Oh my poor Shifter. This little 0-4-0 has been put off for over 12 years now through moves and shifting locales and all sorts of reasons. I had claimed in my end-of-year goals that this time would be different and for sure I'd finish it by Christmas, but alas, it may not be so. One thing I've learned about how I approach my hobby during lockdown is to follow the muse and pursue the passion even at the cost of delaying a project yet again. Momentum is precious when the anchor of settled inertia takes so much effort to weigh. Best to change tack and sail with the wind.
No, I'm not building a ship - lest the nautical references mislead you. I'm swapping a boiler and cab to create a unique locomotive. John Allen, of Gorre & Daphetid fame, was fond of heavily modifying locomotives to make them different from everyone else's. I have always felt the same way. The 2-6-0 I modified last year got a shortened tender and a high headlight; for fitting on a short turntable and to give the engine a 'family' appearance, respectively. This time I'm applying a boiler and cab from an AristoCraft/New One 2-8-0 to the smooth running mechanism of an Athearn (nee MDC/Roundhouse) 2-8-0.
The donor boiler is slightly longer than the original but offers a few features that make the conversion worth it for me. Not visible in this image are the open cab doors on the front of the cab - a thing often seen in real life but rarely on the model, something I've always wanted to include on a model engine. Like the 2-6-0, (and the Shifter) this engine has an auxiliary dome just in front of the cab and a side-mounted whistle (family likeness, again). I also like the brass detailing already built-in and will be featuring that in the finished model.
I'll be borrowing the backhead detail from the original boiler using Oyumaru thermoplastic and superfine Miliput to make a copy. The great thing about this thermoplastic material is that the mold can be remade if it doesn't turn out well on the first try. I was fortunate and got it right first time. Here you can see two castings in Miliput. I'll use the top one but it will need a little more Miliput to fill a couple imperfections. It smooths easily with water. The little side tabs will be cut away before it is installed.
I'll have to make a boiler segment for inside the cab along with a rudimentary floor and of course a place for a skinny engineer to sit. The fireman may end up living on the deck behind the cab. We'll see. Brass for the bits to attach the new boiler to the old frame (or is that the other way around?) has already been cut and shaped, and I have all the detail parts I'll want to use.
More on this project as I hit new milestones.
Those castings turned out great!
ReplyDeleteI really am impressed with how the Oyumaru picks up the detail AND with how the Superfine Miliput reproduces it. I think the trick with the thermoplastic is to apply it to the master item as soon as possible without burning your fingers, and with the Miliput, mix it for the recommended 7 minutes to get a homogenous mix.
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