Lagging with cork, are you doing that to just build up the boiler so that it is larger than the smokebox? Do you paint the loc as is, or do you take parts off and then paint? Sorry for all the questions but, when you model as you do, you draw a large crowd of ogglers. First rate model from you as usual, you rock! 

Ed


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## SilverSanJuan (Mar 12, 2010)

Beautiful work Kevin! Thanks for sharing your time and talent with us. I'm about to start dressing up a B-mann 4-6-0. So, this sort of information is invaluable. 

Todd


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Ed, the nuts are Ozark Miniatures castings. They're perfect for 1/16" brass wire. Here's the catch--they're about the same cost per nut as real 0-80 nuts from Small Parts. But there's just something inherently wrong about drilling out perfectly good threads, so I'm just as happy to use the white metal castings instead. 

The figures I got at the Narrow Gauge Convention. I want to say I got those particular ones from RGSRR Hobbies (Greg Posta's store), but I was on a figure-buying spree, and don't remember for certain. They were just loose, so I don't know who made them. 

The lagging is indeed just to build up the diameter of the boiler relative to the smokebox. I used the cork for my live steamers since it's insulative, and just migrated the technique to the sparkies. On the steamers, I rely on the boiler bands to physically hold the lagging and the jacket in place, just like the prototype. On the sparkies, I use glue. It's easier. Actually on this one, I used two-sided craft tape, then just hit the ends with solvent cement to keep them from peeling. 

As far as painting, it depends on the particular locomotive as to how far down I'm going to "strip" it before painting. On this one here, I broke it down to major assemblies (boiler--minus cab, frame, tender frame, tender shell, and some of the larger plumbing bits like the air pump assembly and other small fittings that go between the assemblies like the boiler stays and cylinder lubricator lines. I took the siderods off the frame, but left everything else in place. The domes, generator, handrail stanchions, running boards, and other small details stayed in place on the boiler. I could do that on this loco because it's got a painted jacket, as opposed to a (simulated) plannished iron one. When I'm doing that, I've got to strip the boiler down so I can spray it with the buffable paint, then buff it to its shiny finish. It's a bit of a bear to do that with a bunch of plumbing in place. 

Back to this loco, it's got a green boiler jacket, which I just brush painted. I did the same thing on TRR #10, the K-27 repaint I did over the summer. I've found ModelFlex paint to work very well for brush painting, giving a rather smooth, even finish. Sometimes it's not as smooth as you'd get if you airbrushed it, but by the time I'm done with the weathering, you'd never notice. 

BTW, I hope to have photos of the finished loco later this weekend. I've got to do the coal load yet, which is today's project. It's looking very sharp--and I'm finally sold on the cab now that it's painted! 

Later, 

K


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## Mr Ron (Sep 23, 2009)

Posted By ORD23 on 24 Mar 2010 11:26 PM 
Kev, the nuts on the plumbing (air pumps/generator), where do you get those? Also, your figures, where'd you get those? Lagging with cork, are you doing that to just build up the boiler so that it is larger than the smokebox? Do you paint the loc as is, or do you take parts off and then paint? Sorry for all the questions but, when you model as you do, you draw a large crowd of ogglers. First rate model from you as usual, you rock! 

Ed You can get steel 0-80 nuts from Mc Master-Carr for $4.55/100. If you have a Fasternal in your area, they too carry them.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

You know how washing your car invariably makes it rain the next day? Well, the same must have held true for the TRR, because no sooner did the paint dry on #2 but she went and got all sorts of dirt on her. 










Fireman's Side 









Front 









As I mentioned above, the locomotive was painted primarily in large sub-assemblies; the boiler, cab, chassis, with just a few small bits and pieces painted separately. Everything was primed with Krylon grey primer, then sprayed with Krylon semi-flat black. From there, all the other colors were done with a brush. Weathering was done with a mixture of washes and dry powders, with some drybrushing here and there for highlights. 










The smokebox, after being sprayed, was washed with flat black paint, with a hint of dark brown streaked here and there. The marker lights are Ozark castings which I chemically blackened with Blacken-it. It makes them look more rusty than black, so I then painted them black as well. The LEDs are warm white LEDs from a string of Christmas lights. The lenses are actually the tips of the plastic "bulbs" that went over the LEDs. 










The pilot and coupler were washed with more brown tones, then brushed with Bragdon's weathering powders, primarily brown. The air hose is also an Ozark casting (I had to replace the one I used at first because I couldn't find a hose or end that fit. I like this one much better, anyway.). I left this the "rusty" look, with just some dry brushing to highlight it. The coupler chain is a touch oversized, but my blackened brass chain I usually use is vacationing in a parallel dimension at the moment. 










It's difficult to see, but the boiler jacket is actually a dark green. I used a brush to paint ModelFlex "Seaboard Airline Pullman Green" to the boiler after I sprayed everything. The ModelFlex paint brushes on rather evenly, and smooths out nicely. It took a few coats, and there are still some "uneven" spots here and there, but they blend in to the weathering very nicely. I painted around the domes, plumbing, and boiler bands. The boiler was then washed with a dilute flat black paint wash, followed by powders. I used a paper towel to wipe the wash and powder off the side of the boiler, so the original green can show through better. 










The striping on the domes is vinyl tape. I use the stuff sold for R/C cars that comes in different widths. Once I'm out of the smallest sizes, I just cut to width from the larger sizes. A long straight edge and a sharp X-acto knife are your friend. The #2 is off of my Alps printer. I got some "silvering" on some of my decals this time. I'm convinced its because of the paper I used, which was a little on the old side. It wasn't bad enough for me to scrape off and start over again, so I just blended it in with the weathering as best I could. 










More of the boiler weathering back at the cab. I used a heaver wash of black paint on the top of the boiler where the cinders and soot would rain down. The cab got a similar wash of blacks with a little brown here and there for highlights. I washed the windows at the same time, then took a Q-tip to wipe away some of it after it had dried to "clean" the window. I didn't want a Windex shine on the entire window, but I wanted the crew to be able to see. The hard water stains from the washout plugs are drybrushed on. 










Now that I look at this photo, I think the air pumps are a bit too "clean". I should probably do a bit of rust here and there around the fittings and some dirt behind the pumps. 










The side of the cab, with crew in place. More vinyl tape for the stripes, and decal for the number. 










The firebox was washed with lighter browns and tans, to suggest ash and cinders. The siderods were painted with ModelFlex's dull coat, then washed with darker washes for dirt and grime. Then the entire frame was brushed with tan and brown weathering powders to bring out the details a bit. 










Our engineer. I wish I could remember who made him. Painted with acryilics. I'm a bit bummed in that I actually did a good job on the faces (an accomplishment for me), but both the engineer and fireman are looking inward! Just my luck. I'll do the next one who's looking out, and he'll look like Tammy Fae Baker. The cab fittings are more suggestive than realistic in this instance. One could go completely nuts detailing a cab. 










The fireman was made by the same company as the engineer. Both had a little flashing to clean up, but that was it. To paint them, I chose a base color, then lightened and darkened that shade with white and black paints for highlights and shadows. Note the fireman's scoop in the corner of the cab. Most firemen lean the scoop in the tender, but I have the tender shell removable to get to the batteries. 










The deckplate between the engine and tender, showing the combination of washes and drybrush techniques to highlight the steps and end beams. Below the deck, you can see the electrical connections between the loco and tender. There are 7 wires, running forward via two plugs. Two for the motor, two for the chuff contact, and three for the lights (one common, two return for the headlight and class lights so I can turn them off independently. I liked how I ended up wired TRR #10 (the K-27) so that the headlight and class lights are controllable via separate functions, but the reverse light is directional. I did this one the same way. I could just as easily made the headlight directional. 










Speaking of back-up lights, how's about a nice bright one. More of the black acrylic wash and dry powder weathering on the tender, including the "splash spray" from wheels from adjacent cars running up the back of the tender. 










So, what do you do when your railroad gets "run of mine" coal straight from the tipple? Well, you need a "big honkin' hammer" to bust up the coal into smaller lumps. I found this in a parts bag, so I had to include it. The coal is real coal, busted up with a 1:1 "big honkin' hammer." I was thinking of "cheating" on this one, using aquarium charcoal instead, as I was told that had a very realistic look to it. The stuff I found was far too small to be suitable for large scale. O scale, maybe. So, it was back to bustin' up coal. (I have to admit, busting up coal is very therapeutic.) 










And more clutter behind the coal load. The coal dust was glued in place when I did the main coal load, by sprinkling it then gluing it with white glue. Unfortunately when I did that, the whole of the tender deck got the same kind-of satin finish to it, so I went back in with a wash to try to dull the surface again. Then more powders, and the clutter to break up it up a bit. 










And an overall view from behind. The rust streak on the tender is strategically located over the seam from where I shortened it. It wasn't near as smooth as I had hoped it would be, and I got tired of filling, sanding, painting, repeating. I got it close enough then weathered it. Gotta love weathering. The evils you can hide... 










Again, a look from above. After everything was painted, I really began to like the proportions of the cab. I think it was the striping that finally sealed the deal for me on that. Weird how things work sometimes. 










And finally, "old" and "new," side by side. 

Now, back to EBT #3... 

Later, 

K


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

I've learned that a sign of a professional is they make it look easy, you make it look very easy. But I know it's not  I'm just in awe at your weathering  Thanks for sharing the details and pics of your latest. I've got another bookmark when I get some time to do some weathering!


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## scoobster28 (Sep 15, 2008)

They both look good! Great job, great write up. And I will agree with you that busting real coal is theraputic... but if you do it on your kitchen floor make sure you clean it up before the wife gets home. And remember that pounding on coal inside a sealed ziplock bag will probably break the bag and let coal dust out. 

The things we learn...


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh Kevin! That turned out.......well........_fantastic!!!_ I, too, am in awe of your work! That has to be the best modernization of a Bachmann _Spectrum_ Mogul bar none! Yes, once again a "Master Modeler" has graced us with a wonderful new locomotive!! Thanks for the ringside seat! Oh yeah, when busting coal, always use _two_ zip lock (preferably freezer) bags and do it outside on concrete with a hammer! (Coal dust is really hard to get out of carpet!)


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Beautiful work as always! Although, it does look like you have a couple of broken rungs on the rear tender ladder. 

You mentioned using rebar wire for truss rods... how do you get it straightened out, when it comes rolled?


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow Kevin another awsome engine. The details are great.


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## ORD23 (Jan 2, 2010)

Thanks Kev for all the info. Just love the way the new no. 2 looks with the bigger boiler. Gorgeous! 
Thanks Mr Ron for the link. 

Ed


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Kevin, over the years I've watched you mature into a fine modeler. You're latest creation (OK, so it's a bash) puts you in an exclusive league of MLSers, whose work I admire. Props!


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Beautiful work as always! Although, it does look like you have a couple of broken rungs on the rear tender ladder. 
Yeah, that happens. They've been fixed now. 

You mentioned using rebar wire for truss rods... how do you get it straightened out, when it comes rolled? 
It's malleable enough to where you can pretty much bend it straight by hand. If I need a long length of straight, I'll clamp one end into the vice and just start pulling with vice grips on the other end. That tends to do a pretty good job, too. The small kinks can be bent by hand. 

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I took some of the extra coal and re-did the coal load on my K-27 tender. I'll have to shoot some photos of that. Getting rid of the "socket" allowed me to have a little fun with the tender. 

Later, 

K


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Kevin that just looks fantastic--not just the detail work, but the weathering--it's perfect. You kept some gloss where there would be gloss in a well tended locomotive, you got realistic amounts of grime without having it look like it was rolling in mud. The effect I always end up with is too uniform--that's really impressive


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

As an old electronics technician, here's the easy way to straighten a piece of wire: Clamp one end in a vice. Hold the other end in a pair of heavy lineman's pliers. Give it a jerk. You do it right, and it will make a "twoink" sound and come out straight as an arrow, save for the ends. If it breaks, you twoinked it too hard. Works for itty bitty wires, great monster wires, copper, steel, iron....


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

Posted By Torby on 31 Mar 2010 07:12 AM 
As an old electronics technician, here's the easy way to straighten a piece of wire: Clamp one end in a vice. Hold the other end in a pair of heavy lineman's pliers. Give it a jerk. You do it right, and it will make a "twoink" sound and come out straight as an arrow, save for the ends. If it breaks, you twoinked it too hard. Works for itty bitty wires, great monster wires, copper, steel, iron.... 
And for aluminum extrusion, too, just in case you ever have to do that. You'll need something heftier than lineman's pliers, though.







That's how they straighten 100' lengths of extrusion after it comes out of the extrusion die.

You don't have to give it a jerk, you just have to pull on it hard enough to permanently stretch it a bit. Jerking is just a way of reaching "hard enough". Slow and steady will produce the same result. It's the permanent strain in the longitudinal axis that straightens the material. Very easy with small-diameter brass or copper wire because of the low strength of those materials. Bigger wire and stronger materials just require more force.


Beautiful work, Kevin! And excellent photography, too.


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## gnichols (Jan 9, 2008)

I like it! Gary


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good. Later RJD


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## Don Gilham (Dec 27, 2007)

Kevin, JonathanJ just pointed me at this thread - superb job, well done !!!!


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## southernsandy (Feb 2, 2011)

Excellent modelling and great attention to detail, and you explain it all so clearly too. 
I like the way you use everyday materials, which is one of the benefits of large scale and saves money! 
Keep up the good work here and in GR too.


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