Caboose Coupler Conundrum - Solved!

Back when I began converting these Model Power cabeese into more detailed models I ran into a conundrum; how to mount couplers.  In January of 2018 I determined I'd need to hog out the old coupler box entirely and sheath the platform surface with styrene, distressed to resemble wood planks.  Fine.  But that doesn't leave anything for a screw to bite into in order to attach the coupler box.  

Coupler slot modifications from January 2018

Now I know what you're thinking - why not just glue the box in place.  I considered it, but I really prefer to be able to unscrew the box to access the coupler and spring plate in case either or both are damaged, heaven forbid.  To do so if it had been glued in place would mean potentially damaging the platform detail above, then having to glue in the replacement, and I could just imagine that going badly.

The obvious solution was to glue the top plate of the coupler box in place, and attach the lower half by screwing it to the post on the upper half.  The only problem was finding a screw of the right size.  The largest tap I own is for a 2-56 screw, and that slides right through the coupler hole.  I had slightly larger screws but no tap...but perhaps I could just force them to "self-tap" into the soft plastic of the coupler box...

 

NEVER throw away potentially useful screws!

Sure enough, it worked.  The old Atlas switch machine screws tapped themselves easily into the coupler boxes without cracking or distorting the plastic.  Only about 1/16 of an inch needed to be snipped away and my Xurons made quick work of that followed by a few swipes of a needle file.  A couple tiny drops of super glue and voila, couplers installed.

Rolling Streak

 

This image illustrates the progress on the caboose ladder platforms, the little stickey-outey bit next to the roof walk near the end of the roof over the platform.  Because of the curve of the roof, I laid one support on its flatter side and the other on its narrow edge.  This doesn't entirely level the planks laid on top, but comes close enough.  

As you can probably guess from the above image, I didn't make my deadline of completing a "Trail Drive" by Epiphany (January 6).  But that's okay.  In fact, I'm really pleased with my progress.  Even more than that, I'm very happy about the building streak I've been on.  Since I started this emphasis back 12 days before Christmas, I've sat at my workbench and done something with a model nearly every day.

I've been a promoter of good habits and habit formation for several years, since I first read Charles Duhigg's book on habits and learned of Dr. B.J. Fogg's Tiny Habits method.  I truly believe good habits are a key to happiness and productivity and in our current lockdown, sanity.  So rather than being disappointed that I didn't meet my target date, I am quite chuffed to have reconnected with my hobby in such a consistent way.  It is a touchstone of security at home amidst the shifting sands and changing currents of the outside world.

That's How It's Done!

Making steady progress on the Trail Drive to Christmas challenge I set for myself, I turned my attention once again to the cabeese.  A few days back I solved the problem of how to keep the floor removable without wrecking the end ladders.  Just after that I worked on the freezers, getting them primed.  Once again I looked to the cabeese and contemplated the roof walks...oh.  Oh no.  I had forgotten that I needed styrene strip.  Actually, I had remembered and ordered some from a vendor months ago only to have them ship me the wrong product by mistake.  I forgot that I was going to look for more.

To eBay and quick!  A search turned up a seller with not only the 1x6 I like to use, but the 2x3 bracing AND a thing I never knew existed, Evergreen Scale Models ladder "kit".  Merry Christmas indeed!  What?  It's on sale with free shipping?  Happy New Year!  I honestly expected it to take a while, what with holiday shipping and the whole viral disruption slowing down the post, but no, here 'tis, on Christmas Eve.

I almost didn't recognize the package because the seller did it right.  Really right.  Observe:

Each packet taped, top bottom and sides, to a stiff cardboard backing and to each other, respectively.  All inserted into a bubble mailer envelope.

It doesn't always work like this.  I have my eBay horror stories as well, but it is nice when it turns out better than expected.  May your Christmas be filled with pleasant surprises and your New Year with results that surpass expectations!

When Two Become One

Or, when the materials speak, listen.

I had planned to use the little narrow windows from the Tichy Work Car Windows set to replace the narrow side windows in the cupolas.  I had thought the narrow Tichy window frames would work, but when turned vertically they weren't as tall as the square window frames on the front and back of the cupola.  However, included in the assortment were wide two-panel windows.  I held one window against the cupola side and immediately knew I had to use it. 

The narrow window openings had bothered me since I made them, and I really didn't have a good solution.   Something about the relative size or placement was off and I couldn't figure out what bugged me, I just knew I didn't like it.  So when the narrow Tichy windows didn't make it better, I was doubly discouraged at that point.  But my displeasure turned to satisfaction when I put the long, wide windows in place.

The actual fix was simple.  I cut out the center section between the two narrow windows, then added scale 2x4 strips to the sides.  I'm going to say that the new frame is a slider, and my train crew will be pleased to be able to open that window and get a breeze through the cupola rolling down the tracks in central Florida.

When Scratch Isn't Up To

Case in point, these windows.  I tried to make my own window frames but I wasn't happy with the results.  I was happy with the overall shape and size of the cupola itself.  Enter Tichy Train Group's Work Car Windows Assortment, part number 8206.  I have dry-fit one window to test the fit and sure enough, I couldn't have fit it better if I had planned it that way.  There are smaller windows in the set and they should likewise work just fine for the narrow side windows.  Here's the kicker - they come with glazing!

Will I attempt to scratchbuild window frames again in the future?  Sure, if necessary, or maybe even just for fun.  But will I let it stall a project as long as this attempt did?  No sir.  If Tichy had not made these excellent window frame inserts, I would have likely found suitable kitbash parts from some donor cabeese.  The caboose is a signature piece of rolling stock for any steam era railroad and as a freelancer, I believe it is even more important that I'm happy with the result.

A Gift Put to Use

I was given a Peco Loco Lift for Christmas.  It is a gift I had asked for, and was very happy to receive.  Here it is being used to remove the Mogul from the main line:

Eventually there may be a staging track abutting the railroad here, but for now the Lift works well.  And, once the staging is in place the Loco Lift will likely still be used for the engines and more delicate rolling stock.

For now, its sole job is to hold this locomotive.  When I bought this Mehano 2-6-0 it came without a box.  I need to make one, ideally before I finish the fine detailing. 

Aziz, Light!*

Original two lights, both two the left of this image:

Next, adding the new light directly ahead beyond the railroad:

Finally, the other original light, behind my right shoulder: 

Much better.  This level of light is adequate but still not ideal.  However, it will suffice for moving ahead on scenery.

Now I can truly say, "There are FOUR lights!"**

* Even if you didn't care for the Fifth Element or have never seen it, you only have to watch a few minutes to get to this quote.  I suppose, thanks to YouTube, you can just find that clip if you're really in a hurry.

**No, really, there are FOUR lights.  Okay, eight if you count each tube within the double tube florescent fixture.  The reference is from a Star Trek TNG episode.  Poor Picard.  Though, in his defense, no other person would be sane after enduring just half the stuff he had to go through.

New Year's Revisions

Make sure you read that right - it says Revisions, not Resolutions.  I do have a few resolutions but they have more to do with growing our savings and losing pounds, standard fare.  We actually did both in the previous year and have a solid plan for doing so again this year.  I like achievable goals!

Rather than go through a what-I-did and what-I-hope to do for last year and this, respectively, I decided to focus on the Pine Branch Park section of the Ocali Creek Railroad (aka "the layout").  Apart from ballast and the occasional paint and glue, I shouldn't need to purchase anything for the railroad this year.  I intend to begin setting aside my monthly stipend for a rainy-day fund, or, heaven forbid, a DCC system replacement fund, though the MRC system I currently use is still chugging along.  Still, I've had to send it back once already and it would be foolish to think it will last forever.  And, should I ever expand the railroad to the point at which multiple operators becomes desirable, I'll want a second throttle.

With that said, here are the focused goals for the railroad, including a revised plan.

I've moved the Gas Station away from the team track.  This is to give more room for each scene and has the bonus of providing an additional industry.  I can spot a tank car between the gas station and the orange grove.  That section of track really is the "continuous run connection" for when I just want to watch a train run.  During an operating session it can be a spot.

In order to move the gas station, I had to eliminate the residences that were going to reside there.  In that space I have planned a small honey stand.  It will be a tourist attraction of sorts, as the stand will be made from an old horse-drawn streetcar.  It will sit on a small stretch of track, complete with a dummy horse attached.  Folks can have their picture made at the "Strickland Street Car" and buy some "Horse-drawn Honey"  The remnants of the old streetcar line will run down the street, truncated by the tracks which cross it and paved over in spots.  Ocala, Florida, actually used to have a horsecar line in the late 1800s.  I've only seen one blurry image:

This should be a neat little scratchbuilding project.  The name Strickland comes from our old neighbors when we first moved to Ocala in 1980.  They were beekeepers and sold honey from their screened porch.  Interestingly enough, my youngest son is learning about beekeeping through 4H, and we each got protective bee suits for Christmas.

The station is nearly complete and I'm itching to build the Purina Feed Mill.  Along with the mill I'll rebuild the three Laconia Ventilated cars I've collected and a Woodland Scenics Diamond T truck with Purina lettering.  My plan for this railroad has always been to complete each scene fully - that means structures, accompanying rolling stock if applicable, vehicles and figures.  And, each scene should in some way contribute to the story of the railroad with either era specific or location specific details, or both.

But before then I must finish the cabeese I began back in the Spring of 2018.  Look for a post on these early this year, hopefully within a month.  The station scene will likely be next, followed by the Purina scene.  Somewhere in there I'll lay out the streets.  The benchwork still needs trim and painting.  Finally, by the end of 2019 I hope to have all the track painted, detailed and ballasted.   "All the trackwork" sounds like a lot, but keep in mind the overall size of the railroad is 4'x6'.  I could paint, detail, and ballast the track all in a week of evenings.  Relatively reduced time spent on any one task is one reason I limited the scope of this project.

I've also renamed the staging connection to "Main East" and "Main West".  Tony Koester advocates this practice of locating your section of railroad on a larger network by calling staging something more bound to geography.  In my case, the main line heading east runs towards Deland, FL, and the main west heads into town (Ocala) where the railroad's main yard and shops are located.  For operators, that means little right now as those physical connections off-the-table don't go anywhere...yet.  But it does add to the sense of story and place and when I do eventually add staging yards, they won't just be tracks on a tabletop, but representations of destinations.

Finally, a word of thanks to all my readers.  Thanks for following along, and Happy New Year!

Now We're Rolling!

Ocali Creek Railway 2-6-0 number 145 speeds a train of reefers loaded with Florida citrus toward Northern markets at Christmastime.  Oranges at Christmas have become a tradition for many during this season, thanks to fast, dependable transportation provided by railroads spanning the sunshine state.  The orange and green Shepaug Valley car behind the locomotive is likely headed for Connecticut.  The Ocali Creek is a short line tapping the riches of central Florida.  This train will speed through the tall pine forests to a connection with the Florida East Coast.

Finished the Mogul to a state where I can run it for a while before adding weathering and final details.  In fact, I will likely finish the OCRY cabeese before I weather this locomotive along with the cabeese and some other too-clean rolling stock.  Neither the bell nor whistle cords have been added, and there's no coal in the tender.  That's okay as there are no handrails to pull yourself up into the cab either.  Those are the last details to add.  The railings will go on before I weather, the cords and coal after.

Note how the pure black paint obscures the details in this poor garage light.  HA.  Just kidding.  I hope this photo goes to show that a glossy black paint job looks beautiful and actually highlights the detail, most of which is molded on and not separately applied.  The poor garage light is a basic florescent shop light.  The image was captured with a digital camera set to auto ISO and a close-up macro with no flash.

What's the Intent?

One of the blogs I read from time to time is Mike Cougill's over at OST Publications.  One of his thoughtful musings published just a few hours ago as of this writing is here:

http://www.ostpubs.com/whats-the-intent/

In it, he asks the question which titles his post.  I mirrored it as the title of this post to start something.  I'm hoping that any other bloggers that read this site from time to time will take up the gauntlet and write their own "What's the Intent" post to answer the question for themselves.  (Jim?  Luke?)  Mike's focus lately has been on modeling cameo scenes as a way of advancing ideas about the artistry of the craft of model railroading.

For me, I can sum it all up in one photo and a short description:

 

McDonald, Dale M., 1949-2007. World of Motion attraction in EPCOT Center at the Walt Disney World Resort - Orlando, Florida. 1983. Color slide, . State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/101839>, accessed 18 December 2018.

This rather poor image depicts what has been called the "World's First Traffic Jam".  It's a show scene in the now-extinct World of Motion pavilion at EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida.  This ride-through attraction showed guests a history of transportation through humorous scenes depicting advances in our mobility, and presenting future transportation possibilities.  (I recommend searching out the attraction on Youtube, as there are several decent ride-through videos you can view.  An image search for this attraction may also turn up a great shot of this scene under construction, with the study model built by Imagineers in the foreground.)

No, I'm not replicating this attraction in my garage, but taking cues from Disney's original mission for EPCOT - to Inspire, Educate and Entertain.  This attraction did that and more.  My railroad will do the same but with a much narrower focus.  It will show scenes typical of the 1920s in central Florida.  There will be humorous scenes, at least one of which will be lifted almost directly from the World of Motion.  Distinctive elements like a paper boy on the corner hawking the daily or the remnants of the horse drawn streetcar track will educate and invite any viewers to ask questions.  Creating believable, realistic scenes will also drive me further into enjoyable research.

The trains themselves will be moving elements within a three dimensional artwork, literally framed.  They will "operate" in traditional model railroad fashion, but the operational function serves the purpose of telling the story.  That story is the specific history of the land boom in 1920's Florida and how the railroads played their part in that story.

Personally, my intent is to create a slice of a world that could have been, into which I can visit and observe and interact.  I can admire this creation and relax as a train trundles through this miniature world, or I can take on the role of conductor, planning the moves to get the pickups picked up and setouts set out, then get back home in time for that new radio program.  Maybe I'll pick up the extra from the kid on the corner.  I hear Lindberg is going to try for a trans-Atlantic flight.

Mogul Update

I have been making steady progress on the IHC 2-6-0 rebuild, reaching the painting and decal stage.  Now all that's left is to wire the LEDs.  The headlight will be wired to two connector pins and the resistors will be wired in the tender, along with the rear light.  The LEDs are prewired nano LEDs from Evan Designs, set into holes drilled into cast brass light housings.

Paint is all acrylic except for the brass bits.  The graphite is a craft paint called 'tin' and the red is called 'lipstick'.  The black is BLACK - not gray, or weathered black, or black warmed with red and softened with white a la John Allen, but BLACK.  I've never been a fan of painting a locomotive any color other than what it was or is in real life.  Funnily enough, I freelance.  Still, black is black.

I got a bit of an orange peel finish on the cab roof, due to the gloss varnish not going on thick enough.  I'm not happy with the way the gloss behaved - some of the paint buckled and wrinkled, but it wasn't in a place where it will be seen.  Overall the finish is fine, but I am going to look into the Tamiya varnishes as I've heard great things about them.

Once the LEDs are wired I will reassemble the loco and add final touches like the crew, coal load and bell and whistle cords.  I have cleaned paint from the tender trucks but will run the engine on DC to turn the drivers.  Weathering is something that'll happen down the road, most likely.

BTW - my most recent post on "What Vintage" has far and away surpassed any other post I've made on this blog.  Welcome to all the new readers who came by for that post.  Stick around and check out some of the other posts and feel free to comment!

Details I Didn't Think I'd Do

Here are two things I did to the 2-6-0 that I hadn't planned on doing.  The first is a stand, made simply from two bent pieces of flat brass strip, for the rear light on the tender.

Shown above are the finished light, the little block of plastic I was going to use initially, and a third 'leg' I bent.  I bent enough legs to get two that matched in height.  In this image the LED is not in the casting.  It has since been added and the wires are run down behind one of the legs.

The second unplanned detail is less detail and more functional addition.  Note the bits of metal in this image.

While I chose to not replace the cast-on power reverse or air compressor assembly, I did fill-in the back side of the air tanks.  Since I removed some weight from inside the boiler to make room for wiring, I decided to replace a little with these bits.  I had these cut-offs from another steam project in which I had removed the cast metal clunky air tanks and replaced them with scratchbuilt parts.  The metal is ZAMAC, most likely, so it is heavy.  Though it is not that visible, it adds a tiny bit of weight and that helps the overall performance of this locomotive.

As of this post, this engine is fully detailed and ready for paint.

Steam Status

Here is where the 2-6-0 stands at present:

I have been occasionally sanding the joint on the tender sides with a very tiny piece of very fine sandpaper glued to a stick, in order to avoid sanding away the rivets.  However, I have sanded away all the rivets on the rear of the tender.  I did this when I removed the cast-on ladder.  I will replace the rivets with Micro Mark rivet decals similar to the double rows that were there, and the ladder with a brass casting from Wiseman.  Also on the tender I will be adding a platform for the back-up light.

All that remains on the locomotive itself is to add a pair of handrail stanchions just in front of the cab wall, and a bit of fake wiring conduit to replace where I shaved some off while removing another detail.  After that it is a matter of determining what value resistor to use for the LED's and then wiring them in place.

After these final details are complete I can paint and letter the engine.  We are still having warm, dry afternoons here so I want to get it painted before the temperature drops much and the air gets moist.

Garage Railroad Plan

I've always looked at those 4x8 project railroads in the model train magazines with an eye for what could be.  Sometimes there is great potential, sometimes they just don't work that well.  Granted, there has been much ink spilled over how to create a better plan using the same space required for a 4x8 (much greater than 4x8, considering aisles and access to three sides) so I won't go into that here.  But I will posit a contrary view for the utility of such plans as they are - a rectangle in the middle of a room.  When you have a room in which you can't use the walls, one of these space-hogging 4x's may be just the answer.

I have space in our house for a nice railroad on a shelf, but barring some sections that must be put up to run and taken down when done, that doesn't make for easy loop running.  Sometimes (quite often) I like to just sit back and watch a train roll.  In order to do that I need to build something larger, and the only space for that is our garage.  Bob Smaus once wrote an article in Model Railroader about the hazards of building in the garage, and I recommend it if you can find it.  Summer heat, winter cold, dust, spiders (black widows, and not the Southern Pacific RR kind!) and clutter all make for a challenging environment in which to build a model railroad.

However, I have decided I'm up for the challenge.  I recently set up a test loop of EZ track in the garage, ostensibly for testing the 2-6-0.  This is actually our Christmas loop but only when there's a tree in the middle.  I've been having so much fun running trains on that loop - despite the rough conditions in the garage - that I decided I could be very happy with a layout out there.

After much cogitation (the details of which I will spare you), I returned to a simple plan.  Behold the HO scale Morgan Valley RR, first featured in the January 1989 issue of Model Railroader in an article by Rick Henderson (click for larger, or right click and open in a new tab):

This plan has always stuck with me, dating back to the first days of my subscription to Model Railroader.  However, I've learned much since then about railroad operations, model and prototype, and right away I knew I'd need to modify this plan.  I started by removing the short switchback siding and a few others.

I added a parallel siding to an existing one, and shifted a few tracks to align on 90 degree lines.  This was because I was already envisioning a grid of streets.

The dark gray are major roads while the lighter gray are secondary alleys and parking areas.  I believe this should be a consideration in the earliest stages of a plan, as this is often how city planners would view development.  People inhabit cities, and need a way to get around.  On so many model railroads, particularly smaller ones like this, roads seem to be an afterthought and consequently the scene lacks believability.  Roads lead to structures, or in the case of the driveways, connect structures to streets.

Here the olive drab colored shapes represent industries or railroad structures, the blue colored blocks represent city buildings and the dusty rose colored shapes are residential homes.  Trees and water features have been added and some track features labeled.   It is my intention that the streets and buildings will provide a strong grid-like structural element.  The tracks interact with this structure as if, in some cases, they were put in place after the grid was laid down, and in others in concert with it or before it.  The tracks follow a small creek in one corner and pass through a low cut in another, next to the orange grove; otherwise the topography is essentially flat.

While I will discuss operating this layout in another post, suffice it to say for now that the railroad can handle both freight and passenger trains as it stands.  With a connection to staging (most likely a train-length turntable) as a fiddle yard, the variety of equipment increases.  For now it can be built using track I already own, and using many key structures which I already own.  One final note - the 'Motorcycle Cop' is a nod to a scene from an extinct Epcot Center attraction, the World of Motion.  Find a good video of this ride on YouTube and see if you can spot the cop behind the billboard.

Tender Cuts

I didn't like the long look of the tender as it was, so I decided to chop out a section and shorten the length.  I used the decals that would grace the sides as a gauge of just how much I could cut and still fit "OCALI CREEK".  With this measurement, I determined I could remove about an inch.

Using a hobby saw, I made the cuts as shown below:

After checking with a square, sanding, checking, more sanding, checking again, and still more sanding, I was able to arrive at mostly square and straight cut ends which mated well.

I bonded the joint with Testors liquid cement for plastic and braced it with the plastic modeler's secret scrap; a bit of bread clip.  The tender floor and underframe was secured with the same cement, but braced with small styrene strips along the length.

While I don't have much planned for the locomotive itself apart from a few minor detail changes, the tender modifications are quite extensive.  It will need pads in the shell for screws to attach it to the frame, a soldering board on which the decoder and all the wiring come together, plus details, some of which will be scratchbuilt.  This is shaping up to be a fine project.

Green Steam II

What happens when you strip the Southern Green paint off an IHC Mogul?  You find green plastic underneath that green paint!

Notice the silver smokebox and firebox paint didn't come off completely.  I may have been able to get more to release had I soaked it longer.  What you see here is the result of a couple hours in 91% rubbing alcohol.  I finished removing the silver with a scraper.  The only other green plastic is the cylinders and saddle, not shown here.  The rest - basically the frame - is molded in black plastic, and was unpainted.

Green Steam

I had big plans for my Bachmann Spectrum 4-6-0.  Ever since I had purchased it, it was going to be my branch line steamer, hauling a classic mixed train.  But that's the fantasy...the reality is, it never worked right.  I should have exchanged it right after I got it, back when Bachmann was still making it.  Instead, it sat in its box for years before I decided to have a crack at fixing it.  The newer model they've released apparently doesn't have the flaws mine has, though it does not have all the beautiful, separately applied details. 

So when it didn't work I turned to a second option.  A friend had given to me three steamers; vintage models by Aristo-Craft back when they made HO.  These were "New One" models from Japan, thirty years older than the Spectrum engine.  I was disappointed but not surprised when the pretty little 2-8-0 had the same flaw: the drivers were pressed onto the geared axle slightly less than perpendicular.  That means the engine will have a lope; a wobble; a hitch in its getalong.

With both of these options off the table (and considerable time spent fiddling with them to try and make them better) I calmly decided I was going to do the right thing and purchase a reliable, dependable locomotive.  I had watched throughout the Christmas season as a USRA 2-8-2 chugged around the tree hauling a string of hoppers.  This stalwart steamer was made in Slovenia by Mehano for IHC. 

I got on eBay and found that apparently I wasn't the only person looking for great performance at a reasonable price.  But after a while I was able to land a deal on a 2-6-0, an ideal locomotive for hauling a freight or mixed train down a branch.  Sure, the detail wasn't as nice as my Bachmann Spectrum, but it runs (well!) and is a great platform for detailing.  If John Pryke considered it worthy of conversion into a New Haven K-1-B Mogul*, I figured I'd be able to do something with this little green steamer.

Upcoming blog posts will be progress updates on this project.

*see Model Railroader, August 2008, pg. 66