PRR A5 0-4-0

[Schraddel]

When I looked at the prototype photos again, I saw many of Pennsy's A5s had spark arrestors. Made of wire mesh in an half spherical shape and mounted to a ring. This ring is hinged to the side of the stack. Bowser has included in the kit a lost wax brass casting which contains the hinge and the ring, but no wire mesh.
So what's to do?
The solution came when i had to replace the internal valve of the shower armature in my bathroom. There was an little wire mesh made of stainless steel in this now obsolete valve. O.k. never throw something to the waste until you have it exactly examined if there are usable parts for model railroad purposes in it.

The shape was not the right one, but the mesh was fine enough to be fine on a model and coarse enough to withstand mechanical forces e.g. by inadvertently rough gripping when the loco is busy switching on the layout.


Here we go. My drillpress, a bushing of suitable inner diameter, a vise, two brass blocks and an plunger made of some 4mm rounds.


Then do not drill, but only press.


Then cut the surplus material off with a cutting disc.


As stainless steel is not solderable, i glued it with CA.


Now it looks right and that little A5 has got an spark arrestor.

Lutz