Well guys, you've seen pictures of my brass EM-1 that was on the trestle of my display case, now its time to put together the reconditioning of that model.....

It began, back on Christmas vacation of 2008, that I began the work to it....

And here it comes! I decided on MY Christmas holiday I was going to begin work on my Brass B&O EM-1, paint removal, detail refining and added "extra" detail.

So, without further ado, I'll begin on whats been done, with pictures to accompany it!

First up,



This is the "NEW" boiler front. I've drilled a hole to install a "B&O Capitol Dome" where a "decal" plate was put. Its a VERY thin piece, so I did not remove it but to drill right through the center of it, with a slightly enlarged drill bit for the hole size and good "adjustable fit" for the Capitol Dome detail casting. (The Capitol Dome detail casting will NOT be installed till AFTER the locomotive is painted!

Also you'll see I add a better detailed Feedwater heater detail part, then that from the factory, in 1958. (Yes I've got an extremely OLD Akane Model here!) To the new Feedwater heater detail, I added better detailed pipe, leading to it, which is "lagged" as should be! With this, I also added other smaller pipes that lead to the Feedwater Heater detail, on the bottom edge of the boiler front, just below the smokebox door, and to the right of it. The feedwater heater detail, and pipping are of my own castings! (Yes I casted my own parts, and will return into the detail casting business ASAP, as I want to get back into it!) I did that some time ago tho... Which is one reason I want to return to the casting industry, as its a good way to make a few $$ and it also allows me to make parts no one else sells and such so.....Anyway, at the time of that casting, I was still residing in Pennsylvania!

Next:



This shows the length and place that feedwater heater larger pipe goes, I made this from 1/16th inch brass rod, formed to shape. It leads behind the sand dome to a casted detail fitting, which you'll see with more pictures! Also underneath the boiler "catwalk" you'll see the smaller pipes I added with 2 pipe, pipe hangers from Cal-Scale. These were originally on TOP of the Catwalk! And from pictures of the real thing, were NOT in the correct location. So, that was means of re-location.

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This is a continued picture to show where these smaller pipes lead to, and the added feedwater heater "Cold Water Pump" under the cab corner. Which you'll get a better picture of as well in a few more pictures. This picture also show my revised "Turret" pipping, (I just wasn't happy with what was there, not to mention it was already loose at the solder joint.)

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This picture shows the Feedwater Heater "Cold Water Pump" and its bracket made to hold it. With all the piping attached to it. It also shows on the opposite corner, the added Nathan Injector, which was a VERY CRUDE representation, by factory. As, in a few pictures, you will see all the attached pipping to it alot better.

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This is that picture showing the Nathan Injector, with attached brass pipping.

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This shows the old original Articulated Power Reverse refined, with a nice Cal-Scale casting in its place, with pipping going to it, and some factory pipping re-attached as it needed removed to add the new Power Reverse. This picture also shows a refined Front End Throttle, with rods and rod hangers in place.

Next:



This shows the top of the boiler with the added feedwater heater pipe fitting, and a newly added air tank cross over pipe. Also seen is the new front end throttle end, where all the action takes place!

Now, for the Tender!

First up:







Paint, decals, under frame broken up coal load, all removed, ready for re-detailing, and refining, with the trucks removed, for paint stripping as well!

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Front of tender cab step, re-attached, was alittle loose, so.... It needed it.

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This shows what was done to the rear end of the tender under frame with added air glad hand, and mounted coupler cut lever.

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This shows the rear of the tender panel. The ladder was loose, and I re-attched it, and added a tail light, that the model never had. The light casting is yet another casting I made myself, a few years ago, to go along with my other detail part that I made. Notice, it is drilled for a tail light directional light bulb, when the painting is all done and all the electronics is in the tender for that that I wish to add, like dual mode sound.

Next:



The tender trucks stripped, and ready for primer, and then a coat of actual color!

MORE to come!

Well now the hard part begins! The engine beds, and such, these can be the hardest part to re-finish on ANY locomotive, let alone a brass one!

So, with that said, I'll begin.

First up, The pilot:



It was stripped of paint, the headlight casting, and then I removed the air glad hands from the pilot and added my own! I will be adding a better detail casting by Cal-Scale for the headlight as well (this is why its missing), as I have to order one for it. Also I had touch soldered the pilots cut lever to there mounts as well.

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The side of the pilot, showing a re-attached deck plate brace, and the handrailing resoldered for strength.

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Other side, showing strengthened handrailing.

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Drivers removed, polished, and then all the rods polished and then re-assembled, (for fear of loosing parts), ready for painting.

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Opposite side, same thing.

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This shows driver treads, reconditioned, turned and then polished at high speed! Looks like brand new!

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Rear engine set, to show for comparison to the above units. I still have the engine bed, and piping to strip paint from, and the cylinders as well. With a small amount of detail re-mounting, and possible added of more details, like lubricators, and more pipping, etc.....I'll be sure to get as many pictures as possible while work is being done over the holidays!

ENJOY!

Well, it was late last night after I made the above post, so, I went to bed. HOWEVER, I'm back at it today! Here's what was in the paint stripper as I was making last nights posting.

Well here's what that turned out like...

First up:



This is showing the paint removed, and its nice and shinny. Plus, I added brass brake castings. These were from Cal-Scale, and looks real nice, as the factory locomotive, never had these so.....I added them! Also, just the side rods are present, the main, and valve gear will be added once this is all painted.

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Showing the cylinders, stripped, and the cylinder cocks were loose so, I re-attached them.

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Opposite side, same thing! Added brake details, and one of the pipes seen here was also loose which was re-attached!



Another picture of the opposite side of the cylinders, which had this sides cylinder coks loose, which yes was re-attached.

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Showing top of engine set, with everything nice and clean and shinny! Compared to the rear set in one of the above pictures, this is a REAL improvement.

Stay tuned, more to come as progress is made!

As promissed, more progress!

First up:



I added "Over Fire Jets" these were added to the EM-1's in later years. And with the brass EM-1, I am modeling it in the last years of the steam era, so, it was well in need of these few small details. My model will be painted for the EM-1 #7600 (as you all should have guessed), so it was one of very few needed details as the factory model was made to look like the EM-1 as delivered from Baldwin.

I have yet to add the small pipping for these and will be adding them shortly.

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Opposite side, showing the Over Fire Jets. Which as said above, needs the pipping added.

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Overall shot of the boiler.

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Better view of the boiler front.

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Added Whistle valve, without the whistle, which will be added AFTER painting is done as I want to keep the whistle in shinny brass luster. I have yet to add the whistle pipping, which will be added shortly.

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A head on shot of the boiler front, in better contrast from the first one I posted.

Next:



Cab interior with a backhead. This was made to fit my original Yellowstone, that was made from a Rivarossi Big Boy, that was sold on ebay for parts, but all the items (sub-assemblies) were saved to install onto this brass model. I'll have to modifiy this assembly slightly to fit, but will look GREAT when done, PLUS I'll be adding red firebox glow to this just for added detail and realism. As the Butterfly doors do open and close! I will also be adding Enginner, head end Brakeman, and fireman to the cab as if you see, the cab has 3 windows! One for each of the engine crew!

Stay tuned, more to come!

Well, heres some more progress! Nice to have alittle free time to work on things over the weekend!

Anyway, Here's what it looks like thus far.

First up:



Rear engine set, notice a few details aren't present. I need to add the brakes to this unit as I did the front unit. Unfortunately, I didn't have a second set, to fit. (I thought I had 2 sets, (which I do) just one set is for 64 inch drivers, and the other set probably goes to 57 inch drivers as they're smaller and won't fit the space between the drivers, so that will have to wait till, I get an order in to Boswer for more of those Cal-Scale castings.

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Showing the trailing truck, all stripped of paint, and partially of the rear portion of the rear engine set. And also the motor mount, which I think I may change due to the type motor I'm going to use in this locomotive.

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This shows the drive coupling between both engine sets for power to the drivers. I had re-shimmed the worm gear to take any play out of the drive, but not create alot of friction in that area. Which would cause the drive not to spin freely.

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This is shows the 2 units back together and re-attached to each other as they're to be prior to re-assembly to the boiler.

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And a greater view of the 2 units back together.

ENJOY! More to come!

Well, a couple more pictures to add to the collection of those so far. After re-assembly of the engines, I had looked at the drive shaft work and well, it was something of desire, and I changed it to Athearn "Keyed" slide/adjustable shafting, for both the motor and the articulated joint between the engines.

The Motor is a Cannon Precision Flat Can Motor, thats extremely powerfull and works well for the power house in this Articulated. BUT, due to the angle of the shaft in the picture below, it will be mounted on a slight upward angle to take presure off the shaft, connecting the motor shaft with the worm gear shaft for smooth transmission. This is what it all currently looks like:



The motor here is merely setting on that angle it was slant mounted to reduce the amount of stress on that shaft work!




More to come, The tender is now painted and decalled, and the boiler is painted. I need to add decals to the cab and the painting for the most part will be completed.

WoW...!!!

I did something similar a year ago, but your "monster" loco is out-of-this-world..!!










This is from a Mantua/Tyco kit I built and detailed...

Terrific job..!! I'll be looking forward to seeing your progress..!!

Gus,
Nice job on that old Mantua/TYCO! The different tender does wonders on those steamers!

As for finished product on my Akane, it is finished see here:



I have yet to add the bell! (I was not happy with the crude detail they had on them factory), so I changed ALOT of the details I had to make the whole locomotive, look even better!

Then I have the following finished model pictures of it!









Tried a shot or 2 under low light to see if it show up any "shadows"...

That's quite a lot of work. Thank you for sharing your photos!

Galen

Galen,
Thank you for the compliment on the work done. I know it was alot of work and to that this locomotive is my ALL time favorite steam locomotive so..... I was gonna do whatever I needed too to make it as best of shape and close to replication as very possible!

I think it turned out GREAT... Now I just need to get it dual mode DCC and DC cab control, with sound, like the new Bachmann unit I have and I'll have my double header set of B&O EM-1's! :mrgreen:

Also, I forgot to mention (I just noticed something is wrong with this posting!)

I posted this:



As the cab interior backhead detail that I used! This is NOT right.....Thats what came with the model.....SO, I didn't like it, took it all apart, and rebuilt it....Into this:





Notice the bottom of the cab floor is plastic! For a reason, I have wires under it, that are to make the firebox glow red.....The plastic was an insulator to keep for having any electrical shorts.....CA glued to the brass plate that has al lthe brass details soldered to it!

I think, my second choice and what I made to fit the cab, looks MUCH better!