'Bigging it up'

[Rhinochugger]

A few years ago, I built a 2-6-2 outside framed loco with a scratch built chassis, mainly just to prove t myself that it could be done. OK, I know that a lot of model engineers regularly scratch build chassis in this gauge, but this was a personal first for me, in any scale.

However, with my transition to 15mm : 1ft, the loco was in danger of falling into disuse, but I couldn't see much possibility in selling it off, as it is not as highly detailed as other notable efforts on this forum. Also, as discussed about the time of Mel's dealings with The Countess, although it has a 7-pole motor and weighs a ton, it lacks traction on anything but a very dry track due to a very rigid chassis.

So, I'm going to keep my loco with its £120 worth of wheels and state of the art ABC gearbox, and 'Big it up'

The body was from an old Bachmann Bug Mauler - early version plastic wheels and cheapo R/C - and I have a left over Bug Mauler cab from the conversion I did on my ten-wheeler.

So pass the scalpel......................sharp saw.................forceps..............swabs....more swabs

Cab first - needs a bit more build up on the roof - layers of styrene as I don't have anything thicker than 30 thou.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Progress is slow, but the loco is beginning to mimic it's owner - expanding waistline

 

[mike]

nicely done ... wides good..

 

[Rhinochugger]

Now, the joy of six

I wanna tell you a stoooooory............

Up at the sharp end, when i built the loco, I fitted an Accucraft headlamp off something large with the number 463. So I painted out the 4 and the 3 and numbered my loco 6.

So with its new cab it's got to be No 6. I went to the sheet of transfers that I used for the Dismal Swamp gondola and................


............... found that they were all letters and no numbers. But there were some punctuation marks and a pair of brackets, as in open brackets...........close brackets (in parenthesis for the articulated)

So, this is how to make a number 6 with a bracket and a capital O

 

[Rhinochugger]

I was trying to take a photo to compare with the old 1:22.5 version, but it'll probably have to wait until I can the it on the track. Also , I can't even fins the photo I was looking for :Looser:

Anyway, the loco's finished - what a difference a week working from home makes; evenings to make models

 

[dunnyrail]

It is amasing what you can do with a bit if time and getting that knife in action. That first cut is always the hardest as the Rabbi said. Or was it the deepest - no worries.

I did a simikar jib sone time back. Mine was the other way, I converted a 16mm T&D Cattle Truck to 15mm scale. As in your case the difference is quite a lot.

Great piece, looking forward to some more pics.
JonD

 

[Rhinochugger]

Having now coughed up the £50 and ordered a tender shell, I looked at a photo of C&S No 60, and it has a weird narrow tender on wide frames with the body sitting on planks

Oh well, you can't win ;em all, and I have to say that it's sufficiently weird that very few people would believe it :holdon:

 

[Rhinochugger]

Well, the tender body shell arrived from mr B, complete with working headlamp and all the handrails

First job was to mount it on the old bug mauler chassis. The two front mounting points align with the front mounts in the new tender shell, but if it sat on the running board, it would be too tall, so it's off with the ends of the tender chassis, and the shell is mounted firmly, and overhanging the chassis all round, but at a better height

Then it's just a matter of adding cosmetic bits all the way round.

While trawling through some D&RGW photos of locos and tenders, I noticed some of the tenders had steps at each corner, not just the simple hoop.

It just so happens that I dismembered an Aristo 4 w chassis a few years back, and, being a bit of a tightwad, kept the steps

Just a few more details to go

 

[PaulRhB]

Looking forward to photos of them together

 

[beavercreek]

That really looks the biz....excellent work Ian

 

[Rhinochugger]

OK, so I've got Nodrog's trouble, and the varnish on the tender has gone grotty and matt, while the loco is silky black.

But it gives a good impression of the finished thing, and the loco now look very business like

The tender carries the logo of the Central Overland Company, otherwise known as the Mickey Mouse Railroad

Or do I dull it all down, and make it look a bit of a work horse?

 

[CoggesRailway]

I really like that- looks butch.

 

[a98087]

That quite a nice looking loco,

 

[trammayo]

It looks an impressive engine! I'd use satin varnish on the tender as the loco looks fine like that.

 

[Rhinochugger]

I'd use satin varnish on the tender as the loco looks fine like that.

Yebbut, that's the bit that's gone wrong - the first shot of satin varnish went all matt & whiteish. Usually another shot of the same overcomes the problem, but this time it just sealed in the matt and scruffy stuff :thumbdown::thumbdown:

That's why I was thinking of dirtying up the loco. Not that I'm worried about re-spraying the tender entirely, it's just that I've run out of suitable transfers for lettering

 

[trammayo]

I have been successful with the satin but made a pig's ear with the matt

 

[beavercreek]

The old probs of incompatible paint formulations really can mess things up but I think that satin with weathering will be absolutely fine Ian. The loco and tender look really spot on.

On another point...
I am 'dressing' up some Big Haulers as D&RGW locos and need a load of the steps that are found on the tenders.......you said that you had got some tender steps from an old Aristo chassis. I have trawled through the Aristo-site exploded diagrams for the parts but I cannot find any of the steps that you got off your chassis.
Could it have been a LGB 0-4-0 diesel chassis? as these have the a step that looks like the D&RGW tender jobbies.

PS I might have some 'Flying Rio Grande' vinyl decals left from my Big Hauler 'dress-ups'

M.

 

[mike]

looks good from in here.. nice work on it matey

 

[Rhinochugger]

On another point...
I am 'dressing' up some Big Haulers as D&RGW locos and need a load of the steps that are found on the tenders.......you said that you had got some tender steps from an old Aristo chassis. I have trawled through the Aristo-site exploded diagrams for the parts but I cannot find any of the steps that you got off your chassis.

Ummm, they were spares secured with the assistance of Mr Hacksaw
They are mouldings at the end of Aristo 4 wheel chassis

Incompatibility is the spice of life - especially if she has the income and the patability