Nachoman's EOY 2010 challenge

[nachoman]

I decided on something that I could easily accomplish, something that has been on my workbench for awhile, and something that I won't need to buy many new materials. I choose to finish my narrow gauge shay:

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Basically, all I have to do is re-assemble it, finish painting and weathering, and add the final details. It shouldn't take that long, bust somehow I know I will be scrambling at the end of December

[ocalicreek]

This is shaping up to be a real steam engine fixer-upper contest. Excellent. The more the merrier!

Galen

[Gary S]

Woah Kevin! That last post in that thread is February! About time you got back to it!

Looks to be a great project to finish up.

[nachoman]

You are right, Gary. I've got all the parts. I basically just need to finish painting things and screw it all together. I've got no excuses for this shay to be sitting in pieces. That's why I think this is perfect for this challenge.

[nachoman]

First up was to get out the box of parts. As I mentioned, pretty much all I need to do is paint and assemble. But, a previous airbrush malfunction led to a grainy first coat on the boiler. So, I will have to carefully sand the finish smooth, and apply a second coat. If you recall my previous thread on this rebuild, I made a new frame out of brass complete with a NWSL gearbox and new motor. That is all complete and has been tested, but I need to make better truck wipers.    

I had previously made a brass firebox to conceal the gearbox, and painted it using a red primer. Last night, I painted it silver.
   

   

Today, while watching football, I will work on sanding the rough paint on the boiler smooth.

[e-paw]

Nice start. Keep em coming .

[nachoman]

I sprayed the smokebox silver, and attached the end beams to my scratchbuilt frame with 1-72 screws.

The MDC frame was designed a bit differently. The coupler mounting pads were part of the frame, and the end beams simply pressed on to the end of the frame. I attached coupler mounting pads to the end beams, and that required screws to secure the end beams to the frame.
   

The smokebox front is a little rough. I don't know if that is the casting or from my attempt to sand things smooth after a previous grainy paint job. Either way, the roughness does not show up in the photo, so I guess it is not as bad as I think it is, and will disappear with some weathering.
   

I also pulled out a couple of unpainted figures, in hopes of creating an engineer and fireman. I had a fireman, but he is standing in a ridiculous pose. Unless I put him standing and waving from the gangway, he will require reconstructive surgery. The engineer is a mutant created from several atlas LPBs. I don't understand who thinks of these poses, but the atlas unpainted figures are terrible. I've got a couple of guys that look like they are sitting on some kind of toilet, and many seem to be waving. So, I took the head from one because it had a hat on, and glued it to the body of some guy who was sitting and waving. I don't know why LPBs like to wave so much, but I don't envision people in my town being so friendly. So, I cut his arm off, rotated it, and glued it back on to make it look like he is controlling a valve or lever.    

[nachoman]

Here is the painted boiler. Now to let it dry for a few days.

[Gary S]

Lookin' sharp, Kevin.

[nachoman]

Fireman Humberto needed some "plastic surgery" to correct a medical problem. Not only was he unable to ben at the hips, but his knees were locked, too. And to top it off, he couldn't stop waving. So, now he can sit down and do his job, and will likely make employee of the year. For that to happen, his clothes are going to have to get much, much dirtier.

[Gary S]

Looks like he is ready to throw the throttle to "highball"!

[Steamtrains]

That's gonna turn out to be a gorgeous loco..!!

And ol' Humberto won't be grinning for long...He's got a hot & dirty job to do....

[e-paw]

That mustache is a great little touch, just hope no flying cinders set it on fire .

[Ralph]

Nice work on Humberto! He should do a fine job piloting that loco!
Ralph

[nachoman]

My layout is set pre-1920. I doubt you would have seen too many clean-shaven men in those days, especially in blue collar jobs.