My expierience with big locos

[Schraddel]

Hello!

Sometimes life is like a ketchup bottle, at first nothing comes out of it, but then after a while a big blob finds it's way out, nearly uncontrollable at once.
So in this case, i had the chance to grip one of these rare unique opportunities which says: "Buy immediately for an incredible price or forget it."
So i purchased it. Here it were two brass engines out of an estate, not new, not complete, but not bad. Exactly, in this thread here i will describe the rebuilding, the improvements, the conversion to DCC and at least to running models.


One of the aquisitions is this Denver & Rio Grande Western L-105 Challenger type. Built 1972 by Katsumi and imported by Westside. Original box is present, but foam has been discarded because it decayed.





The pre-owner has painted the whole loco in brass colour for cosmetical restoring the foam damage. Later this loco will be painted, so the foam damage is not so crucial for me.










The second is an D&RGW M-68 4-8-4. A Key import of 1979 made by Samhongsa. This engine came without the box and without the original tender, but a tender of the correct type was provided. This tender was made 1962by Katsumi and imported by Max Grey.





This is what i have got last year. And paid for.
And last year was the US-Convention in Rodgau here on this side of the big pond. Two weeks before these engines were purchased.

Und guess who visited the Convention and had no money in spite of often so interesting offerings of the relvant dealers ...

Cheers Lutz