Rosy 0-4-0 kit bashed LGB 2015 tank engine

[Bill Barnwell]

Always thought saddle tank engines were neat and with that in mind I uncovered an old Lionel 0-6-0 with outside drive gears that I had kit bashed several years ago. It wasn't a tank engine but it had a neat cab and unusual stack which was a little bent due to a smoke unit over heating. I had build a small tender to go with it to improve electrical pick up as the were no rail sliders . The drive system was so poor that I had to undo 1 of the driver wheels from the drive rod to get it to run as the gears were constantly getting out of sink. So I ditched the Lionel drive and substituted an LGB 0-4-0 engine # 2015, I reused the smoke box front the Lionel, making the body out of PVC tubing, added part of a Aristo-craft 2-4-2 Rogers tank buy cutting off 1 section of rivets and placing it on a piece of flat styrene that I sawed a slit in the piece of PVC tubing and inserted left to right into the slit leaving enough over hang or some side running boards. I cut the 2015 down on both sides and left the motor block housing. The Lionel cab had 2 tanks on it 1 left and 1 right on it's front and cut them off, made doors out of styrene and arched them like the windows before were done and cemented them in a open mode. The left side of the engine I suspended from the running board a scratch built ( out of styrene tube ) air tank adding piping with brass wire, on the right side I added some leftover cooling tubes from a Aristo-craft switcher. Put an air pump, I believe from an LGB engine, attaching it to the left side front of the tank also piping it with brass wire. Not quite sure where I got the sand dome but it fit the old time looking bill. After researching old saddle tank engines I discovered some of them had the steam dome inside the cab area hence I was able to shorten the engine by quite a bit. I reused the hand rail stations and added new brass wire, scratch built the front cow catcher and giving it a working engine look. The generator came off a big hauler along with the whistle which I had added wire to making stiffer. Had to make new covers for my cylinders as I was missing one of them from the 2015 but his gave the engine again and older look. The tender is just a styrene shell that I riveted using small brad nails, yes each one has it's own hole, sometimes I wonder where my mind goes when I'm not in charge. It is sitting on a passenger car truck for length and both wheels have power pick ups which are tied to the engine current. Color, well it was the color of the original cab and I liked it, sort of a rosy maroon, hence the name "Rosy". As most know I usually weather everything but for now just letting this one sit for a while looking pretty. After conversing with friend Eric in Hawaii I've decided to make me a sugar cane train, as there were several in Florida. Since looking pretty for a week or so I have added lettering to the engine and tender, and also started some cane cars. Thanks, Bill

 

[Capt. Jack]

Very nice bash. I have a special place in my heart for the saddle tank engines as well. Looks great. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Zerogee]

Excellent conversion!

Jon.

 

[Bill Barnwell]

Very nice bash. I have a special place in my heart for the saddle tank engines as well. Looks great. Thanks for sharing.

Tks

 

[Bill Barnwell]

Excellent conversion!

Jon.

Tks

 

[tgood]

Sooooooo much fun witnessing other's bashing to their liking.
This is what's it's all about. I could just buy what I need but where's the fun in that???
tgood

 

[Bill Barnwell]

Sooooooo much fun witnessing other's bashing to their liking.
This is what's it's all about. I could just buy what I need but where's the fun in that???
tgood

Well if I had the money and the layout, coming back from the Philippines in 55 we road the Santa fe super chief from California to Denver in war bonnet colors, what a neat train. So if I had a layout big enough to run one and the money, you can bet I would have one. But being as that's not happening i do have a fondness for small work engines especially tank engines. A lot of my rolling stock was done before American protypes were available, hence the mother of necessity. Small trains with a purpose, really like making something out of pieces. Idle mind is the devils playground they say, thanks for the comment, Bill

 

[dunnyrail]

Well if I had the money and the layout, coming back from the Philippines in 55 we road the Santa fe super chief from California to Denver in war bonnet colors, what a neat train. So if I had a layout big enough to run one and the money, you can bet I would have one. But being as that's not happening i do have a fondness for small work engines especially tank engines. A lot of my rolling stock was done before American protypes were available, hence the mother of necessity. Small trains with a purpose, really like making something out of pieces. Idle mind is the devils playground they say, thanks for the comment, Bill

Nice conversion Bill, just wondering how you create the very effective looking Sugar Cane?

 

[Bill Barnwell]

Nice conversion Bill, just wondering how you create the very effective looking Sugar Cane?

this is a copy of article I did for GRW magazine, if you need more let me know, Bill
by chocho willy on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 1:53 PM


New scratch built, almost, sugar can cars sugar cane cars. Well with " Rosy " almost finished , except for weathering, I decided to make sugar can cars. I started with HLW flat cars and added 196 evergreen solid square posts in the holes already in the car also added a very small piece .10 flat styrene in the hole to make the post tight. Then added a piece 4250 "V" groove siding to the front of the post at both ends for bulkheads, and I didn't worry about the inside because I figures the sugar cane load would cover the non detail side. Decided to use small chain to hold the cane in place and secured the ends with a piece of paper clip. Almost went stare crazy counting links as to where the vertical chains were to attach. Opening up those small links with these shaky hands is a sight to behold. I then secured the bottoms of chains with small cotter pins to the bottom of the car. Next off to find sugar cane, started with looking at broom straw and found that it is really hard to find a natural straw broom any more, finally found one in a older hardware store but the almost $20.00 price tag sort of got rid of that idea. Next I found skews in the food store that were made from bamboo and were about the right size, just too straight. So I soaked them in water over night and then but them in a jig for a day and let them dry. Once dry I cut them to length and started putting them in the car. Well the were bent but not enough and I don't think I could gotten them any more so I finished the load , painted and put them in the car. Took some pictures and sent them to Eric (triple O) for critiquing stating I though the were too straight and regular, I mean who better to ask than a Hawaiian with sugar plantations all around. Eric wasn't sure about the color but he agreed with me as to they were too uniform, I think his exact words were not willy nilly enough. Went searching to craft stores and found raffia straw from palms and is shipped from Madagascar, nothing like international flair, and I've got enough to do 20 or 30 cars for less the $4.00. I'll probably use the skewers for fence posts with new color. Pictures show first attempt and jig, after looking at the jig it would make a neat little fence around a house, and also the latest, 1 load drying and waiting to be trimmed the rest loaded on the car. Plan on 3 or 4 cars with some type of end car (caboose). Fun dreaming