# My Cute lil engine



## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

Chaps,
I've been on the road a great deal in the last couple of months and not had the chance to keep in touch.
This lil loco is a simple Mimi kitbash I did (actually more a simple repaint with some new parts stuck on), but I've not had the chance to show you.

The engine is loosely based on the host of tiny narrow gauge locos that Rogers built for Mexico and S America in the 1870s. No real work was done to the Mimi at all, except to unbolt the rear truck to make it a 2-4-0, repaint with heat resistant paints, create decals on CAD and have Stan print them for me, and use some of my self designed CAB and pilot kits, laser cut and available from Bronson tate Architectural models - these cabs etc fit on Mimi, Ida Ruby etc very easily.
The stack and headlight were bolt-ons, provided by Accucraft.

Its a sweet running engine - so far I've fired it up about 12 times and the decals, paint and clear coat seem to be holding up to the heat fine.

Enjoy.

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David.


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

David,
Very crisp finish and yes, it is a cute lil engine.... Nice job.


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## Ed Hume (Jan 3, 2008)

David, that is a gorgeous job. Were the decals a custom order? And what did you use for a clearcoat? Also the boiler color looks like the authenic Russian blue - is that a heat resistant paint or coating? 

I love the appearance.


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## rbednarik (Jan 2, 2008)

Fletch, 

As always, a work of art. It's definitly got great character and the looks to match it.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Right nice, David. Yes, a very, very nice locomotive. Another wonderful creation.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes indeed very nice. cute as you say. Later RJD


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Sweet! 

Nice looking engine indeed!


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Still cant believe it is a ruby. Great job.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

She's a little gem David! Looks like you've done it again... another outstanding job!


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

What a beauty! Your skill with color and lining is certainly impressive, and I continue to enjoy the benefit of it with my AC 4-4-0. Your little engine shows that size isn't everything in this hobby! 

Larry


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks chaps, 
She sure is a cutie...incidentially the lil engine in my sig is also a Rogers export engine, for Mexico, a 2-4-4T. 

I drew up the decal work on CAD and Stan Cedarleaf then sets up the work for him to print to decal sheet - Stan offers the custom service like that. You may recognise some of the scrollwork decoration around the '3' on the tender..borrowed some of my CAD work from the Accucraft Grass Valley tender art I did! 

The smokebox is painted an engine black, heat paint in a spray pack. The boiler jacket is also paint - some local product we have here called 'Pot Belly Black', its another heat resistant paint, for touching up pot belley stoves, but makes for great graphite paint or Russia Iron. Its a spray pack as well. Gordon Watson put me onto that one. 
The clear coat is only applied to decaled areas, with the risk areas only the dome sides. All other areas are not hot where decals are placed. I used a heavy enamel clear coat for that, same as I used on the added decals to NGNC #2, which has been good so far. My initial tests with acrylic clear coat a couple of years back were not great...the paint didnt bubble or crack, just sort of evaporated! 

Stan has the decal sheet available for this engine if you want it. 

David.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Very impressive, like it even better than the Ft. Wilderness (particularly with the cost difference).


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

SweeT! How did you attach the handrails to the boiler?


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

The hand rails were already on the Mimi - a real bonus. I think they bolted and soldered them into the boiler itself...not something I'd want to do myself! 
Before I got hold of Mimi to do this, I was just going to adjust a stock Ruby. In that instance I was going to use a brass wrapper around the boiler as a jacket and attach the hand rails to that...but Mimi made it easier. I did nothing to the engine but add paint and a couple of parts. 

David.


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

That is a great job. I can't wait to show this to Karen, she wants her Ruby personalized with a cow catcher, cone stack and headlamp. What was the price for the stack and light from accucraft?


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

David: Truly beautiful. Good show mate. What did you do for the cab?

Stan: If you are out there, what is the cost of the decals? 


Many thanks for sharing, Bob


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

Re the stack and headlight..I purchased those through caboose Hobbies a couple of years back, but you can also purchase directly from Acc..Note that this is the 1:24 scale (smaller) Radley Hunter Stack, not the newer 1:20.3 version (which would be way too big for these lil engines). 
Acc parts are here: 
http://www.accucraft.com/index.php?categoryID=66 
looking at that page looks like they only have the Sunflower stack left from the 1:24 range. The Radley Hunter might still be available at other places like Caboose Hobbies. 

Headlights: 
http://www.accucraft.com/index.php?categoryID=11&offset=5 

The one I used is on the 2nd page - half way down and is a 1:20.3 unit from NGNG mogul. 

The cab and pilot I designed as laser cut kits early in the year and are available through Bronson Tate Architectural models, I designed for different kit for cabs - all to fit on Ruby, Ida, Mimi etc. Cabs are here: 

http://www.bronson-tate.com/kits/live-steam/index.shtml 

I have a couple of new Ruby pilots in the works, but for this Mimi bash, I just used one of my Porter class pilot kits from Bronson - the 'Short' pilot, seen here: 

http://www.bronson-tate.com/kits/master-class/index.shtml 

Thats all there is to it! 

David.


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