Building Beeg Boy...(with LOTS of pictures)
#1
…and Union Pacific fans shouldn’t get too excited, as that is neither a spelling error nor anything to do with that road’s largish articulated locos.  
Several years ago, my good friend cn nutbar was musing about the possibility of having me create a model of one of the CNR’s T-3-a locomotives.  These were ten USRA Light 2-10-2s acquired, second-hand, from the Boston & Albany in 1928, not too long after that road had received their noteworthy A-1 Class 2-8-4s.  He had an article in the CN Lines magazine of the CNR sig that gave a short history of the locos, along with some photos of the prototype and a pair of photos of a nicely-done model by John Williams, using an old Akane USRA 2-10-2 - not a model that you come across too often these days.
I felt that if we could find a suitable  loco to start with, it could be done.  Bowser offered a 2-10-2, but the wheelbase was too far off, and the entire boiler was wrong.  The only other 2-10-2s available were in brass, and not too plentiful even then.
The topic of this loco would come up periodically, and I joked that if we ever did get started, as soon as we had acquired the loco, at least one manufacturer would immediately release a suitable 2-10-2, and at a reasonable price, too.  This actually happened:  Bachmann came out with a USRA Light 2-10-2 a year or so after the project got underway, followed by another, less suitable but useable, version from IHC.
Anyway, I was in a hobby shop one day and they had (gasp!) a used Akane USRA Heavy 2-10-2.  I had always felt that their version of the “Heavy” looked closer to what we wanted, so I called Mister Nutbar to apprise him of my discovery, and the loco was quickly purchased.  
While it was painted and lettered for a free-lance railroad, and had the incorrect “Long” tender (with a water scoop, no less!), it had also been remotored with a large Sagami can motor and ran very well.  On its first test run on my layout, it made a trouble free loop almost around the room, but as it exited the lift-out bridge across the entrance to the layout and headed into the curve between the buildings of GERN Industries, the lead set of drivers derailed.  However, loco and train continued on, unfazed by what appeared to be imminent disaster.  At the first turnout, and without hesitation or faltering, the wheels re-railed themselves, and the loco and train carried on as if nothing had happened.  “That’s some loco”, I commented, “It’s a real ‘Beeg Boy’ - nothing bothers it!”.  From that point on, we referred to the loco as “Beeg Boy”.
It took some time to acquire all of the parts necessary for the conversion work, but I finally got started on the project.  Some things were pretty straightforward, while others, such as the ash chutes under the firebox, had me stumped for a while.  The whole project, not too far advanced, ground to a halt for a year while I did a house renovation for someone, followed by almost another year that I just couldn’t get any enthusiasm for this job.  I tinkered with it off and on, and finally the fire was re-kindled.  From that point on, work went rather quickly, and the solutions to problems seemed to come easily.  I kept making excuses to Mister Nutbar that the project was still stalled, though, as I was worried that I’d “run out of gas” before I got done.  That, fortunately, didn’t happen, and today , when he arrives here to pick up two other locomotives that I’ve repainted for him, I hope that he’ll be pleasantly surprised when I also reveal the finished results of this long-delayed project.
What follows is not a “how-to”, but rather a chronicle of the construction process.

This is a scan of a page from the October 1983 issue of Mainline Modeler, showing one of the prototypes of the loco that we’re hoping to end-up with.  The photo is from the Charles T. Felstead Collection.

   

Here’s the loco as we found her, although the original tender is not shown.  It’s in the paint stripper, while the tender shown is the Bachmann replacement that I’m going to modify for use with this loco.

   

   

One of my first tasks was to cast a new boiler weight from lead, as the original was too small.  With the large can motor, the loco was severely back-heavy. (Probably the reason why those lead drivers derailed.)

   

After stripping the paint from the loco, I used a propane torch to remove the original cab and pilot from the loco.  The original wheelset in the lead truck was replaced with a spoked set from PSC, then I used a cut-off disk in my Dremel to cut a slot in the boiler in preparation for the installation of the new cab.

   

The new cab, an old Kemtron cast brass kit, was picked up in a box of train goodies bought by my wife at a garage sale for $5.00.  (There was a lot of other neat stuff in that box, too -a real find!)  I assembled it using the torch, then used the torch again to attach it firmly to the loco.

   

Here’s the running gear as found.  The trailing truck is missing part of the equaliser on this side, and the original pilot wheels are still in place.

   

One of the distinctive details of this loco are the ash chutes under the firebox.  I used square brass tubing, soldered to the loco’s frame, for the main chutes, then fabricated the doors from styrene and wire.  Unfortunately, they are not as solid as they might have been had I used brass, but with  19 pieces per door, I felt that they were beyond my capabilities with a soldering iron.  I did fabricate the missing part for the trailing truck and soldered it in place.

   

   

I fabricated a new pilot deck, altered the frame, then modified a brass CNR-style pilot to accommodate a Kadee coupler. (Mister Nutbar had bought a number of these from a brass importer some years ago - this is the last one that we have.)  Everything was soldered together using a 200 watt iron, then the coupler lift bar and stanchions, flag holders and a new air tank (built from lead-filled brass tubing, with .010”x.030” brass strip used for tank bands) were soldered to the assembly.

   

   


After this, the project was put on hold  for a while.  As I mentioned, this dragged on much longer than intended.  When I finally did get re-inspired, it was with a vengeance, and , as you’ll see from the photographs, the work went on almost without break, at least for taking photos.

Here’s the engineer’s side of the re-detailed loco.  Parts added include the cab handrails, etched brass cab numbers, a new starter valve (in front of the cab), and a new power reverse.  The generator was moved forward to allow installation of the scratch built turret cover, and new sander valves and pipes were added to the sand boxes, along with grabirons.  The original water delivery pipe was re-routed to a new top feed check valve, and some boiler washout plugs were installed.  You can also see the new brake shoes and hangers added to all of the drivers, as the original brass ones had been removed by the previous owner.

   

   

On the same side, but farther forward, you can see the top feed check valve, sander pipe and valves for the forward sandbox, and the lagged steam pipe from the dome forward to the smokebox front.  The new air tank is another fabricated from lead-filled brass tubing.

   

On the fireman’s side, the same cab and boiler details are seen, along with a new cold water pump (closest to the cab) and cross compound air pump, both with their associated piping.  

   

Here the continuation of the cold water line to the feed water heater can be seen, along with the lagged hot water line from the heater to the top feed check valve.  There’s yet another lead-filled air tank snuggled under the running board, and the new handrails can be seen as they work their way down the smoke box front.

   

Here are a couple of front angle views.  In the first photo, the steam pipe for the Barber-Greene snowloader is lagged right to the end.  I later removed the lower lagging, as the bottom couple of feet of the pipe appear to be connected to the main pipe with a swivel joint.  Also seen here and in the previous side views of the front end are the exhaust steam pipes from the steam chest to the feed water heater, along with the condensate drain pipe on the front of engineer’s side of the smoke box.  The large heater bundle (from Cary) is supported on a Cal-Scale bracket which was customised with curved overlays cut from brass shim stock.  Beneath that is a CNR-style number board built up from styrene - it’s attached to the smoke box front with brass rods soldered into the smoke box.  The headlight bracket and headlight are from Cal-Scale and the combination class lights and handrail stanchions are also modified Cal-Scale parts.  The plastic steps from the pilot deck to the running boards are from the scrapbox, and are pinned in place with brass rods.

   

   

The vents on the cab roof were in the wrong place, so I used a mill file to remove them, then added new ones built-up from sheet brass.   Brass sheet was also used to increase the height of the wind deflector that was cast on the back edge of the roof.  The roof itself was made to be removable, as it’s difficult to install window “glass” in closed-in vestibule cabs.  The turret cover was built from sheet styrene, and is secured to the boiler by brass rods soldered into holes in the boiler top.  The hollow turret cover was then filled with epoxy, solidly bonding it to the boiler.  The round access covers were punched from styrene, and handles and grabs were made from .012” brass wire, similar to those on the sandboxes.

   

   

The three views below show the piping and details along the upper part of the forward portion of the boiler and smoke box.  The airline for the bell ringer, along with the steam exhaust lines from the air-and water pumps come out from under the boiler lagging.  The latter two go to the heater bundle.

   

   

   


EDIT:  In attempting to re-insert the photos into this post, I ran into limits on the numbers of photos, and due to other constrictions of this site, needed to split the post into two. 
In an attempt to keep the second part in-order with the first, I've taken the liberty of co-opting fsm1000's post, the first reply, to include the balance of the Beeg Boy re-build.
My apologies to Stephen (fsm1000), who hasn't visited Big Blue since 2009, just in case he returns.

I also can't seem to remove the last two pictures, which appear at the end of this post, below.


Wayne


Attached Files Image(s)
       
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#2
Stephen, if you happen to drop-in, my apologies for taking-over your post here, but in attempting to re-build my original post, I've run into limits on photos, and posting them here was the only option available that would keep the parts of the split post at least in consecutive order.


Always been fascinated by this stuff. Probably because I can't do it myself LOL
Wow it does look good there. Nice work Wayne Smile

Building Beeg Boy...continued....

Here's another photo of one of the real ones...

   

Well, somewhere during this process, I've lost the remainder of the original thread and its photos, so this will be a somewhat compressed version.

Here's the original Bachmann tender...

   

   

   

...and with some modifications...

   

   

   

Because of the modifications made, I had to remove the original single-screw set-up for attaching the tender to its frame and running gear, so I added some styrene tubing in the water legs of the tender's cistern.  Screws through the floor of the tender and into that tubing will keep the whole shebang together...

   

Here are the overlays which will change the appearance of the tender's coal bunker....

   

...once cemented in place over the one already installed, it will change the slots cut into the installed-one into pockets, in which I'll insert stanchions for the railings which will be fitted to the top edges of the coal bunker.

This is the Bachmann underframe for the tender.  The circuit board has been removed (I simplified the original wiring for DC operation) and removed the stock steel weight, replacing it with sheets of lead.  The small toolbox has been added, along with a re-railing frog on the other side...

   

Here's the re-detailed tender....

   

The ladder was built (on a jig) using .010"x.030" brass strip for the stiles, and .012" phosphor-bronze wire for the rungs.  The same strip material and wire was used for the bunker handrails and stanchions, the latter inserted into those pockets mentioned previously, and likewise for the uncoupling levers and mounting stanchions. 
The rests for the cistern water hatch are more brass strip material, while the cistern handrail is supported by brass stanchions from Precision Scale.
I used a piece of brass ladder stock, bent to suit, as a support for the back-up light.

...and a view of the rear of the tender, better showing the footboards, sill steps at the rear of the sides, and the number board on the rear of the cistern...

   

Here's the loco's superstructure in primer...

   

   

...and fresh from the paint shop...

   

After a light weathering (representing a locomotive just back into service from the shops), the 4193 did a couple of shakedown runs on EG&E's lines, before making the trip back to CNR's Lee Town sub...

   

   

That concludes the story of Beeg Boy's re-building.

Wayne
My name is Stephen and I want to give back to this great hobby.
So please pop over to my website and enjoy the free tutorials.
If you live near me maybe we can share layouts. Smile
Have fun and God bless.
http://fsm1000.googlepages.com
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#3
This thing is awesome. I am sure I saw a model exactly like this one not too long ago.... I think it was by some Doc guy over on another forum. But i think this one is much better. Smile Smile
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#4
The pictures are "thumbnails", and on dial-up, took about ten minutes to load.
Is there a way for these to come up full size, from the gallery, or is the only option to click on each, in turn, to see the whole picture?.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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#5
Sumpter250 Wrote:The pictures are "thumbnails", and on dial-up, took about ten minutes to load.
Is there a way for these to come up full size, from the gallery, or is the only option to click on each, in turn, to see the whole picture?.

I think perhaps that our Gallery needs a bit of "tweaking". For me, the pictures occupy about 2/3 of the width of my monitor, but the picture visible is not the entire image that's in the Gallery. By clicking on the picture, the screen dims, then a "framed" picture shows up in the middle of the screen, smaller in size than the image that was clicked on, but showing the complete image, with the right side not cut off.
Others have said that the pictures show large on initial viewing, and no part of the image is missing.

I realise that large pictures can be a real pain for those on dial-up, but these don't seem that large. I remember posting a couple on Zealot that were extra large, in order to show particular details, and required extensive scrolling both vertically and horizontally. They pretty much put the whole thread in disarray. Wallbang 35 Nowadays, I try to include the "Lots of pictures" warning in the title of the thread, and, for anyone wanting to see thumbnails, they're in the Gallery. If you go to my Gallery Albums, clicking on the thumbnail image will give you the "framed" larger image in the centre of the screen. Clicking on the "image name" below the thumbnail will give you a larger picture - on my screen, it fills the viewing area vertically, and leaves a 1 1/2" margin on both sides.

Wayne
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#6
Looks great Thumbsup What are you using to emboss the rivets in the styrene? I have been using a nail that I turned down thrown in a pin vise, and it does fine on brass, but a little less than desirable on the styrene. Yours look a little better, or maybe I am being just too critical of my own work! Wink
--
Kevin
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#7
If I recall correctly, I used one of the tips on the divider which I use for transferring measurements.  I keep meaning to build a rivet machine from an old sewing machine that I've saved for that purpose, but most of the riveting jobs have been so small that it hasn't really been worth the trouble.  A lot depends on the surface on which you work, too.  Try glass, wood, balsa wood, cardstock, or varying layers of paper, and perhaps a cutting mat, too.

Update:  A probably better choice nowadays is the three-dimensional rivet decals offered by Archer and MicroMark.

Wayne
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#8
Just an update for this thread, as the photos have now been restored.

I've also added a couple which show the various parts of the Elesco feedwater heater system with labels, and a close-up view of the front end of the locomotive.

   

   

   


Wayne
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#9
That is truly an awesome machine to behold. Absolutely fantastic! Thank you for also throwing in those photos with the parts labelled - I love steam, but still have a lot to learn about them.

Andrew
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#10
Thanks for your kind comments, Andrew. I had some difficulty matching the pictures to the bits of data left in the thread when the photos disappeared, as the photos had been mostly re-named.
It is my hope, though, that others will find something useful here, as the project was a learning experience for me, too.

Wayne
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#11
Thanks for sharing, Wayne. I always enjoy your assembly threads.
I love that engine as well. A real brute of force!
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#12
Quite often I sit in my train-room and just stare in amazement at the works of art that Wayne has created for me---I am a lucky man to have such a talented friend

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[Image: 8b25e271-376c-4280-98b6-44143da2feb5_zpsa0e747b6.jpg]

[Image: 66fbc4ba-7565-4313-9626-2d5c83f24b2d_zpsac173ae5.jpg]
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#13
Thanks for the inspiration, beautiful job and engine .

I have a Bachmann USRA 2-10-2 undergoing the same treatment, but I used the plastic Kemtron cab.

Dan M.
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#14
Doc, highest appreciation! A very impressed work again!
Cheers, Bernd

Please visit also my website www.us-modelsof1900.de.
You can read some more about my model projects and interests in my chronicle of facebook.
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#15
cn nutbar Wrote:-I am a lucky man to have such a talented friend

You are cheating! ;-)

Joke aside, Wayne did a great job replicating this awesome beast.

So what's the next loco? I suspect Wayne built more CNR classes than there is left to do!

The T-1-a in the original no-wafer CNR block lettering scheme was always a favorite of mine for the sake of its brutish appearance.

Matt
Proudly modelling Quebec Railway Light & Power Company since 1997.

Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/

Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/
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