Very Nicely Done!!!

I think you did a FANTASTIC job with that piece!

You did make the frame too, yes? 

Shame on me

No, Benny, I'm afraid I used the frame out of an old IHC 2-8-0.  I know, I know, I let the scratch building community down, but there it is!

However, I did make a new bottom plate, install homemade sprung wipers behind each wheel, replace the crank pins with copper tube bored and tapped for a 00-90 hex bolt, cut new steel side rods, and hand-file the flange down on each wheel.  All the is left of the IHC model is the piece between the wheels, the axles, gears, and drivers.  I replaced the motor with a can motor in a custom mount, also.

So I guess I will have to go the final step to prove myself one of these days.   Thanks for the compliment, by the way.  I'm sorta proud of her, for some strange reason.  Here's how the finished model turned out (minus couplers) 

heh, I was just being Smartalek...

Ken, I think you did a TERRIFIC job on that locomotive nonetheless.  I'll call it scratchbuilt every day of the week all year long, too!  What would have been different had you made the frame too?  A bar of brass milled on your milling ma$hine, with an NW$L gearbox to boot?  Nah, I think what you have done is all the distance any sane person needs to go!

There's no Strange reason to be proud of a locomotive like that - you EARNED IT!!!

Who said anyhting about being sane?

Thanks, Benny.  I knew you were having fun, and I replied in kind.

One thing I forgot to mention was the boiler lagging bands.  I have never been a fan of the 2" thick bands on most steam models, so I set out to find a better way.  What I found was my trusty Scotch tape.  I lay it out on a sheet of glass and cut strips about 2" wide, the carefully wrap them around the boiler.  After being burnished into place and coated with paint, I do not think they'll ever come off.  If you look closely at the finished photo, you can just see them.  If you can see them at all on the unpainted model, it's as a slightly shiny spot.  The prototype bads were just sheet metal, so they shouldn't be that thick.  Look at a prototype photo - the bands are usually not that prominent.

As I said before, just look at the shape and figure out the easiest way to make that shape.  I made my own power reverse, smokebox front, and cleanout plugs the same way.  I usually spend a lit more time figuring out how to make a part than I spend actually making it.

Oh, and here's a little note to the other authors in the MRR world.  Thank you!  I chose this model as the subject of a year-long construction log, and eventually a clinic at a local RPM meet.  I spent longer documenting the work than I did researching and thinking and building.  Writing a good modeling article can easily take up more than 50% of your hobby time budget, and I want you all to know how much I appreciate the effort!

Yep - control stand beats desk top

Definitely!  The AAR control stand is smooth and solid, and makes a really good solid base to work against.  Desktops are plastic or fiberglass, and so not as suitable for the job.

In case anybody is confused, we're talking about the steel control stand on a locomotive.  I punched a number (all of them, I think) of the rivets on the tender while sitting in a siding waiting for another train to come by.  I have to be careful, that's probably some sort of rule violation, but it was a great way to pass the hour.

Excellent...but you missed one thing...

Unless I missed it, you left out a MAJOR piece of the process.  I'm talking about the plans/photos you worked from.  If I have one gripe about steam articles in magazines or forums, it's that the author assumes you know where to start.  I'd wager that anyone who can scratchbuild a moderately complex structure could manage an engine - the skills are the same - except that you can usually get away with totally eyeballing a structure if the proportions are close.  Soldering, working with styrene or brass, etc. are just good scratchbuilding skills.

But what did you use for plans?  Or did you take your measurements from photos?  How about a few words along those lines?  And building an engine or piece of rolling stock generally takes some understanding of how the parts are supposed to fit together and maybe even how they would function on the prototype.  So where did you start and how did you learn?

All in all, OUTSTANDING work!  And that you did it, 'on the road', even neater.  And, it's great to see a Southern modeler's work.

Galen

OK, wow!

I had looked at the photo, but did not imagine the boiler to be scratch-built.  Bravo!  After my current build (on which I am using the cab plans you sent me) I am scratchbuilding something!  And.. as for plans, Wescott's Steam Cyclopedia is where I get my drawings from... and they are already to HO scale!

Plans

I left the plan section out for two reasons.  One, I forgot.  Two, I didn't want to cover modeling Southern Ry. Ks #581 ca. 1942.  Rather, I wanted to show that the construction is fairly easy.  I would argue that anybody seriously considering such a project knows how to get or already had a good stock of plans and photos.

But, since you asked..

I have been researching Southern steam locos for several years, collecting contacts, drawings, photos, etc wherever possible.  There are a lot of good photos and drawings at Southern Railway Image Archives.  I've also been talking to some folks who have been collecting data for longer than I've been alive.  I've collected copies of every magazine article on the subject I could find.  I am a member of the Southern Ry. discussion list, the Southern Ry. modelers list, and attend local RPM meets where knowledgeable people like to hang out.

The Steam Locomotive Cyclopedia is a superb general reference for what parts look like and how they work, as well as having great drawings if your prototype of chose is there.  I have been reading everything I cold about steam locomotives, and how each part works, for decades.  M.N.Forney's Catechism of the Locomotive Is a great reference for late 19^th century locomotives, and a good primer for the more modern technology.  One thing I found was that knowing what the parts do helps most when looking at photos, figuring out what the various shadows and dark blobs are.

Another really great source, unfortunately now a little hard to get because the archives are temporarily down, is a series of Masterclasses presented on MyLargeScale.com.  They cover scratch building a series of narrow gauge steam locomotives in larger scale, but the techniques apply just as well to the smaller scales, and the description of each piece is very helpful.

Two more things..

I keep thinking of things I want to say about scratch building.

Taking the Plunge

It is intimidating to consider scratch building a steam loco, no doubt about it.  It is a time consuming process.  Here's how I got started, and what kept me going:

My first real HO scale steam project (aside from painting a couple engines) was a heavy kitbash of a Spectrum 2-8-0 into a Southern Ry. Ks-3.  By the time I had removed the domes, patched the holes, filled in the gaps from the running boards, sanded the smokebox smooth, and scrapped the smokebox front, I was left with little more than a plastic tube that happened to fit the Spectrum chassis more or less correctly.  I realized that I could make that myself, and that everything after that point would be the same as the kitbash I was already doing (and that a lot of people have done in one form or another).  In other words, scratch building wouldn't be any more difficult that what I'd already proven I could do.

Even so, I actually did not start out to  build a locomotive.  I was goofing off one day and decided to see if I could make a boiler shell.  I was a little frustrated that people kept saying the Spectrum engine is a good starting point for a Ks, and I wanted to prove that it's far too large.  To do that, I needed a side-by-side photo of the Spectrum engine and a Ks, or at least a Ks boiler.  I think I nailed that, at least:  Once I'd made the boiler, of course, I figured I'd keep going, adding little bits of styrene here and there and seeing what I could manage.  In other words, that's a model doodle you're looking at!  A year later, I had an engine and had realized I could in fact build an engine from scratch.  More than that, I realized that ANYBODY can build an engine from scratch - it's surprisingly easy if you have the patience.

What kept me going through the process was a total lack of fear of mistakes.  Until I started adding things like motors and decoders, the total investment was a few sheets of brass and styrene, and some enjoyable modeling time.  I realized that if I were to make a complete mess of a part, I'd built one so I knew I could build another.  It's fair to say that a lot of people end up building two locomotives, especially on their first run.  One is a sad, deformed mix of messed up parts, while the other is a collection of second or third tries.  I was fortunate in not having to re-make any major pieces, but the trade-off was that I spend a LOT of time planning and dreaming, stalled until I cold come up with the perfect solution on how to build each and every piece (right down to the days I spent figuring out how to make a cleanout plug).  Some people find it faster to just jump in with both feet, screw the first one up, and then learn how to make a better one.  Either way, when you're talking about a couple dollars worth of styrene, the cost of failure is pretty low.

Datum Lines

I wanted to touch a little more on the datum lines I drew all over the boiler.  You may notice that I used red, blue, and black.  I ended up with so many lines that a single color would have been confusing, so I divided up the duties among a three-pack of retractable ultra-fine Sharpies.  They show up quite nicely in this shot: 

The datum lines are important because, to look right, things like the stack and domes MUST be centered and vertical, and handrails, running boards, etc. need to be level and even on both sides.  Finding the vertical and horizontal center lines on a cylinder (especially one that is held loosely on a rolling chassis) is almost impossible, and a conical section like a wagon top boiler is even worse.  By drawing the lines on the flat sheet before it is wrapped, it is a simple job to get them perfectly straight and exactly divide the boiler into as many sections as you like (quarters seems fine to me).  You can see that as I added layers (building up the smokebox front, for example) I transferred the datum lines to the top.

I love Sharpie markers for this purpose.  The ink survives the boiling water without a problem (I label my canned goods BEFORE I pressure can them, using a Sharpie), and the marks show up very well on white styrene.  If you make a mistake, the ink is completely soluble in alcohol, so a wipe with a little rubbing alcohol (or vodka) will take every mark off in seconds.  Permanent and erasable - can't beat that!

Photos?

I took 165 photos of every step of construction of this locomotive, so if there is anything specific you'd like to see, let me know.  I don't want to just keep posting, since it can get photo-heavy pretty easily.

Also, if the fine folks at MRH would like an article based on this, just let me know.  I've never written an article, though I did document in numerous e-mails (which I saved and re-wrote for clarity after the fact) every step of the build, and I have given a clinic and live demonstration on building this engine, and steam in general.  I may need a little help (and a lot of editorial input!), but I'm willing to share the work if people would get something out of it.

A resounding YES!

Oh yes ...

You Had To Ask????

Also, if the fine folks at MRH would like an article based on this, just let me know.  I've never written an article, though I did document in numerous e-mails (which I saved and re-wrote for clarity after the fact) every step of the build, and I have given a clinic and live demonstration on building this engine, and steam in general.  I may need a little help (and a lot of editorial input!), but I'm willing to share the work if people would get something out of it.

Please, by all means go ahead and do an article.

Don't know if it will help, as you seem to have things well in hand, but there was an article in either the July or September, 1967 MR (don't have either handy or I'd make sure) by Jim Boyd entitled "Lagged Boilers Are Easier", Your boiler technique looks similar to Boyd's, except he started with a piece of brass pipe and built up conical sections using cardstock.

What with you and RAGC and Skiwiggy posting here, you guys could start a whole movement scratchbuilding, kitbashing and otherwise doing neat things with steam locomotives.

Mike

Thank you!

Thank you for the continuing thoughts.  You are spot on about datum lines.  I can't tell you how many kitbashes and detail jobs I've seen where it all looks great until you sight down the boiler front to back and suddenly one handrail is higher than the other.  UGH!  Measure ten, cut one, my old man always says.  Linn Westcott showed how to build a marking device and use it with a sheet of glass in order to make the datum lines on the engine in order to ensure it all lines up, back in a detailing article from an issue of Model Trains, I believe. 

It's great to see so many using the Bachmann 2-8-0 as a starting place.  I have plans to one day kitbash a 4-8-0 not unlike the N&W's class M engines, and I figure that the Spectrum 2-8-0 looks like a good starting place.  I know models of the M's are available in Brass, but right now that's not in the budget.  Besides, I like a good kitbash.

And I've been detailing a Mantua 0-4-0 with slope back tender for going on 6 years now for the same reasons you mentioned - it takes a while to learn your way forward figuring out what works and what doesn't, and what looks good enough vs. what it could look like if you'd been at it for years.  After adding a part here, a part there, and taking the occasional break to work on the layout, write an article, etc., I'm nearing the point of calling the detailing done and getting on with the painting.  There are several engines in the shop awaiting a similar treatment, so I'm hoping the next one won't take half as long!

Thanks for the informative thread.

Galen

I could use some help

I've got the article I wrote up (more of a diary, perhaps), but I don't know how ready for publication it is.  Honestly, I don't know where to start, or what to do with the photos (roughly 3000x2000 pixels each).  I wold love to print something, but I'm more nervous about that than I was about building the loco!

As far as a new cab, I have to build one or two (or three, or four..) for some of the other locos I'm working on, and I already have the Archer rivets here slated for the project.  I'll definitely write that up, maybe with a tender as well.  I'd like to see how they compare.  Mine are a lot cheaper!

Galen, you might want to re-think the M from a Spectrum 2-8-0.  For one thing, the drivers are too big (M's had 57" drivers, just like the Southern consolidations) and different counterweights, and I think the Spectrum drivers would just look too massive.  The other problem would be having to move the cylinders forward to clear the rear truck axle.  It's doable, but you're starting to talk about rebuilding everything other than the motor block.  I think you might be better off accepting the scratch build and not having to redesign the model internally.

Making the boiler

I thought I'd show some photos of the early boiler construction.  Personally, I think the idea of taping and boiling a boiler is a clever one, and lets me make a perfect styrene tube of any size I need.

The first two layers, cooled on the PVC pipe form: Note how well the datum lines survived the boiling.

The boiler with taper added and firebox area cut away, and new firebox sides marked for cutting: 

This last photo isn't of the boiler, specifically, but I've always really liked the way it looks.  It reminds me of jewelry. It shows the construction of the smokebox pretty well, also.  Just simple shapes... 

The Article

Was the Article, step by step ever done?

and if so where can I find it, as I'm preparing to build a locomotive which

will never be manufactured.

The model in question is a New Haven H-1 4-4-2 an ALCO product of 1907.

I would like the details as to the process of creating the boiler, as far as boiling?

Thank you

Yankee Clipper

Yes indeed!

Check out the June through September 2012 issues of MRH

Boiler bands

This trio of articles, I rate

This trio of articles, I rate as one of the best articles on model railroading that I've seen, as far back as i can remember.  Not just for the techniques, though I have used them, but for the inspiration--things ARE possible!