MODERATOR NOTE: This error was corrected in the versions of the magazine available after 3:30 PM Pacific time on Sunday, June 3rd.

On page 70 (page 9 of the article), captions #17, 18, and 20 are out of sync with their photos.    Caption #17 should be #18, #18 should be #20, and #20 should be #17.  Not that they are terribly confusing as is, but they might make a little more sense in the correct order.

Wow, Ken, that's just simply amazing how you take simple pieces of styrene and make your own nicely detailed steam loco!  Great job and great article!

Thanks, Paul.  However, I have to say that the only really amazing thing in my eyes is how simple it was.  While it may not come across in the article, I was making it up as I went, and had to figure out each step.  That's part of why it took me so long, and also why I wanted to share the process.

I must be stuck in old school mode. I have been considering kit bashing one of the 6 HOn3 new in the box Roundhouse 2-8-0 models I haven't built and turning it into a 4-6-0 RGS engine. I have been looking for the right size Brass tubing to alter my boiler and never even considered styrene. This article made me smack myself in the forehead and say DOE!!

What you have done with plastic is just what the doctor ordered I started reading and it just got my modeling juices flowing like Niagara falls after the winter melt. This is the perfect article at the exact right time and I can't wait for the next installment because as I read through this article before I knew it I was at the end of part One.

I give this article 5 stars for subject. 5 more stars for photo instructions and 5 more stars for showing me just how easy it can be to build a steam engine. Thanks and I can't wait for the next installment.

_{*****-*****-*****}

Great Time to put this article in the MRH E-Zine

Dan

Ken,

Very nice put together article. Like Dan I'm going to have to try that in HOn3 for when I built my layout. The article reminds me of the one's you'd find in the 1950's in MR called "Kitchen Tabletop Model". Again greate job and can't wait to see next months issue.

A surprise for me. I hadn't realized your age, I thought you were much older, like somewhere in your late 50's. Imagine my surprise to find out your half my age.

Bernd

Dan, your reaction is exactly what I had hoped to hear in a perfect world, and I cannot tell you how glad I am that I've got your creative juices flowing.  Just try to mop up the mess....  As far as styrene goes, my light bulb moment was when I was working on another model and stripped it to a bare boiler - no domes or details or anything.  I realized that it was just a styrene tube, and if it was good enough for that model, it would be good enough for another one as well, provided I could make the right tube.

Bernd, I've been told I seem older than my years.  Maybe it's hanging out with all my parent's friends, who knows.  I do know that being young and broke have inspired quite a few creative projects.  This engine for example: I estimate I have about $200-$250 invested in it, including the Tsunami.  To get the same thing in brass would cost me at least $500, and probably a good bit more than that. 

Nice work but the description on making the domes would be improved with a real close up picture of the flaring process between the boiler and the base of each dome. Styrene is a media I have not worked in but you have made it look a lot more attractive.

Mike

close up picture of the flaring process between the boiler and the base of each dome

Unfortunately, I did not take any photos of the work in progress, since I needed both hands to do the work.  It is an iterative process - add putty, let it dry, shape it with a round file, add more putty as needed, etc.  The diameter of the file (mine is a pointed 1/8" diameter) will determine the radius of the flare to a certain extent, although the exact angle, where along the taper you work, etc. will also make a difference.  Basically, the idea is to define the flare with the flat base and how far beyond the dome it extends.  Notice that the stack has a lot more flare than the domes do, because of course the base is much larger.

I mentioned in the article that you should see an even white ring around the base when the flare is right.  What I neglected to mention is that you will also see an even white ring around the diameter of the dome, and that all the putty above that point will need to be removed with files, scrapers, or sandpaper.  That ring is, of course, the bare white styrene being exposed, and ideally you don't want to cut into it at all.  When those rings are consistent in size, the flare should also be a consistent curve.  Or close enough, anyway.

I've read the article on the styrene loco, and I have to say job very well done! 

I'm not at the stage to attempt this myself yet (nor do I have a need for steamers at this time), but the techniques you use can be useful for all sorts of things.

Keep up the nice work!

Koos

the techniques you use can be useful for all sorts of things.

Exactly, and I'm glad you caught that.  While the article describes building a steam loco in detail, there is no reason why you couldn't use the same concepts to make any number of things...  tank cars come to mind as being very similar, but really, anything is the same when you start to look at things in terms of "what shape is it, and how can I make that shape with the materials and tools at hand?"

This is great! This and similar articles are exactly what I miss in the mainstream model railroading mags. Thanks Ken for sharing this with us.

First, kudos to Kenneth for his locomotive AND his article.

I will suggest that if you follow his lead you too can build a good model in any scale.  But... follow his techniques.

First he did his homework. He found drawings he could use. He found photographs of the locomotive he built.

Second, he found a locomotive (starting point) that could result in a good model.

Third, he accepted the fact that it wouldn't be an exact copy of the prototype.

Fourth he spent time planning how he would build the model.

Fifth, he worked hard and was patient.

Five important factors- the same number as the number of fingers you have on one hand. So HIGH FIVE for Kenneth.

Maro:

Thanks for the kind words about this article - we agree with you that this sort of more advanced article is missing. That's where we intend to make a difference by bringing back more of the in-depth articles.

But as to mainstream, MRH is running circa 60,000+ in audience size per month now. The last circulation figures we have for the general model railroading magazines is:

• 138,000 Model Railroader
• 64,000 Model Railroad Hobbyist
• 48,000 Railroad Model Craftsman
• 15,000 NMRA magazine (estimated)
• 10,000 Model Railroad News (estimated)

The estimated values are from some older stats we've seen, so with the recent changes in these magazines, the actual number could be plus or minus 25%.

So if by mainstream you mean size, we're arguably #2 now - but if by mainstream you mean a magazine with a long history in the hobby, we're clearly just a baby!

"A surprise for me. I hadn't realized your age, I thought you were much older, like somewhere in your late 50's. Imagine my surprise to find out your half my age."

Oh yeah. Ken is one of those young modelers some say don't exist. ;-)

Ken, Excellent job on the locomotive and article! Its the perfect article that makes one want to sit at the workbench and create our own masterpiece.  I can't wait for next months issue .  

Sorry for coming in so late on this.  I have been very busy starting a business and had not had time to look in here in a while...

Ken, this article is a keeper and an inspiration.  Thanks.  Looking forward to the next parts!

Rafael

I really enjoyed this article and I'll eagerly await the remaining articles in the series.  I model the timeframe from 1947-1950 in large part because my favorite engines are steam locomotives.  

Was the starting point for the chassis an IHC/Mehano 2-8-0?  I have two and the motor/flywheel combination along with the valve gear in the in-process photos look identical to the IHC 2-8-0.

Realizing that not all of us will be building a Southern 2-8-0, will you have a bill of materials as part of the series?  I get considerable food for thought from the bill of materials even if I'm modeling something totally different.

Thanks again for putting this together for us!

Doug

Congrats Ken on your locomotive and article, very informative and inspiring.  Just outstanding!

David

Joe,

   I came across this website from an online hobby shop link not too long ago.  As soon as I peeked in here, I joined immediately.  I just got through looking over this month's issue, and I have to say I'm speechless.  Every single article is a homerun!  From Ken's locomotive project, the paper mill article, the Frisco tower, DCC, speeders, and the UP caboose....all fantastic!

  I had no idea such a magazine existed, and I'm quite pleased that it does, because it is a breath of fresh air for the hobby, and outclasses all the others......

  I've read about some concerns over MRH being available online, but I don't think it will hurt the growth of the magazine.  If anything, it will help because you are willing to do it at no cost.  The fact is, if we as modelers have a favorite prototype railroad, we can find much (or at least some) online about that railroad.  But it is even better to have that latest book on locomotives or rolling stock at our fingertips.  And I believe the same can be said for this magazine.  Great have it online, but much better to be able to thumb through the pages and enjoy.....

  I just wanted to offer my appreciation, and congratulate everyone involved in making this wonderful publication.

Sincerely,

David

Doug,

Yes, that's an IHC 2-8-0.  I'll go into more details in a later article, when I describe all that I did to the chassis.  One issue I had was that I built the model, and then decided to write the article.  I presented the article in what I felt was the most logical order, but unfortunately that's not the order in which I built it, so some things appear and disappear in the photos as the artificial timeline progresses, and others are left totally unexplained until later on.  the work on the chassis is one of those things.

As far as a parts list, I do list all the commercial parts I used, but there is no complete list of everything on the model, simply because so much of this model came from the rack of Evergreen styrene and my scrap box.  For part 1, the parts list is basically a variety pack of styrene sheets, another of tubes, a tube of Squadron green putty, and some 5 minute epoxy.

Hello Joe

Thanks for the comments. "Mainstream" may have been a poor word choice on my part. I meant mags such as MR and MRC that I enjoyed over the years but have been a little disappointed in lately. Recently a fellow model railroader gave me his entire collection of old MRs and MRCs dating back some 30+ years (and a few issues dating to the 50's and 60's) and I think the articles in these older issues were MUCH better than current entries.

I particularly miss Art Curren's articles on kitbashing cheapo structure kits into believable railside industrial buildings. His articles have inspired me to attempt similar projects, which has ultimately led me into experimenting with scratchbuilding structures using styrene and other materials.

I'm glad to see MRH bringing back the kind of in-depth articles that we liked so much in the older issues of MR and MRC. As far as I'm concerned, y'all are No. 1 now. Keep it up!

Ken thanks for a wonderful article. I will almost certainly never build a steamer as my layout is set firmly in the 1970s, but there were all kinds of tricks I WILL use on the tank cars, woodchip hoppers, home road cabeese and MOW equipment I need to model (stuff not available in my scale/era). Keep up the good work.

Bob Courtney

Oregon Trunk in 2rail O

Monett, MO

I'm really glad folks are finding something interesting and/or inspiring here.  As I understand it, there should be a total of four articles, and I cover working in brass sheet (building both the cab and tender) and compare the differences between brass and styrene for building a cab, as well as the differences between embossed and decal rivets.  I also go into the modifications I made to the chassis, and of course build all the other parts of the model.  Paint, decals, weathering, decoder, it's all in there.

I hope that people come away from all this feeling as though scratch building is neither some mystical black art nor some dark secret skill.  As far as I can remember, every single piece of this locomotive, every technique, every step along the way was something I had to invent to solve a problem.  I did not know how I was going to build this model until after I had done it, and other than the standard things like soldering, cutting, etc., I don't remember ever reading about how to make any specific part.  If there is a secret, it is that you absolutely must believe that there is a way to build what you want.  Knowing the answer is handy, of course, but it's far more important to know that it is possible to get the answer.

I enjoyed this article tremendously, and look forward to reading the next part.

I would appreciate knowing the name of the blue tape you used.  It looks like an excellent solution to two problems.

It would also be nice if you could add call-outs to the photos to identify some of the details you talk about, but I'm being picky.  I have gained tremendous knowledge and appreciation of the process of building steam locomotives using styrene.

Thank you.

Rich Pitter

Rich,

I'm glad you're enjoying the article, and learning something.  The blue tape is just blue painter's masking tape from the hardware store.  I think that any masking tape ought to work just as well, but the blue stuff was what I happened to have on hand.  I am curious - what are the two problems?  Protecting the boiler from putty is one, what's the other?

I'm sorry about not having the photos labeled better.  I admit that I assume a certain degree of familiarity with the parts of a steam locomotive, which is probably a poor assumption these days!  By all means, feel free to ask (via e-mail if you prefer, though you're probably not the only person who has questions) for clarification on anything you're not sure about.  If you'll tell me the name or figure in question, I can try to post labeled pictured here.

[edit]

Ever since I started this project (and even before, though I felt like I had less empirical evidence) I have always insisted that anybody who can build a basic kit can scratch build a model.  I really feel as though I've demonstrated this, since I feel like I have no special knowledge or skill which I could bring to the table and which other modelers might lack.  However, Rich's comment made me realize that I might have one advantage when it comes to modeling a steam locomotive.  I have, for most of my life, been fascinated with steam and have spent many long hours studying every detail, design, theory, and history that I could find.  While I am no expert, I suspect I may know more than the average bear about steam locomotives.  For that reason, I probably assumed that my readers would know exactly what part I was talking about in the text, or understand instantly what a photograph would show.  If I have done so, I most sincerely apologize, and I will be more than happy to clarify anything which I have left unexplained.  The whole point of this has been to educate, and if people are left scratching their heads then I have failed.

[/edit]

I just found this, and it is giving me a lot to think about.  I love the combination of brass and styrene.  This is the sort of work I would love to be able to do, but I have not reached this level of patience and dedication yet.

http://members.shaw.ca/rene.gourley/loco.html

WOW Ken. Nice find.

That sure is an inspiration. I would like to see his workshop. I'm always interested in the kinds of tools a person uses to create such a master piece. Would love to do work like that also but lack the patients for, what must be, a long term project.

From what I saw of your work on the steamer article I'd say your more than halfway there already.

Bernd

From what I saw of your work on the steamer article I'd say your more than halfway there already.

Thanks, Bernd.  I understand every step in the process, there's nothing magical in the photos (except the final product, of course), but I cannot quite bring myself to make styrene valve gear in HO scale - working or not!  I did learn some interesting things from the series of photos, and it is very clear that Joe knows what he's talking about when he says photos make the article and the text just supports it.  Without a single word, you can still understand every step in the process.

If anybody knows Mr Gourley, I would love to know more about this model - there are still a couple questions I have.

I have is were does one get all the info on the dimensions of all those parts that he scratch built? A lot of the drawings I see are assembly drawings with a few dimensions. I realize that you can get some of the dimensions from the drawing using a scale ruler, but you can't get it all. Is it guess work or does the builder have a detailed drawing of all the parts?

I have an article on building an O scale 0-6-0 2 rail. Very generic, but it would be a start. Still it doesn't go into the detail that Mr. Gourley engine has.

Bernd

That's not an easy question to answer.  Ideally, of course, you would want to have the full set of drawings for your prototype, but that's rarely available.  Even if it were, it's often not as helpful as you might think.  For one thing, they can be too detailed, making it hard to pick out individual parts, and for another there are compromises which must be made in order to have a working model, and that often requires tweaking many of the dimensions anyway.

Is it guess work or does the builder have a detailed drawing of all the parts?

Yes.  You take what drawings you have, mix in as much knowledge of prototype practice as you can, and extrapolate the rest.  sSometimes you make an educated guess, sometimes you make whatever looks right based on photos and drawings, and sometimes you make what you are physically able to make.

Here are some examples of what I had to work with, and what I came up with:

This is the tender drawing which I took most of my dimensions from.  I also extrapolated some based on photos (although it's hard to get much detail from old photos on line) and a lot of guess work.

The most important dimension which is missing is the width of the tank.  I had a note on another drawing of a different tender which did give a dimension (Inside?  Outside?  Who knows..), but in the end I just guessed.  If anybody can prove me wrong, I welcome the additional information.  This is my working drawing:

And here is one of the engineering drawings which I was given (my version is about 4x the resolution - I've reduced it to fit here):

From that drawing, you can get a decent idea what the frame might have looked like.  It also gives the general idea of the shape of the boiler, but it does not show the lagging - that I had to guess at.  Rods, rivets, railings, and pretty much everything else was scaled from photos and an educated guess, or simply "close enough" to get the general feel.  I also had to modernize my model relative to the drawing, so things like the flared stack and the box headlight had to be changed.  Note also that the tender is different than the drawing above - Southern swapped tenders around from time to time, so that had to be changed as well.  Since every locomotive was unique, and most of them no longer exist, in some cases is it impossible to know every dimension or detail.