Finishing the Crowl Crossing

Well, it has been quite some time since we had the tracks laid and ballasted through Crowl, but we never got around to installing the crossing. So, as a Covid project, Paul agreed to come over and work at a distance to rectify that. First, we gathered his materials and tools across the aisle. Then I got him a stool as you can see the benchwork behind him is at shoulder level.  It would have been hard to work on something that high.

Here he has inserted the center pieces of wood - for our wood crossing. It is on a curve so it took some time and careful work to match the curve to the boards. 

He did a great job with the inner and outer boards as the wood planking covered the entire with of the track and the space between the tracks. Paul then plastered the ground from the board aprons to the road on both sides of the crossing. Our test train is sitting on the passing siding waiting to come through. It runs with no problems or bouncing. 

 Here is the look from the end of the road- sort of a drivers view. We have to find appropriate cross bucks for the PRR in the 50's. I do not have the oval cast crossing signs they used. 

Adding water to Shamokin Creek.

Well, we completed painting Shamokin Creek some months back and then I agonized over how to make the water surface. Jack Brown was my hydraulic guy who was the consultant on this project. 

We decided to use the Woodlands Scenic water which was just poured from the bottle with no mixing and no fumes. 

Jack and I poured the water which went on very easily. Before this step, Paul had caulked the edge with silicone caulk to seal the fascia to the river base. The scenery had sealed the shore tot he river bed. 

While I thought we had done a fair job in smoothing the river bed before painting it, it turned out that the water was hyper critical on its settling. So, I got a repeat of the grain of the wood used for the base. 

When it was wet, it looked terrific.

But when it dried, I could see the bottom grain. 

I contacted Woodland Scenics and they said I had to plaster the bottom to make it absolutely smooth. That seemed like overkill, especially when I have to do that big Susquehanna River scene. I need an alternate approach.

So, while it looked good, I need to add some motion to the water to conceal the grain effect.

So, Jack and I are approaching that. I bought some Woodlands Ripples and Jack applied that but I believe we are going to try Modge Podge gloss to make them more pronounced. I have photos of the creek in real life so I have a target to aim for. 
 

Renewing Your Acquaintance. - A Covid Project - Updating USRA Boxcars.

Well,  I have been remiss in not posting for some time. That does not mean I have not been working, just not taking time to post. For that , I apologize.

 I have had a couple of Pac Limited USRA Outside braced boxcars for some time. I wanted to make them match PRR X-26's in the 1950's. 

Many of these cars had corrugated doors by this time

And, while my models had K brake systems, they had been converted to AB systems by the late 40' so I had to change that. 

They also had added grab irons on the car side as a safety upgrade in the '30's so that had to be added as well. Fortunately, Precision had cast grabs that matched what the Koreans used.

Some of the corrugated doors had been made up from the 4 foot doors on X-28's when they we converted to single door cars from door and a half automobile cars.  You can see the seam line on the door. So, we had to have one car like that. 

The additional grab on the side.

So, the first thing I did was to attack the brake system. I removed the K cylinder and saved the piston rod connecting tot he forward lever and chain. The top view shows the K and AB systems.

I made brass mounts for the AB components after sizing up the system and lining everything up. The mounts were high enough so the piping went over the center sill. You can see how prominent the reservoir was in the prototype photo. I used the different views in the photos to set the locations of the components.  The models are so well done that the conversion easily matched what the PRR did.

Here we have both cars with their new systems in place.

A closer look at the brake system.  It took a little time.

Now for the corrugated doors. The car was lower than the doors I had but the Intermountain 1937 AAR door was about one rib too high. So, using a jig, I cut the rib out of the bottom of the door which removed also most of the cast in radius bar for the door rollers. It also aligned the latch with the pawl on the car side. The rib count also matched. 

This shows the car with the new door versus the car as it came with the wood door. I had to unsolder the door stops to get the cast wood door off the car. That was a bit bothersome as they were soldered from inside! Then I had to solder them back without losing the small part. 

Here is a completed car with a fully detailed door and the new grab added. The door had two handles in the mid line of the door. I also added castings for the roller mechanisms at teh bottom of the door to match the PRR practice. These were Chooch castings. They nicely covered the mounts on the plastic door. 

Here are the two cars now done and ready for paint. If you look closely, you can see the scribed lines I added to the car with the salvaged door. Ready for the paint shop. 

 

Another Engine Joins the Roster - The Third Modified I1

Well, after a one year layover in the shops, my Altoona version I1, 3368, has finally made its initial run in revenue service. It is a Sunset Model with massive modifications and re-detailing primarily done by the late Frank Miller using my photos, parts and prints. 

This was the initial engine of a group of 8 that had me contacting fellows like Bill Brisko, and Steve Grabowski for their unique parts. I also used Dennis and Kathy Mashburn for custom castings. 

Then I commissioned Joe Acri to develop a set of prints from the State Museum in Harrisburg so I could model the class with fine detail. I now own a large set of drawings of all areas of the engine. I think I could build one in full scale almost!

The late Ray Jury had developed a jig to allow me to assemble the Grabowski tank set on the pilot. Ed Rappe and I worked together to get it to be an assembly line as I had 10 to make. 

So, I coupled it up to a scratched L1 that I made out of a Precision K4 boiler and a USH drive to have a nice unique double header pull a train of hoppers. 

We are coming past the Northumberland yard now.

Sure looks nice! It took me a couple of initial tries to get it to run as I had to change out the worm gear as it had Sunset's initial low ratio worm. Fortunately, I had collected some of their later issue worms for a better speed range. 

So, we are passing another engine in that modification class. This is a modernized I1 with an up detailed tender.  It was painted by Lee Turner. It also is a Sunset that has been in helper service. You can see more clearly some of the parts that were changed including the sand dome (Brisko). I also fabricated new parts for a ash pan arrangement that Frank then assembled as he built the engine. These things are on all the engines. 

In this photo you see the distinct view of an Altoona version which does not have a big feedwater heater. Contrast that with the previous view of an I1 which does. 

We are beginning to pass by.

Here is a great view of the contrast. 

Engines are now passing the station.

Here is the L1 that has been running for me for about 23 years. 

Boy, it feels good to see it run! 

I have five more Sunset modified ones to paint and then I have two US Hobbies that I have in various stages of rebuilding. One was done initially by Gary Smith and I have run that one for about 25 years but now I am working on upgrading that tender. Plus I have one that I started on when I lived in Saudi Arabia from 1987 - 89. I have changed that one twice as I obtained more new parts. The US Hobbies are fine runners!

The tender has been extensively modified with Grabowski hatch, new can headlight, riveted back sheet to the coal bunker, grabs and braces on the back sheet, electrical conduits and Key junction castings, and Ted Stepek's tender class etchings. I also milled out the slotted opening in the frame under the water legs. 

And the L1 wraps us up. 

More engine work - Erie Builts by Overland - Motor replacement and repainting.

Well, this started as a project to replace the motors that came from Overland as they were small cans. I converted to large cans with 5 times the torque. Then I really looked at the paint job. It was a commercial job done for Overland. Not the best. 

Here I have stripped the engine to the frame (started with the B unit to determine the feasibility) The frame is clamped in a a vise for me to grind out a section of the frame to allow the larger can to drop in.

Here you see the score line for the cut which is based on the larger diameter. 

Cut being made with a heavy Dremel and cutoff wheel. Lots of brass dust around. 

Cuts are made and the opening being dressed

I actually repainted the frame later to cover the raw brass,

I now have to modify the brass mounting saddles to match the holes in the motor. this is a big pain as I have to keep the motor level as well and the holes on each end are not the same as the old motor.

Holes are now drilled and plate is in place. 

This  is the difference in size with the smaller motor at the bottom.

Previous drive

New drive. Once the B unit was successfully done, I went on to do the two A units. 

Here is an A unit body. The commercial painter for Overland used Microscale decals and while the lettering is okay, the stripe  is almost 3X oversized. It is overpowering.

It is so prominent that I am debating about removing it and replacing it with something much closer. 

The painter also put the wrong number on the nose of one side of an A - transposing two digits. So, using water and a 600 grit sanding stick, I removed the old decal and you can see I did not disturb the paint. The Microscale decals are thin and came off easily. Now I have to think about the stripe more. If I can do that along the side, I can sand it off and replace it. I would remove the stripe and the flare behind the marker as it is too wide also. 

The painter also did not put lights in the nose. So, I pushed out the MV Lens headlight and can now make a reflector and put in a lighting circuit.  Underneath the body are packages of decals that I am using to size up the stripe project. 

These are prototype photos that show how thin that stripe was. Here is a 1957 photo with a 2 inch stripe. Looks nice. It was most common as it was original and the repaintings generally followed it.

 This was a later photo with a 3 inch stripe. These began to show up in the 60's. Not as nice. I have Champ 2 inch stripes and can modify a nose curve. So, maybe??

Close up of the 2 A unit drives with a former motor.

Here is the B unit with the new drive. That stipe just drives me crazy so if I can match the paint color, I may try to sand this unit and put on a new stripe. It will be the test bed again! I have to make the determination before I close up the A units. I will also add more decals for Water, Fuel and other notations.