(FO/MGB) Tm 2/2 Schoema Locomotive (Upgrading/Bashing the LGB Model)

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
So here we go. New year, new build!

While primarily an RhB guy, I do enjoy most things meter-gauge Swiss. More specifically, I have a wandering eye towards the FO / MGB as it has the direct interchange with the RhB.

For a while now, I've been a growing fan of the smaller Tm 2/2 traktors on the RhB and MGB. Of the two primary types on the RhB, LGB has done a decent job of offering one (in half cab and full cab versions), and KISS have offered pre-orders twice (and sadly cancelled them twice) of the other style. (Ed's Gartenbahn do a nice custom build version, though pricier than anything from LGB or KISS.)

So, still wanting a small four wheeled engine for my shelves that wasn't the LGB RhB product, I started to survey my options. I quickly purchased one of these:



And it has since sat on my shelves in disgrace. The more I researched, and the more I looked at the model, the more I realized just how bad of a "repaint" of the LGB Schoema model this was. Not to be deterred, I decided if none of the manufacturers would offer something to my liking, it was time to take matters (and my Xacto knife) into my own hands!

So, from the above, to something closer to this:



That's my goal of this build.
Before we get started, just a couple of known deficiencies of the likely outcome - so that all the rivet counters among us don't have a stroke! ;)
(Myself included!)
  • This is not to be a model of a specific prototype. While the model will take its cues from MGB 4971, 4972, and 74, it will be painted, but not lettered for any specific railway. (Think of it as a contractor's or club's loco - like the DFB)
  • While close to MGB 4971, the vents/doors placement and quantities will differ. So will axle spacing and cab door/window geometry. (This is due to this being a "bash" and not a complete ground-up build. Exact models can be done from a few nice kit suppliers - this is more a "quick and dirty" upgrade of LGB's "toy")
Right, so with that (and as fast as I can edit/post photos) let's begin!
 

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
So let’s dig in, shall we?

With rain throughout the weekend, and SWMBO off shopping for the afternoons, I had time to make a pretty good (messy) start on hacking up the LGB diesel.

About two years ago, I picked up an LGB 2051 in DB colours off eBay for about 50 bucks. It had had a hard life - both motors were frozen, and it was caked in mud. My plan at the time had been to start a massive rebuild/bash into the RhB’s Gmf 4/4 241. (This model is offered by LGB, but it really is just a repaint of the DB engine, so grossly incorrect even by non-rivet counter standards!)


(Stock photo to illustrate the 2051)

Alas, the model was too far gone and so has sat as a box of parts waiting for another use. After a bit of online research and some photo comparison, I decided that for my traktor bash, the cab from the 2051 would make for a better option that the standard part that came with the LGB Schoema. So starting from this, my plan was to keep the long hood mostly intact, abut it to the donor cab and shorten the “short hood” as needed. How hard could it be? :wasntme:

To start I turned to the short hood. Doing a quick test fit, to my eye it needed to be… shorter. By about half. So this was the first incision of the project.



After this, a second test fit looked good, so I addressed the cab itself. On the 2051, its hoods recessed/keyed into the front and rear walls. As the small Schoema’s hoods are narrower than the 4/4’s this left a gap between the cab walls and the edge of the hoods. I felt the best thing I could do was fill in the recesses to bring them flush. I did this with large pieces of styrene coarsely cut to fit, and Squadron Green Putty (white) to fill in the gaps. Once dry (hopefully) a few sprays of primer and some sanding will leave a wide, smooth surface to mate with the hoods.



Now the challenge of the stack/chimney.

On the small engine, the chimney was molded into the long hood as one piece. On the 2051, it was a separate piece. The big issue was that the OEM cab of the Schoema was vertically flat, with the chimney flush against it. On the DB’s cab, the cab wall angled back, and the chimney angled along with it. This meant that placing the long hood unmodified against the 2051’s cab left an angular gap that grew as it rose between the chimney and the front cab wall. As I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to cut a “patch” piece to fit this, and even if I did, that it would blend well, I hatched a plan to use the chimney from the 2051.

To start, I cut off the long hood’s chimney, then used a bit of styrene to bridge the hole left behind. From here, I was able to glue the 2051 chimney in place and then backfilled the voids with putty.
(Here’s hoping that with the right fineness of sand paper I can blend this puppy! If not, my back up plan is to fabricate a “hatch” or hood plate to cover the garish hole surrounding the base of the chimney!)



At this point I felt a test fit would be good, just to see where we were. Bearing in mind this is just a day into the effort, and that some of the styrene still needs to have filler applied, and other areas need the filler putty sanded down, I’d say overall this has the look and feel I was hoping for.




Lot’s left to do, but so far, I’m convinced it’s headed in the right direction!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
Continuing on this weekend, today I tackled a few more menial items, while advancing the cab’s fill and sand efforts.

The first item up was a little bit of surgery to the frame to help better the overall fit of the body parts. Now the nice thing about the Schoema’s frame is that the top of it has molded on “rails” that help align the hood and cab shells. This keeps everything true, which is great - the issue though is that if you want to move the shells inward, you can’t simply shave off some of the end rails, as directly under them is the motor block. My goal here was to shift the short hood inwards by about a 32nd of an inch - this meant I needed to shave off the very end of these rails, along with the two mounting tabs. (I plan to use the molded in screw holes on either end of the hood shells as lamps, and will secure the hoods to the body some other yet-to-be-sorted clever way!)

This took some doing, but with carful and slow sawing, I was able to remove the frame’s shell wall without damaging the motor block below.



Next up was pulling the side frame details off.

The air tanks will end up being used again, in their same location, as will the sanding boxes. The fuel tank parts needed to come off though, as did the ladders. The ladders we’ll relocate further back to align with the new cab door locations. The fuel tanks will go, and this leaves their three mounting bosses on the frame sides to deal with.



The simplest straight forward plan I could conceive was to drill out the bosses, and then (when ready) to plate over the four openings with some styrene sheet.



The ladders are affixed to the underside of the frame deck with a single screw and two locating pins. Moving the ladders is super simple. Step one was using an Xacto blade to shave off the pins, and step 2 was using a pin vise to drill a new hole in the deck. I placed the cab body on the deck for a moment, marked where the ladders now needed to be and proceeded to drill.


(Orange was the old mounting hole, flanked by locating pin holes - Blue is the newly drilled mounting hole)

Yes, the single screw minus the locating pins now allows for the ladders to rotate out of alignment if the screw backs off, but I plan to glue the ladders in place once the build is complete, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

The interior was my next focus. I salvaged the interior control stand and floor from the DB 2051. This mates to the cab so fitting it is not an issue - the issue is, once again, the guide rails and raised centre of the frame floor to allow for the motor box to nest below it. By luck, the 2051’s centre control console is just slightly wider than the Schoema’s guide rails, so what might have been an exhausting task of cut and fill turned into little more than some floor removal from the interior piece.







A test fit of both the interior nested into the frame deck, and the cab and body shells confirmed everything would sit correctly in place.

This brought me back to the cab itself. I used small strips of styrene to close the multiple railing holes in the body. Once glued, I then used body filler putty to fill each hole from the front, and then sanded down till flush. I also took this opportunity to sand down the remaining bits of filler on the cab’s front and rear walls.



At this point, until it warms up enough to spray primer and gauge where second applications of body filler will be needed, I’m about finished with the cab.

I’m waiting for a delivery of 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper this week, which should hopefully let me knock down the rough sanding on the body parts to date (a minor tragedy - I grabbed some “fine” sandpaper out of my kit to sand down the body filler, only to discover while using it that some fool - :think: - placed 220 in the “super fine” envelope… so there is now a rather large rough patch on the hood that needs to be buffed out!)


Another test fit, just to see how we’re doing.








And with that, it’s time to call it a day. One parting photo - I was able to sneak the frame and interior parts into the dishwasher this afternoon… took hours before they were noticed! After some negotiations, I’ve been cleared to give them a proper wash tomorrow!



Thanks for reading!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

idlemarvel

Neither idle nor a marvel
13 Jul 2015
3,136
801
Ascot
Country
Mars
Best answers
0
Country flag
Super job so far and well documented for us amateurs to learn from, thanks!
 

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
Well, we got about two hours of sun this afternoon - not much above 15c, but enough for me to chance a quick spray of primer to see how the cab is coming along!

Shot my go-to, Testors Gray Primer in the back garden and left the pieces to dry.
Also got a chance to run the dishwasher and then retrieve the much-cleaner frame and 2051’s donor interior console.

After an hour or so, I brought the cab in for inspection. Right off the bat, it is clear I will need to apply a second round of putty. Many of the handrail mounting holes are still visible as is at least some level of deflection or seam most everywhere that had work done. That said, at first glance, the cab does look/feel much better… and with proper sanding, reapplication of putty, and a second shot of primer, I’m feeling optimistic that the final appearance will be able to pass for “factory” bodywork!

(Also today, Mr. Amazon delivered a pack of 800, 1000, and 1500 grit sand paper, which will help immensely in the sanding war!)

To start, I placed the cab inline with the front and rear hoods:



Then I went ahead and reassembled the frame and motor block. I also test fit the stairs, and other details, as well as placed a spare RhB Tm 2/2 Antenna I had to the roof. (A similar model is used on MGB units.)



While digging for a few detail parts in my box of greebles, I ran across the back wall from the 2051’s cab! A test fit proved that it would be a great addition to return to the cab, though minor modifications were necessary. Just like the 2051’s control stand, the center section needed to be “notched” to fit around the Schoema’s raised frame/motorbox. Having already done this to the console, I was able to simply line up the rear wall with the console floor and mark the width needed to be removed.



A few passes with the Atlas Track Saw and a bit of clean up with the Xacto blade and the rear wall fit just as it used to!



Also in the box of parts were several grab irons from the 2051. Having researched the MGB locos, I noticed that on the short hood, several traktors have a single handrail on top, along with an added step half way up the side of the hood. I’d planed to build the step from styrene, and to look for a handrail at that time to install on the hood. Stumbling upon the right sized part now made me think “what the heck?” and so I reached for my pin vise. Two holes later and the grab iron was in place!





And time for another gratuitous profile shot!




At this point, I need to let the primer on the cab cure - which will take at least overnight… if not longer. So for the next few days, I’ll be turning my attention to the frame.

To start, the list of “improvements” is not short. Items on my hit list include:
  • Center frame wall plates (to cover fuel tank boss holes)
  • Updated and relocated airlines on front and rear ends
  • Added steel “boxes” on all four frame corners, used to support ditch lights
  • Ditch lights (working if possible)
  • Additional air lines and control cabling
  • Under deck battery boxes
  • Additional patch and fill of the floor in the “cab area”
  • Sanding lines
  • Spray the whole thing flat black
That should keep me busy for a while - some due to time to fabricate, others simple due to trying to locate the right parts and order them.

For now though, I can begin with the centre frame wall plates.

Typically I use white styrene, but in areas of my models that I know will be prone to nicks and cuts, I try to use black styrene if possible. Given the proximity of these plates to the rail head, this seemed like a good time for the black styrene! I started by cutting a strip, then cutting it down further into the panels.



Then glue and clamp time!



And with that - another evening over! We’ll see how the primer is doing in the morning, and will continue on with the frame modifications as opportunities present themselves. (Tomorrow starts with replacing a busted waterline to our dishwasher… I swear it is only coincidental this happened the same time I chose to shove my toy trains in it! I swear!!)

Thanks all!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
Well, a look outside this morning and I knew there would be no primer or paint today!



So a good day for a cuppa and some more work on the Schoema! I picked up where I left of yesterday, with some more sand and fill on the cab and trying to get the old handrail holes as masked as possible. I don’t think I'll get it to 100%, but suspect it should be pretty well filled. Also continuing to feather in the styrene patch pieces on the front and rear of the cab. Two shades of red primer were ordered yesterday, so next week when the sun finally comes back, I should be ready to give the cab a second spray.

Setting that aside, I decided today would be a good day to do some styrene work. The inside cab floor has be bugging me since I fit the 2051’s interior to it. Namely, the mix-match of faux diamond tread, the “square” to mount the LGB engine drive, and these two “nubs” sticking up from the floor. None of this made sense to still see with the new interior, so I decided to plate over the whole lot.

I started with drilling out the two “nubs” on the floor. Cleaned the flash away with a blade, and then shimmed the flat area up to the hight of the tread patterned area. Then on top of this I placed some black styrene… and using scraps covered the “square” as well. Still not anything I would think is prototypical, but at least it lessons the visual mess that was in the cab. Ultimately I’ll spray the whole area black, along with the frame, and hopefully that should help it “go away” when the model is finished.



Next I turned my attention to the long hood of the engine, and the surgery from changing chimneys. Early I had posted that my “back up” plan was to use a piece of styrene to patch the top and… that’s what we’re going to do. I’ve spent a decent amount of time sanding and filling the void nearest the chimney base, but it just doesn’t want to go smooth… so - a small “plate” should look far more realistic as a workshop addition than leaving craters in the original hood.

Step one was cutting a square of thin styrene, then I used the stack itself to trace the curve pattern onto the plastic. An Xacto blade and patience made the rough cut… and 1500 grit sandpaper wrapped around a paint brush handle cleaned up the cut until it slid snuggly around the chimney base.



Then it was glue and clamp time! A thin application of CA was brushed on to the back and the whole thing was left to dry. Later on, I will likely add a small, slightly thicker strip of styrene around the sides and back of the plate, to help “frame” the piece. I suspect this will read as an “access hatch” and blend in with the overall model. (At least that’s the hope!)



Like with almost all LGB models I tackle I find repositioning and/or replacing the air line plastic castings helps immensely in the overall look of the model. Yes, I understand that LGB self-limits their model designs based on the archaic R1 rule, but like most of us, I’m not spending hundreds of pounds on models, only to let them strain in tight circles running around the living room floor! As such, I find shifting and raising the air lines doesn’t interfere with operations, and visually is a huge help. For this model, the oversized chunky hoses that came standard have been removed, and some more appropriate styled air lines will be located higher up on the end plate per the prototype.

This means I needed to (or, I wanted to) patch the OEM mounting holes from the factory. Thankfully, given the nature of most narrow gauge switchers / tractors, cosmetics are not the most important thing on the shop crew’s mind. Even more so when looking at the front and rear areas of the loco. Given switching ops, dings, bangs, and bashes… a few added “plates” should do nothing but add character to the face of the engine. So, suitable styrene strips were sourced and out came the knife!



Should all but blend in once the frame is painted… and what bit is still noticeable will simply add some character/relief to the end plates.

I also used this point to locate the new air lines. Using my pin vise, I drilled the frame with a mounting hole for each hose. (Top Tip: LGB’s hose castings have two parallel mounting pins/tabs that press into the engine frames to mount. I find it very hard to drill two mounting holes the exact distance needed to receive the casting as is. While the two holes may look perfect, the long, narrow nature of the air line pipe and hose accentuates any slight angle once installed. Making the holes slightly larger to help with the fit will result in a “wobbly” mount, with the air lines deflecting side to side. My solution has been to trim off the lower of the two tabs from the air line casting and then drill only one mounting hole in the frame. Thanks to lady gravity, the air lines then hang plumb. A dab of CA will hold the part in place.)

Next up on the end plates, it was time to tackle the added “boxes” that are on either end of most of the FO/MGB’s Tm 2/2s. These looked to have been added by the railway after manufacture/delivery. Most likely they were added to provide mounting space for the upgraded ditch lights without intruding on the frame end steps. They add a nice bit of “chunk” to the end frames, and so of course I needed to try and replicate them.

I started with styrene square tube. Using an Xacto saw, mitre box, and some 1000 grit sand paper, I cut and cleaned up pieces.



Then with a dab of CA, the pieces were glued to the front and rear plates of the loco (time for clamps!)



Overall, I think this helps the look and feel. The location/placement is not accurate to the MGB ones, but that is mainly due to LGB’s model being overall too narrow. So, as much as I hate it - I needed to adopt the LGB practice of “selective compression” to make this piece work.




Up next will be to add the ditch light mounting plates to the top of these boxes, and then to model the MGB version of control lines (3 of them) that hang from the left side box on each end.


Finally, as usual, a test fit of the pieces on hand for motivation!

 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
Well, the weekend and bank holiday came and went… with lots of chores around the house, and precious little train time I’m afraid.

The good news is that the body spray primers have all shown up, so where there were little pauses with sunshine, I got a chance to spray some color!

Up first was the frame. Using my go to “The Army Painter” Base Matte Black, I sprayed the frame, twice, letting it sit in the sun in-between coats.



I also set up the remaining body shell parts for paint. I focused primarily on the cab, as again, I’m fighting the putty-filled handrails holes. After two coats of the red primer (“The Army Painter” Primer Dragon Red), the most offending dings/divots disappeared.

In the light, one can still tell where the railings were… and I suspect that even after the next round of sand and paint (and the clear coat) these still aren’t going to disappear. (Grumble, grumble…) One comfort I have is that once I replace the handrails, these will obstruct direct view of the patches on either side of the cab doors.



Due to focusing on this - I only got a single spray on the nose hood, and the rear hood went untouched altogether, but - I took what time I could get and then headed back in before the rains returned.

The last thing I was able to do was lay down the first coat of Testor’s Dullcote on the frame. Emptied what was left in the can and will need to swing by the LHS to pick up more, but for now its good enough to handle the frame a bit without worry.



And of course, another test fit…




Today at lunch I got a few mins, so I cut some styrene scraps to frame out the hood top panel. Hopefully later this week I can get a few hours of sun to shoot everything again with primer and we’ll see how it’s all looking.



In the meantime, I’m going to start working on the headlights/rear lights/ditch lights and look for suitable LEDs.

Once I get another layer of Dullcote on the frame I can begin installing the hoses, tanks, and battery boxes. I suspect by next week the frame should be complete (minus the wasp stripes on the frame corners).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

ColinK

Registered
14 Apr 2017
270
140
67
Lancaster
Best answers
0
Country flag
Very impressive, always nice to see some modelling.

I hope you don’t mind me making a suggestion; there is quite a distance between the top of the bonnets and the cab end windows. Making the windows deeper isn’t an easy task, so perhaps you can add something between the bonnet tops and bottom of the cab end windows, maybe a handrail?
 

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
There is quite a distance between the top of the bonnets and the cab end windows. Making the windows deeper isn’t an easy task, so perhaps you can add something between the bonnet tops and bottom of the cab end windows, maybe a handrail?

Good point. I’ve been thinking about tackling this for some time. True, the widows are not as deep as they should be, and you’re correct - enlarging them would be a big task. The main challenge is that the lower sills of the end wall windows all stop just before the angle of the end cab wall changes. I could cut down further, opening up the window more, but the window “pane” would now need to bend in the middle to follow the geometry of the wall.

For now, I’ve just planned to leave it flat. Something to break it up may be needed - but I’m going to wait till I get the rest of the bonnet details in place and then reevaluate. I still need to fabricate larger (more accurate than LGB) air scrubbers that sit either side of the chimney which will add some visual interference to the forward wall. For the rear, there is a fuel filler cab, and a brace that goes around it that I need to fabricate. Again, once in place, this should break up some of the negative space below the windows. (I’m also wondering if once I line the window sills in black or silver if this will help reduce the feel of the “open, blank” red space.)


While I keep an eye towards that, today was a pretty warm/dry day, without too much wind - so it was a paint day!

To start, I prepped several pieces of the bash to go out for primer.



And once out on the super-technical “paint wall” - everything got a shot of “The Army Painter” Spray Primer - Dragon Red.



I also started the effort by giving the frame a complete re-spray of Dullcote from a new can I picked up on Friday at the LHS.



Leaving all this to dry in the midday sun, I headed back inside and turned my attention to the air lines. When working with LGB’s single colour molded parts, I like to break them up with paint if possible. I find this trick works especially well on the air hoses, helping set the “pipe” off from the “hose.” To do this, I will wrap one half in mask and then spray the other half. As the engine's end frames are black, and the air line piping should match, I elected to spray the hoses a dark grey.

First came masking, then I used extra tape to “stand up" the pieces on a scrap bit of cardboard.



Next was paint - first an application of “The Army Painter” Spray Primer - Wolf Grey, then once dry a second coat of “Rust-Oleum Painters Touch” - 2X Ultra Cover - Satin Granite to darken the hoses.



(After they dry, I will go ahead and hit them with Dullcote as well)

Back inside, I turned my attention to the battery boxes under the loco’s running board.

As always, I’m taking inspiration from the FO/MGB Tm 2/2s, but given the overall LGB engine was wrong as a starting point, I’m simply trying to capture the spirit, rather than an exact model. As such, I opted to use a pair of spare DB ICE car details I had squirreled away. They already had the warning graphic (which I love) and the plastic itself was slightly lighter than the black of the engine frame. As such, the boxes stand off, but not out from the frame. (Again, this is a detail trick I apply wherever possible with LGB items - if there are two “runs” of the same car model, I will switch detail parts on the frames to get some contrast in the model, just due to variance in the plastic’s finish, etc.)

To make the boxes fit, I needed to saw off the back half of each box



A little clean up with a blade and they were set aside for later use.

Next up it was time to address the engine’s interior.

First I needed to alter the back wall casting of the DB 2051 as I realized during the last test fit that the wall blocks the cab’s lower rear wall windows (the small oval ones on the side of the bonnet). This was a simple “hack job" with an Atlas track saw making a few cuts, then using an Xacto blade to score where I wanted the plastic to break. A quick twist with a pair of needle nose pliers and all that was left was to clean up the edges with a blade.



Once cleaned up, the end wall could go out to join the lokfuehrer stand for paint.

I wanted to give the interior a nice industrial colour, but nothing too over powering. I settled on “Tamiya Color For Aircraft” Spray Paint - AS-29 Gray Green (INJ) which I applied directly to the LGB parts, without primer.



The stand’s control panel was sadly modeled in red on the 2051, so on this I decided primer was the best the way forward, and again used a coating of “The Army Painter” Spray Primer - Wolf Grey. Once dry, I gave it a spray of the Tamiya As-29 as well. Also at this point, I painted a pair of HO Scale “hood panels” made by Details West. I keep lots of little bits from HO diesel detailing kits as I find they are useful in G scale as well. In this instance, I’ll use these panels to represent doors on the lower section of the stand - hopefully to convey a bit more detail/electronics within the cab.





While these were left to dry, I turned my attention to some of the details on the frame and cab that needed detail paint.

I painted the filler caps on the sand boxes red, like the MGB prototypes. The 2051’s control wheels got a dab of red on the locating knobs and the center nut was picked out in grey. (Testors Enamel Paint - GI Red 1103-RM11031 and Testors Enamel Paint - Aluminum 1181-RM11811 respectively.) The fire extinguisher from LGB was left in its molded red, but details were touched with grey, and the hose painted black with “Model Masters” Acrylic Paint - Semi Gloss Black FS27038 (SG).





I also used this opportunity to pick out the sander lines that are molded into the frame in grey.



Once all dry, they went outside for a quick spray of dullcote.

A break for some afternoon tea and then it was time to collect everything from outside.

I elected to let the hoods/cab dry a little longer so turned my attention to reassembling the cab interior. I started by laying out all the parts…



And then glued the “doors” onto the control stand and mounted the fire extinguisher in place.



For fun I placed the pieces on the frame and stopped to admire how they turned out!





Initially I thought I might try picking out many of the small switches and levers with various colour, but in looking at the assembled unit, I feel it does exactly what it should… it suggests an interior, without overpowering the model. I may revisit the decision to add more colour to the panels, but for now I think I may keep it the way it is.

And with that I’ll hit pause… up next is the ever important “test fit” of all the components to see how were doing… stay tuned!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
So, with the frame dry I started to attach the air lines, air tanks, sanders, and the battery boxes. While doing the installation, I added a little color to the hose-end connectors per FO practice, again using the Testors Enamel Paint - GI Red 1103-RM1103.



Once dry, I needed to do a test fit of all the components to-date, just for motivation purposes!

Gotta say, not too bad I think...





And just for a little extra fun, I sat her in situ with some other equipment to get a sense of relative size.





So, now it's time to begin the punch list. There's lots left to do, but this is basically the point in the project where, if I can't see the finish line, it all gets packed up in a shoebox and shoved to the back of the workbench! Thankfully, I think the project is on track (pun intended), so we'll solider on!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

wandgrudd

Registered
24 Oct 2009
442
57
....
Best answers
0
Country flag
Fantastic. A++
 

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
Ok - so today wasn’t very productive - had to focus on work for the most part, but I did get a little progress made.

To start, I had a small modification to make the to cab doors. Since I altered the interior rear cab wall to allow for the lower cab windows to be used, I discovered this area lined up with the upper plastic arm that is molded to the door. As I won’t be making the doors operational once reassembled, I elected to saw off these bits to remove them from view in the window. A quick cut and a little sanding was all it took. There is still another coat of red primer to go on the doors, so I suspect the remaining bit of plastic will disappear when all is said and done.



Next, while I know what I said in my last post about not picking out color on the cab controls… well, I decided to do it anyway!
Not having an actual photo of the FO/MGB’s Tm 2/2’s interior is not a problem - as this is not an exact model… just a “could have been.” As such I used one of my books on the RhB to reference lokfuehrer stands. I drew inspiration from Ge 4/4 ii’s, Gem 4/4s and a few Xm tractors. As with the earlier philosophy, this is not meant to be exact, but to simply “suggest” a more accurate and detailed interior than that which comes with LGB from the factory.



I also dug in the parts box and added another small detail - the grey enclosure helps break up the rear wall in my eye. Similar to the stand’s lower doors I added at the weekend, this is a bit of HO scale diesel detailing. In this instance, a plastic “winterization hatch” from Details West. (2 bucks!)




And this is where the unit now sits.

Turning attention to the punch list, here we go…

Rear Bonnet/Hood
  • Source and install fuel filler cap on rear bonnet
  • Fabricate metal guard over fuel filler cap
  • Source suitable “side step” for fireman’s side of rear bonnet
  • Drill out lower mounting tab holes, fit and mount LED red EOT lights
  • Spray entire assembly again with red primer
  • Paint grill work and hinges silver
  • Spray entire assembly wth Dullcote
Cab
  • Finally spray of red primer over entire cab
  • Fabricate and glue on roof “hatch”
  • Spray aluminum across roof
  • Mount Swiss style antenna on roof
  • Paint all molded window “gaskets” black on cab and doors
  • Paint the door plates/handles silver/aluminum
  • Spray entire assembly with Dullcote
  • Spray cab interiors with Dullcote
  • Install cab windows
  • Install cab interiors
  • Install cab windscreen wipers
  • Source, plaint yellow, and install cab railings
Front Bonnet/Hood
  • Spray entire assembly again with red primer
  • Paint grill work and hinges silver
  • Fabricate, paint, and install air filters on top of bonnet
  • Spray entire assembly wth Dullcote
  • Drill out lower mounting tab holes, fit and mount LED red EOT lights
Frame
  • Source parts for and fabricate a pair of MU cable jumpers - attaching one set to either end per the MGB
  • Source diamond plate for frame corner steps, paint silver and install
Misc
  • Try to locate the etched metal Schoema builder plates I’ve seen on other models
  • Try to locate suitable ditch light casting for the front and rear frame
  • Wire up the EOT lights, head lights, etc. to operate directionally with motor power
I’m sure there’s a half dozen things I’m missing or will add to the list as I go - but that’s a good start!


Also, just to keep it all in one place, here is a run down of the paint I’m using on this model.
(Updated with paints as listed down thread - this list will remain complete throughout the build)

“The Army Painter” Spray Primer - Dragon Red
“The Army Painter” Spray Primer - Wolf Grey
“The Army Painter” Spray Base Primer - Matt Black

“Tamiya Color For Aircraft” Spray Paint - AS-29 Gray Green (INJ)
“Rust-Oleum Painters Touch” - 2X Ultra Cover - Satin Granite
"Rust-Oleum Metallic" - Matte Nickel

Testors Spray Dullcote - 1260

Testors Enamel Paint - GI Red 1103-RM11031
Testors Enamel Paint - Aluminum 1181-RM11811
Testors Enamel Paint - Flat White 1168-RM11681

“Model Masters” Acrylic Paint - Semi Gloss Black FS27038 (SG)

Testors Acrylic Paint Marker - 2549C Flat Black
Testors Acrylic Paint Marker - 286131 Silver

Micro Brushes
or Micro Applicators - I use the “Ultra Fine” heads - in this case model PP-903 (a few quid for a 100 on eBay from China)


Looks like work may begin interfering with the build a bit more in the coming weeks, so I’ll post as I make progress to show.
Thanks everyone!
 
Last edited:

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
Well, I was supposed to be on a plane to Hong Kong tonight… but seeing as how I’m sitting here typing this, it also means I had free time to do some more modeling this weekend! So, picking up where we last left off…

To start, in looking at the there main body shells, I decided the cab has had as much primer applied as it was going to take. I also decided that after comparing the paint in the daylight with photos on the web, that the dried color of the primer is as good as I could hope to get in matching FO red… so I’ll simply Dullcote the bodies once ready and call it a day. I still need to run at least one more pass of the Dragon Red Primer on both bonnets, but as the cab was all but done, I figured it was time to turn my attention to the roof.

Typically I like to use Rust-Oleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish - Aluminum, but the LHS was all out, so I opted for Rust-Oleum Metallic Matte Nickel.

I masked off the cab (perhaps more so than I needed, but one can never be too careful).



And then headed outside for a quick pass of the Nickel spray paint.



Once dry, I started to line the window gaskets in black. For this, I used a Testors Acrylic Paint Marker - 2549C Flat Black. This was a great find, and made the initial lining go quickly. After I Dullcote the shell, I’ll come back and do a second round of touch up with a micro brush, but for now I think the windows really pop.

While letting the cab dry, I started to work through the punch list. Up first was the side step on the short bonnet.

I dug through my box of greebles multiple times and just couldn’t find the shape/geometry I wanted, so off to Ebay I headed.
After some lengthy searches I finally found what I was looking for, in the O scale listings - a spare “step” from a Plasticville O-27 Trailer Home model kit. After spending more on postage than on the part itself, I had it in hand, and straight under the Xacto it went!



Using the front half should give me the look I want, and so I sent the part (along with the cab doors) outside for a coat of red primer.



While those were drying, I pulled out the pin vise, and made a mounting hole for the fuel filer cap per the MGB prototype. In real life, the cab sits flat on the nose, however the LGB spare I had available mounted at an angle. I do like the looks of the angled filler cap, and again - as this is a “could have been” and not a 100% faithful reproduction of any specific MGB rangierlok, I feel this is an ok cheat.

By the time this was done, the step was dry enough to mount. I sanded down the paint on the mounting surface to get better adhesion and then placed it on the side of the shell with some CA.



Once everything is dry here, I’ll need to add the fuel filler cap cover (yet to be fabricated) and then the entire rear bonnet can get a final spray of red and be sealed.


Now for one of harder parts of the build!

For some time now, I’ve been staring at the 6 cable, MU (or cab control?) connecters hanging on either end of the engine. Based on reference photos, these are a more recent addition to the loks, and given my desire to have as modern a fleet of equipment as I can, something I wanted to model on the engine. I’d already exhausted the various LGB and KISS hoses and cable castings in my parts box, finding nothing that really fit the bill. I had a few false starts off ebay - purchasing O scale MU hose castings, but again came up short. I even turned to 1/24 and 1/25 model car kits, trying distributor cap and engine part castings, but without a result. Finally, I decided I would have to fabricate these myself.

The cables would be the easy part. The connectors (odd 1/2 size ELCOs it appears) would sort themselves out from little bits - the slanted cable end/heads were the main challenge. I tried cutting various plastistruct tube to size, but nothing was clean or repeatable (or true). In the end, a brainwave - LEGO!

I jumped on ebay and ordered a bag of 1x1 angled “caps” (in black).



These ended up the perfect size, so I then ordered some 1/24 scale automotive “hose,” again from ebay. In reality, just small gauge electrical wire, but cheap enough I guess.



Finally, the connectors. I wandered the aisles at the local craft store for some time, checking out leather working and sewing sections hoping for some very small gauge rivets I could use. In the end, no luck, but in the “beads” and jewelry section, I did find these - Crimp Tubes and Crimp Beads, meant for use in jewelry making. I took the smallest diameter they had and crossed my fingers!



Back home I pulled out the pin vice, and drilled 2 rows of three holes each in the face of the Lego brick. (These were not 100% parallel, however the lateral play in the crimp beads should cover this.) I then put a test fit together to see if I was convinced… the cable, passed through the brick, with the bead, followed by the “tube” threaded onto the wire.



Presuming this would work, I then cut small strips of plastistruct angle to act as “mounting brackets” to the engine’s end frames.



Everything then got a coat of The Army Painter Spray Primer in Base Black, and then was left to dry.



Next was the assembly line of the build:
  1. First I fed three lengths of wire through the brick - one wire each for a pair of “top and bottom” cables
  2. I next placed drops of CA glue on the back of the cables (inside the void of the Lego brick) to secure the wires in place
  3. Then I slid six Crimp Beads, followed by six Crimp Tubes onto the wires, one pair per cable
  4. Before each bead was positioned, I would use a tooth pick to place a small “dab” of CA on each wire, to hold the beads in place



A tip to anyone trying this - be sure to place the glue with something like a toothpick - I used a scrap piece of cardboard to place pools of CA on, and then transferred to the wires as needed. (Trying to place glue direct from the CA bottle’s tip is not fun - not worth the headache!)



Next it was the same, in reverse… Crimp Tubes, then Crimp Beads on to each wire, but not yet glued. The second Lego Brick was threaded into place, and the cables were secured to the back of the Lego with glue. Once dry, the loose beads where then slid back to the face of the second brick and glued in position one by one.



Finally, once everything was dry, I used a blade to trim the excess wires off the back of the lego brick, adding more glue to basically “fill” the void and trap the wires in place.




Whew Boy! And if that wasn’t enough fun - it was time to repeat it all again for the second control cable. But… man am I happy with the result!
After building both cables, I glued the mounting brackets on to each connector head, and then mounted the cables to the end frames.





In studying dozens of recent photos of the Tm’s it became clear that these cables could be positioned on the left or right side of the engine frame. The B end of the lok mostly had the cable set mounted on the right. The A end was 50/50 left or right. To help sell the idea that these cables can “move” I decided to mount them asymmetrically, A end on the left and B end on the right.

After such tedious work, I definitely needed the catharsis of doing an overall test fit of the build!





Finally, with the doors dry, they also got a pass of the Testors Acrylic Paint Marker - 2549C Flat Black. And the handle face plates got a quick dab of Acrylic Paint Marker - 286131 Silver.



And then one more look at the parts all in place.





Gotta say, for not being a model of specific prototype, I’m starting to believe this could be a real locomotive!

Lots left to do on the punch list, but I can update that later this week. For now, I think it’s time for a pint and to call it a day!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

PhilP

G Scale, 7/8th's, Electronics
5 Jun 2013
33,455
3,504
Nottingham
Best answers
0
Country flag
Well impressed with your 'MU' connectors/hoses..

Reckon they were worth the aggro of fabricating them.
 

idlemarvel

Neither idle nor a marvel
13 Jul 2015
3,136
801
Ascot
Country
Mars
Best answers
0
Country flag
Ditto, very inspired to use Lego. Those acrylic paint markers do a good job, albeit i expert hands! :)
 

JimmyB

Now retired - trains and fishing
23 Feb 2018
6,891
910
69
Weston-super-Mare
www.tumble-down-falls.co.uk
Best answers
0
Country flag
Love the pipework details (as well as everything else :))
 

Parkdesigner

Registered
25 Oct 2009
143
164
Los Angeles, CA / Derbyshire, UK / Frankfurt, DE
Best answers
0
Country flag
Well hello there! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

So last I left this thread, I was closing in on the completion of the locomotive… and then life jumped in the way. Two separate trips to China, both to a remote man-made island meant that, in addition to the airlines not appreciating Xacto’s and CA glue on the flight, even if I was modeling, the absolute lack of an internet connection wouldn’t have let me post any of it! So, basically, a stand still.

Thankfully I got a home this week, and since we’re celebrating Treason Day here in the colonies, I had some time to catch up today! Here we go...


To start, the body was last left close, but not finished with respect to paint. First up was some of the smaller hand painted details. Out came the Testors Acrylic Paint Marker - 286131 Silver and a micro brush to attack the LGB “gold” stock door handles that came with the model.



Painted the long hood's panel handles as well.



And with those both dry, door handles were glued to the cab doors and out into the garden everything went!

The long hood needed a touch up of The Army Painter Spray Primer - Dragon Red so it was kept separate. The rest of the pieces only needed to be sealed.




Once everything dried (and the long hood got a coat of sealer too) back inside it all came.



And final assembly was set to began!

I started with the interior. Control wheels were glued to the main console, and to the rear wall.



And then I had a last minute moment of inspiration!

On a separate project I’d been using some Knightwing OO pipes, and thought I might sneak a few into this project too. I’m a big fan of these detail kits, as the piping feels good for electrical or air lines in 1:22/1:24 and comes in pre-bent sections.
(Website here: Knightwing - UN001 Pipes (Two Sprues))



So I trimmed a few pieces, and found a place along the chassis to install them. Wanting to hide the CA glue, I affixed the pipes on either side behind an air tank and a sanding box respectively. This way, the pipes (left unpainted) would add a little detail and visual breakup to the under frame. Not necessarily prototypical to anything, but a nice pair of lines that help say “hey, there’s stuff going on down here… technical stuff!




(Upper photo is a test fit - I didn’t actually glue the line in crooked.)

From here my attention turned back to the most difficult task I was fighting before leaving town - headlamps!

I tried everything… I was looking at spares from other LGB engines - then anything. I ordered some model car kits, just to try the headlamp glass out of those (no joy). Finally, I gave up and decided I would simply fit flat/flush LED’s into the now empty screw mounting points on both hoods… only to find that LEDs were either too big or too small a diameter to fill the holes. I then set off on an absurd task of fitting LEDs into sections of styrene tube, then sanding down the OD of the tube until they fit the ID of the screw mounting points. Also, it was about this time I began using profanity to excess.

I was about to give up on the whole thing when I found a small package of clear lenses that were part of a lineside signal kit I bought a few years ago. Amazingly… they not only fit, but (I think) they looked darn good!

The first photo here shows the bag they came in. (I’m not 100% sure on the manufacturer - but they did come off eBay, and seemed rather easy to find as I recall). The next photos show how they literally just “push” fit into the hoods. The lenses have small dogs on their ends that help them slide in, and then remain in place.




Best of all, if/when I tackle the electronics on this build, these will allow me to fit LED or miniature bulbs into them as I need!



Assembly continues - air tanks, sander boxes, end buffers, and the roof antenna were all reinstalled. At this point, I was able to get everything but the cab in place before stopping for the day.



And so this weekend, I hope to finish up the assembly and put this build to bed - at least for a while.

Now I know at one point I had a punch list I was tracking on this build. Some items I finished, some I’m going to abandon. Green is done. Red is still planned. Black is abandoned (for now). Here is where I'm at:

Rear Bonnet/Hood
  • Source and install fuel filler cap on rear bonnet
  • Fabricate metal guard over fuel filler cap
  • Source suitable “side step” for fireman’s side of rear bonnet
  • Drill out lower mounting tab holes, fit and mount LED red EOT lights
  • Spray entire assembly again with red primer
  • Paint grill work and hinges silver
  • Spray entire assembly wth Dullcote
Cab
  • Finally spray of red primer over entire cab
  • Fabricate and glue on roof “hatch”
  • Spray aluminum across roof
  • Mount Swiss style antenna on roof
  • Paint all molded window “gaskets” black on cab and doors
  • Paint the door plates/handles silver/aluminum
  • Spray entire assembly with Dullcote
  • Spray cab interiors with Dullcote
  • Install cab windows
  • Install cab interiors
  • Install cab windscreen wipers
  • Source, plaint yellow, and install cab railings
Front Bonnet/Hood
  • Spray entire assembly again with red primer
  • Paint grill work and hinges silver
  • Fabricate, paint, and install air filters on top of bonnet
  • Spray entire assembly wth Dullcote
  • Drill out lower mounting tab holes, fit and mount LED red EOT lights
Frame
  • Source parts for and fabricate a pair of MU cable jumpers - attaching one set to either end per the MGB
  • Source diamond plate for frame corner steps, paint silver and install
Misc
  • Try to locate the etched metal Schoema builder plates I’ve seen on other models
  • Try to locate suitable ditch light casting for the front and rear frame
  • Wire up the EOT lights, head lights, etc. to operate directionally with motor power

And adding a few more as I get close to the finish:
  • Attempt to repaint and install LGB stock Schoema horn
  • Fabricate small "door" or patch to cover the Short Hood's two LGB electrical connection holes (already sanded down the boss before painting)
  • Mount better/more prototypical RhB / FO buffers
  • Order replacement under floor air tanks from LGB (the ones I have are a bit worn and nicked)

Other than that - there are some long lead items... like sourcing appropriate cab side decals... and perhaps one of the hardest - getting the photo etched builder plates!

While not able to do any real modeling while traveling - I was at least able to locate a Photo Etcher (one mentioned here on the forum previously). They were great and very responsive by email - we got sizing and order details sorted, and all that was left was to pay them, and then they just went silent! I've tried following up a few times to no response. Time will tell if I can get the order filled or not!

So there you go, all up to date. Now, lets see if I can get this finished and on to the RhB Rail Grinding Car I've got next on the list to build.

Cheers everyone!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

idlemarvel

Neither idle nor a marvel
13 Jul 2015
3,136
801
Ascot
Country
Mars
Best answers
0
Country flag
Brilliant. Your approach is very methodical and effective. Thanks for sharing.
 

Bill Barnwell

Registered
30 Sep 2017
786
549
79
Ormond Beach, Fl
Best answers
0
Country flag
Continuing on this weekend, today I tackled a few more menial items, while advancing the cab’s fill and sand efforts.

The first item up was a little bit of surgery to the frame to help better the overall fit of the body parts. Now the nice thing about the Schoema’s frame is that the top of it has molded on “rails” that help align the hood and cab shells. This keeps everything true, which is great - the issue though is that if you want to move the shells inward, you can’t simply shave off some of the end rails, as directly under them is the motor block. My goal here was to shift the short hood inwards by about a 32nd of an inch - this meant I needed to shave off the very end of these rails, along with the two mounting tabs. (I plan to use the molded in screw holes on either end of the hood shells as lamps, and will secure the hoods to the body some other yet-to-be-sorted clever way!)

This took some doing, but with carful and slow sawing, I was able to remove the frame’s shell wall without damaging the motor block below.



Next up was pulling the side frame details off.

The air tanks will end up being used again, in their same location, as will the sanding boxes. The fuel tank parts needed to come off though, as did the ladders. The ladders we’ll relocate further back to align with the new cab door locations. The fuel tanks will go, and this leaves their three mounting bosses on the frame sides to deal with.



The simplest straight forward plan I could conceive was to drill out the bosses, and then (when ready) to plate over the four openings with some styrene sheet.



The ladders are affixed to the underside of the frame deck with a single screw and two locating pins. Moving the ladders is super simple. Step one was using an Xacto blade to shave off the pins, and step 2 was using a pin vise to drill a new hole in the deck. I placed the cab body on the deck for a moment, marked where the ladders now needed to be and proceeded to drill.


(Orange was the old mounting hole, flanked by locating pin holes - Blue is the newly drilled mounting hole)

Yes, the single screw minus the locating pins now allows for the ladders to rotate out of alignment if the screw backs off, but I plan to glue the ladders in place once the build is complete, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

The interior was my next focus. I salvaged the interior control stand and floor from the DB 2051. This mates to the cab so fitting it is not an issue - the issue is, once again, the guide rails and raised centre of the frame floor to allow for the motor box to nest below it. By luck, the 2051’s centre control console is just slightly wider than the Schoema’s guide rails, so what might have been an exhausting task of cut and fill turned into little more than some floor removal from the interior piece.







A test fit of both the interior nested into the frame deck, and the cab and body shells confirmed everything would sit correctly in place.

This brought me back to the cab itself. I used small strips of styrene to close the multiple railing holes in the body. Once glued, I then used body filler putty to fill each hole from the front, and then sanded down till flush. I also took this opportunity to sand down the remaining bits of filler on the cab’s front and rear walls.



At this point, until it warms up enough to spray primer and gauge where second applications of body filler will be needed, I’m about finished with the cab.

I’m waiting for a delivery of 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper this week, which should hopefully let me knock down the rough sanding on the body parts to date (a minor tragedy - I grabbed some “fine” sandpaper out of my kit to sand down the body filler, only to discover while using it that some fool - :think: - placed 220 in the “super fine” envelope… so there is now a rather large rough patch on the hood that needs to be buffed out!)


Another test fit, just to see how we’re doing.








And with that, it’s time to call it a day. One parting photo - I was able to sneak the frame and interior parts into the dishwasher this afternoon… took hours before they were noticed! After some negotiations, I’ve been cleared to give them a proper wash tomorrow!



Thanks for reading!
nice piece of work, make sure you show it when done