# Having some fun bashing an LGB C&S Mogul



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

For a while now, I have wanted to get a couple of reliable, small locomotives in 1:22.5 scale. I have always been partial to Colorado and the ubiquitous C&S Mogul from LGB has always been one of my favorites. I started out with a plan to try and save a few bucks by finding one on ebay. Since I am planning on adding an RCS Elite system and Sierra digital sound, any fancy electronics or factory installed sound would not be needed (as it would only get "snipped" and discarded.) This freed me up to look at the original LGB 2019s Colorado & Southern #6 mogul which I could acquire (with a bit of patience) for under $400 on ebay. I eventually found one and purchased it but I found that the "used" part of the item description was extremely accurate!

It is amazing but I have found that one can just about make anything they want just by waiting until the right parts show up on ebay! Such was the case here. I was able to procure a new cab, roof, smokebox, backhead and numerous detail parts. In fact, I was able to completely remake my "old" #6 into a #8 with all the fancy, shiney (and somewhat toy-like) copper piping! With the addition of a snowplow, chains and ridgway smokestack, I now had (outwardly at least) a complete C&S #8 but that wasn't what I was going for...

First, I changed out all of the pretty copper piping with black piping that came on the #6. This, in my opinion, makes the locomotive look _much_ better (apparently, LGB agreed as their latest C&S mogul, the #9 comes with black piping as well!) It was about this time that I was able to acquire a second engine that was merely a "parts" supplier. I started to get the genesis of an idea: _Why not do one like the C&S #22 with the signature airtank on top of the boiler?_ Time to do some research!

If you look closely at an LGB mogul, you will see that they come in different eras and styles. It is _possible_ to mix and match (to some degree) these different pieces to form something completely unique! I realized that, in order to put the airtank above the boiler, I would need to move the steam dome back next to the cab ( on C&S moguls, the bell and generator are next to the cab.) The easiest way for me to do this was to acquire a boiler shell off of ebay and then go from there. The first problem I encountered was that I had assumed that the fluted domes, which come off on the older shells, were like the rounded domes of the C&S shells. Nope! The C&S rounded domes are part of the boiler shell! They can't come off!! Okay, out comes the dremel tool....problem solved! Uh...well, _almost _solved. (*Sigh) The rounded domes look too small once the cuts are completed and the filing's been done to clean everything up! I can use the steam dome as the sand dome but I'll need to find a new steam dome. I tried a Bachmann 10-Wheeler dome but it was too big! I then went to the grocery store and found a cap off of some bottle of hairspray. After cutting it to the right height and filing down the rough edges, I primered and painted it black. I also did this to the old steam dome after filling in the holes on top.

The next problem should have been pretty-well straightforward. Naturally, it wasn't. I originally thought just to change the boiler, drill a couple of holes and re-attach all of the modern C&S detailings (you know, all of that fancy copper piping except that it would be black?) but, upon closer examination of the photos (excellent ones in Narrow Gauge Pictoral Vol. VI) I realized that the reason for all of the fancy piping on the fireman's side of the engine was to accomodate the airtank that hung below the footboard!) On the #22 (a B3A) that has the airtank _mounted above the boiler,_ all this piping wasn't needed so it wasn't there! To make matters worse, LGB used the airtank to disguise how they mount the floorboard and _this piece was one I was still trying to acquire! _A decision had to be made. Do I go ahead and just put everything back on and have an airtank on the side with lots of cool piping and_ also_ have an airtank on top? (I've got to admit that it was tempting! It was_ very_ tempting!) On the other hand, I had a chance to do a bash of an LGB locomotive that would make it more accurate toward the prototype that I wanted to model. Mind you, it wouldn't be _totally_ accurate but it would be a lot closer than if I had a redundant airtank added on! 

Three considerations helped me make my decision: one, that I would always be "bugged" by the thought of that extra airtank; two, that I didn't _have_ the aforementioned airtank; and three, I opened up an old Finescale Railroader magazine from 2001 and there was a picture of a modified LGB mogul that was made into a C&S #22!! I blinked a couple of times (not believing the irony of the situation) and really studied that photo! It looked _nice! _If I could do half as good a job as that one I would be happy! I'm ditching almost all of the LGB details in favor of Trackside Details parts. I'm researching the piping right now to "get it right" as much as possible. I'm in no hurry. I'm having fun and this is a project where the journey is more important than the destination! I'll share pictures as soon as I have some (probably this weekend.)


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi Steve,

It sounds like you are having fun and will end up with a truly unique LGB Mogul. Over the years I have been surprised at how many different molds LGB used in their various Moguls. 

It is good that those old and perhaps worn out LGB Moguls are finding a new life with kitbashers such as yourself.

I look forward to seeing your photos.

Jerry


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve:

Shortly after LGB came out with the original mogul 20+ years ago, I decided that I wanted a coal burner rather that the original wood burner. I replace the smoke stack, sand and steam domes with brass version and a more modern cow catcher. I did notchange the location of the domes. This was a free lance version, not related to any specific prototype. I also modified the tender from a wood load to a coal load. I also changed the headlight from a kerosene burner to an electric lamp. A couple of months after I made the modifications, LGB came out with the coal burning version. Such is life. After running for a while the original motor block froze up and I sent the engine back to LGB for a replacement block. It came back with a new motor block, and many of the parts that I had added replaced by stock parts and my parts in a bag. Needless to say i was not a happy camper. As I remember it came back with the original smoke stack, head lamp, cow catcher and smoke box.




















I learned to only send the motor block back to LGB if I had ever customized and engine. Fortunately, I never had to.

Chuck


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

no one to send it to anymore so bash away you have to do your own repairs 


looks good keep up the work


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Steve, 

I have a bashed model of the Mogul similar to your description... I'll see if I can locate the pic file and share. 

If your interested in some pictures of #22 for refernece I have a few. 

Michael


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

That would be great Michael! Here are some pics of where I am:

The B-3-A and B-3-B both had a slightly raised floorboard which I cut out of the 2018D's floorboard. The piping will be stripped and painted black as will the brass bands.










You can see that the bases of the domes are quite a bit larger than the rounded versions. Also, more piping is needed from the sand dome:










I'm really balking at getting rid of that lower piping because it just looks so cool! Well, we'll see...










Here's a shot of #8 (ex #6) with the black piping:


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Steve,

Here are a couple pictures of ol #22


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Not sure whom the model below belongs to, I found it online somewhere a while back.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

I have more pictures if your interested...


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

I always like the C&S locos with the beartraps and the airtank between the domes....add the plow and it looked spectacular. 

Chris


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the photos Michael! The ones I have are in shadow and/or fuzzy. This definitely helps!


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Steve,

My recollection is good picture files were scarce and or hard to come by of these old beasts... I spent many a night web surfing for these pictures.

Heres a few more, enjoy.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

And a few more...


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

More....


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi Steve,

Here are some more mogul photos - some are C&S and others are not:

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...ss45-1.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...ss45-2.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...-cooke.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-1.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-2.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-3.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-4.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-5.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-6.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-7.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-8.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je.../mog-9.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...mog-10.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...mog-11.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...mog-12.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...lass-1.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...lass-2.jpg
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/je...lass-3.jpg

Jerry


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for all of the photos guys! Much appreciated!


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## CCSII (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks from me too! I love those C&S moguls and connies. Really appreciate the pictures.


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve, you are my kinda modeler. Go get 'em! And we want more pictures, please. Mike G., seems to me someone out there really likes C&S Moguls ;-)


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## joe rusz (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve, Mike, 

Dang it, ya got me looking at moguls and thinking maybe the new B-Mann could be bashed into something presentable. Coincidentally, Finescale's latest issue has a Mallory Hope Ferrell piece on the Argent Lumber Co, which used moguls including one they picked up from the New Berlin & Winfield. Cute little bugger that still runs in the mid-West. Anyway, food for thought. 

And did either of you guyes ever hear of the New Berlin & Winfield? I didn't.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

OK 

Most of the pictures show a loco with a huge headlight while the 8 & 18 LGB locos and the 1:1 loco # 6have relatively small headlights. 

What is the reason or difference in the headlights?


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Most likely, whatever was available at the time the loco was shopped. Headlights changed frequently, due to routine maintenance, accidents, or upgrades to newer technology. (The same is true for other fittings such as air pumps, etc.) The shops always had spares to swap out instead of keeping the loco out of service just to fix a single part. Also, as locos were retired, their parts got used on other similar locos. When C&S #9 was restored, they found drivers on it from #6 and one other loco if I recall. We tend to think of locos as static things, but if you look at photos of a locomotive over the years, it's amazing how much they changed. 

Later, 

K


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

The C&S was particularly bad about this. The road was always trying to save money and re-using equipment was only being frugal! (Actually, from a historical modeller's viewpoint, it makes modelling much more interesting!) I have already purchased a Trackside Details headlamp of the proper design for the time period I am modelling. The photos become invaluable as a reference resource!


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