# Making of Old Joe



## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

While waiting on some Mason Bogie parts I have decided on using the left over parts to build a small side tank industrial tank engine. Took the two cab sections and mated them together and glued the two pieces of leftover roofs together. Found the side tanks from a LGB 2017 engine that came off of Rosy, cut off the tab and started filling in some of the holes. Found that the width of the two coupled with a 1" PVC coupling was the same width as the cab. Added the wood bunker from the original Lionel 0-6-0 to the back and shortened a left over frame from a previous butcher job after modifying it to match the motor housing of a newer 2017 block. Still working on a water filler saddle for the side tanks and but did come across a smoke box front of a 2010 which I added to a plastic hole plug and fits nicely into the 3/4" coupling, Added the fire box left over from the sacrificed Spreewald (Mason Bogie drive) and it starting to com together. Today I added rivet detail to the 2 side tanks and gave a light coat of primer. Rivets are actually 1/2 round 2 mm plastic beads glued to the side of the tanks, time consuming but not near as bad as individual holes for each rivet. Still have to find a motor for the motor block as I bought it without but it was new and unused and in great shape and has all the looks of American valving. Think I'll call this engine "old Joe" will post more as the build moves along.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

*Making of old joe*









Got a little done on Old Joe, first set of rivets for the boiler, cut the boiler to the to be length, finished the smoke box door, was able to find a rectangle box for the water reservoir and caped it with the hatch cover from an old Bachmann tender. The reservoir will feed the side tanks via some rubber tubing, actually the outer sheath from an electrical cord, this will allow the engine to take on water from the water tank rather than filling each tank separately via a hose. Started size fitting the front bolster and step cowcatcher, I have a LGB cow catcher I could use but being as this suppose to be a small industrial engine I opted for the former. Was able to stumble across so old plastruct vinyl cover wire and a grooved bracket to mount it with so I made some air piping for under one of the running boards. No the smoke stack isn't going to be square just trying to get an idea on height and that tubing was handy. Found the top to the steam dome just have to cut it to size. Sort of on off building this week trying to get the house ready for guest for thanksgiving of which there will be some little ones, so thought is out of site out of mind, just hope I can remember where I have hidden stuff after wards, more to come, Bill


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

wow that is cool
Dennis


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Very nice, I now know not to throw away any of the irrigation line PVC piping. Like the rivet detail.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Moving along, decided I would try the rust look using rock salt, didn't quite go like the youtube but good enough. Used an oil base rattle can and think it would have probably worked better using acrylic air brush paint. The problem I had with the oil base was it stuck down the salt too well and wound out having to soak it in water for about 1/2 day and still had to scrape some of it off but it gave the result I was looking for so live and learn, using individual rivets, although a pain to install worked out well , had bought some self stick ones thinking I could bypass the gluing step but that didn't work out either. Found that the beads wouldn't come off the shipping paper and left gooey mess around them and found it very hard to position correctly. Got a little paint on the cab and trying to get it to look like old faded wood, and still have a ways to go. Will up date when I get something else done, Bill


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

You hand placed each rivet?


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

That is true, was using Mirce rivets, http://www.nsmodelers.rs/mirce-finish-set---rivets, which are very easy to use but are designed for airplanes and aren't very deep so after a little paint they sort of disappear, then when building the Mason Bogie I was placing a drop of super glue on top for depth which gave the desired look but trying to get the same amount of glue on each rivet was iffy at best. On Old Joe I used the Mirce rivets for location but placed half sided 2mm beads on top. A little time consuming and difficult with my shaky hands but was the best I have been able to come up with so far, am open to suggestions. picture is of the glue method, Bill


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Top stuff! Love the way it looks as if it's worked hard all of its life.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Thanks, Scott, fun build


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

still piddling with Old Joe, been cold here in central Florida east coast and being as my work area is on an open porch I haven gotten a lot done, but things that I have done are time consuming taking planning and thought. Finally figured out how to secure the lead weight in the engine and at the same time secure the boiler to the frame and that was using a furniture fitting that screws into wood an provides machine screw threads in the middle. Put it in the hole that the factory smoke stack went thru and will be held in place with a 1/4 X 20 SS bolt. Then at the same time I secured the cab with 2/56 screws on either side of the side cab openings after building up the area with styrene, in the picture that are a bright silver but will be changing them out for black hex head ones. Found some old steps from a LGB European coach and added them to the cab under the doors openings. The wood bunker is clipped on to the back of the cab and is secured from underneath with screws just like the factory one was so the cab will hold the rear of the boiler and the SS screw will hold the front. Little inside work, I painted on the wood load to give it more of a real appearance and it came out pretty good also dabbed some on the cab to give it a faded wood look. Think I'm going to try some cloth on the cab roof to give it a canvas look. Still have the side tanks to secure and a front bolster with coupler and coupler in the rear, more to come, Bill


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Little more done today, got the cribbing for the wood box finished, painted and installed, but most the time was spent on figuring type, location and mounting of the front coupler. Luckily I found in my collection of Kadee couplers a centerset short gear box # 835 couple which enabled me to mount it to a wood beam and both secured to a small flat protruding plate that is on 2010 engines, there were some angled supports molded in underneath which I had to remove but a sharp chisel made short work of them. The wood beam is actually PVC board that I had ripped sometime ago to make supports for my water tower. The wantabe cow catcher is one left over from a Bachmann Big hauler tender that has excellent forgiveness in the crash department and is great for bending without breakage and gives the build the appearance of a working yard engine. I then secured every thing with 2/56 screws and nuts which can be seen in the picture as silvery dots but will get covered with grimy paint soon. Still trying to find a suitable material to make my canvas roof with, suggestion are welcome. Will post when further achievements are made, Bill


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill;

Not sure this would look like canvas, but you might try the fabric from an old pair of panty hose. 
Stretch a length of it over the roof, actually securing the fabric under the base of the cab. Paint with a white glue, like Elmer's. Once the glue sets, trim with an eXacto knife and paint. Just a thought. May want to try it on some scrap first.

Have fun, David Meashey


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Calico works well, can be weathered in a number of ways. White glue works well to stiffen into position. I use it to represent tarpaulins, awnings, roofing, etc.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Dave Meashey said:


> Bill;
> 
> Not sure this would look like canvas, but you might try the fabric from an old pair of panty hose.
> Stretch a length of it over the roof, actually securing the fabric under the base of the cab. Paint with a white glue, like Elmer's. Once the glue sets, trim with an eXacto knife and paint. Just a thought. May want to try it on some scrap first.
> ...


David, not sure about that I might get distracted procuring the panty hose, LOL, thanks for the idea


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Scott said:


> Calico works well, can be weathered in a number of ways. White glue works well to stiffen into position. I use it to represent tarpaulins, awnings, roofing, etc.



Scott, Thanks for the idea, Bill


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

After several good suggestions from several readers, I found some material that my wife had that had a nice weave and was thin enough to show the groves that I had scribed in the top. Selecting a suitable sized piece I glued it with some titebond glue and allowed to dry. I was going to dye the material with coffee or tea but it had a print on it so I wound up painting it and will probably put some tar patches on it where a ember from the stack landed and caused a burn hole. still more to come, Bill


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Adding details to engine, got air piping along with the air compressor attached to the starboard side water tank + a bell attached to the vertical front of the engine cab and on the port side a air tank, tied the air piping and the air tank together with a pine made from metal wire covered vinyl, also added some hand rails on top of the water tanks for workers that came off and old aristo 0-4-0. Ran across a couple of head lights that I could incorporate into the engine but initially I was not going to put any headlights because it was thought engine only worked during the day, still thinking about that. Also started weathering the engine but a lot left to do, more to come, Bill. Since originally posting I have come to understand that by law the must have a head light so I guess I just have to pick a style.


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Cab looks great. Be interesting to see the style of headlight you add.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Finally decided on a headlight for Old Joe, had a selection of Bachmann, toy train and stanza, and I selected stanza basically because of size and style, but I did cut down the stanza one, removed the side board on the stock one so that the head light stood alone without a back board. Mounted it to the boiler using 2/56 black Allen head screws that are taped into the boiler, painted the one for the front to match the machine yellow that the tank is painted in, just because I waned it to show up more than a drab black or plain one, have a matching vertical one for the rear of the wood tender vertical back but painted that one silver for the same reason as I didn't want it to disappear into the back ground., also modified it in the same manner removing the back board behind the stanza light, think I will paint the reflector bright silver instead of leaving it factory white. more to come, Bill


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, looks like an unpainted brass head lamp, LOOKING GOOD. LiG


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Got a little more done today been tuff cause I'm taking meds for a lung infection and so now I shake more than usual, the Kadee springs were a blast to do. Used my last beam of cut down PVC board from the pillars of my water tower for the rear beam, found a step in my junk collection off a aristo slope back tender and a new Kadee #779 coupler. Being as there is no rear section left on the engine deck, cut it off some time ago, I mounted the beam, coupler assy to the motor block using 2/56 screws taped into the housing and secured with lock tight. Hopefully the meds will be over soon and I can get to some finish assy and wiring, now looking for a usable motor to make it run, more to come , Bill


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill;

The locomotive is really shaping up. I ran into a similar problem trying to mount the coal bunker from the Aristo 0-4-0 to an LGB Porter. As I remember, I used some Plastruct I beams and LOTS of epoxy. 
Fortunately, the coupler mounted rather easily to the coal bunker.









Best, David Meashey


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Dave Meashey said:


> Bill;
> 
> The locomotive is really shaping up. I ran into a similar problem trying to mount the coal bunker from the Aristo 0-4-0 to an LGB Porter. As I remember, I used some Plastruct I beams and LOTS of epoxy.
> Fortunately, the coupler mounted rather easily to the coal bunker.
> ...


 Yes it is a much needed product didn't even know it was available till about 2 weeks ago, thanks for your share like your porter looks good with the now present coal bunker, Bill


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Had a comment that the cab on old Joe looked very shallow so I compared it to an aristo craft 0-4-0 switcher cab it might be 1/16" less not enough to matter


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

While looking for a figure to be Old Joe's engineer and fireman, thought the engine was small enough that 1 person could preform both jobs, I came across is figure from American diorama which seemed to fit the bill, pot bellied, standing and aged looking, only problem was he was carrying a took box and a wrench that was necessary for his job as an engineer/fireman. so I changed the toolbox to a log and removed the wrench also reformed his hat and dirtied him up a little.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Time to get back to work on Old Joe. With the Christmas crowd gone and the stuff put away figured it was time to get back to the construction of Old Joe. Never really stopped work but had only been piddling with guests here and medical issues, I had painted the engineer/fireman, and weathered the engine a little. Got tied up with the LSC MIK challenge but think I can do both just have to do a little juggling. Yesterday I got the new motor installed in the motor block and got the block reinstalled in the chassis which allowed me to start assembly of the boiler, side tanks and cab with wood chute. At the same time I ran wiring from the front head light back to the rear along with the motor wires. When I got done I powered it up on the roller bearings and it runs like a champ. The firewood bunker is real neat as it just slides on to the back of the cab and is all hollow back there leaving enough room to make up the wiring which I still have to do. Placed the engineer/fireman in the cab and he looks great, more to come, Bill


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking great! The only suggestion I would make is to get rid of the shine on the engineer. Maybe some dirt too.


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, he seems to fit perfectly. LiG


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## on30gn15 (May 23, 2009)

Nice thing about G scale is that the figures are rather easier to modify than with Z scale, for example.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

Old Joe, with the MIK challenge finish I have returned to unfinished projects and being as the least amount of work required was on Old Joe I worked on him. Got the number plate finished along with the whistle, wired up both lights and secured all the screws then tested and it works. He is a combination of parts left from previous builds. Cab is 2 rear sections of Lionel 0-6-0 gold rush special which were left over from my Mason Bogie build, along with the roof and fuel bunker, boiler is PVC fittings, side tanks came from a cut down LGB 2017 that were left from "Rosy's" saddle tanker build, lights came from a LGB 2010 that I built into a Forney, steam dome is a PVC pipe cap, whistle is parts from a electrical connector, left over bell, smoke stack was made from brass 1/4" pipe, firebox is left from my Spreewalt that was the chassis donor for my Mason Bogie build, cab steps were from an old LGB European low side gondola, water fill hatch off a Bachmann 4-6-0 tender from my 2-6-2 prairie build, the chassis and Kadee couplers are new and the bolsters are front is from the rear of the 4-6-0 tender and the rear came from the back on a aristo sloped back tender, Fun build


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## Nick Jr (Jan 2, 2008)

Bill, the beauty is in the details, excellent job, and satisfying that it also runs great. LiG


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