Southern Pacific narrow-gauge 4-6-0

[GWR_fan]

A work in progress (1/22.5 scale). I built the tender and loco body several years ago and they languished on a shelf awaiting a donor loco for the drive mechanism. A couple of days ago I was able to acquire a suitable drive (Bachmann Anniversary loco) and proceeded to modify it to fit my loco body. The loco is loosely based on S.P. #18 which had the Walschaerts valve gear and a whale tender. I needed a lookalike Southern Pacific loco as I have numerous S.P. narrow-gauge rolling stock, but no suitable loco.

The loco boiler assembly was built by combining numerous pieces from spare Bachmann bodies, plus a bit of water pipe. The cab was from a previous project and requires a bit of paint touchup.

The figure on the tender deck is an LGB figurine around 75 mm tall, so that will give an indication as to the size of the locomotive.

The tender needs a matte clear spray to dull it down and the loco body needs to be disassembled and painted. Ideally the smokebox should be gunmetal and the smokebox front painted silver. Alas, other than handpainting the smokebox (something I abhor), I will need to dispense with the gunmetal and just paint the door silver after painting the assembly black. The cab will remain #25. In reality there was no #25 but as this is only a pseudo S.P. loco, I feel I can get away with a little artistic licence.

[skyblue]

While I know nothing about American railways, I think that it looks very impressive, and well built. Were the modifications you had to make to the chassis very drastic?

[GWR_fan]

When I built the body I designed it so that mods to the drive chassis would be minimal. The chassis attaches to the rear (under the firebox) using the same mounts as the stock body, thus the rear connection/mounting is stock. The mods to the chassis are at the front end where the curved lower boiler moulding on the drive chassis needs to be carefully removed until the chassis sits neatly inside the body that I made. Like the stock Annie body, I built the smokebox as a full 360 degree tubing so that once the correct shape was filed in the smokebox saddle it would mate up to the lower surface of the smokebox. The smokebox was made quite thickly as the forward mount screw for the chassis is screwed into it. The chassis fits very neatly up inside the body and looks relatively stock in a side on view.

The mods are relatively simple to accomplish, requiring preferably a Dremel with a very thin cutoff disc to minimise any heat in the area to be cut.


Tim

[pointstaken]

Nice one - well done, sir !

Dennis

[GWR_fan]

Dennis,
many thanks. Will be much nicer with a coat of paint.


Tim

[glencairn]

Great looking loco, Tim

What colour are you painting it -- white, green, silver or red?

Glencairn

[GWR_fan]

Great looking loco, Tim

What colour are you painting it -- white, green, silver or red?

Glencairn

You missed a colour - black. The loco will be black with a silver smokebox front. Ideally the smokebox should be a gunmetal colour, but due the amount of affixed detail, it would be difficult to mask off and spray the smokebox a different colour.


Tim

[Bufferstop]

due the amount of affixed detail, it would be difficult to mask off and spray the smokebox a different colour.

Tim, have you tried Maskol? You paint it on to the area or parts that need masking. Let it set, spray, then when finished peel off the Maskol. It might solve your smokebox problem.

[GWR_fan]

John,
I have purchased Maskol in the past (back in the '80s) but never used it. I more considered it for smaller items like clear canopies, etc. The main issue with the smokebox is the detail like running plates, grabrails, etc., that make masking off difficult - not impossible, just difficult. The difference in paint is worth the trouble, just a little inconvenient to accomplish.


Tim

[peterbunce]

Hi,
You could use the Humbrol Metalcote range of paints./ They can be applied with a brush, so no masking required.

They are quite thin - buy a new pot and use it for the loco, dries in 20 minutes or so, then polish it (use a cotton bud), and varnish it for protection.

I have used them to good effect.

front.jpg (51.32 KiB) Viewed 3012 times

Here is a repaintefd Bachman 4 4 0 with the boiler repainted using Metalcote.

Yours Peter.