PRR A5 0-4-0
#1
Hello!

Here is another building report of an steamer not so tight to the kit instructions:
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This was really one of the very last Bowser kits of the A5 and i was really happy to get it after an half year of waiting for it. The picture shows the content of the kit box. Although it was sold as Standard Kit nearly all brass superdetail parts were included.

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The first decision was, this will become no shelf parker, no race engine and no staller on switches Wallbang , but a real switcher for switching duties on my layout.
So a reliable current pick up fron all wheels is necessary. This includes all the tender wheels also.
And for an reliable current pick up also all wheels have to stay on the railhead.

This is a very tiny engine with only 4 wheels. And for this all of the 4 wheels should stay on the railhead, better for traction and better for current pick up.
So this loco got an 3-point suspension.
How?
Simply by some milling of one of the axle bearings on the frame. The first pair of wheels are drive by the gear an so this have to be rigid for correct gear mesh. The second axle is driven by the rods. and here i milled and filed on the bearing. Only the middle section in the middle of the frame of this bearing is untouched. Both outer ends were vertically milled so, that the axle can rock in a sideway manner.
The bottom plate was also milled to enable the axle to rock.
N.B. Never, never do milling on axle bearings and coupling rods in horizontal manner, your got enormous difficulties when you do that.

The valve gear was riveted and the mechanism was coarse bolted together. Motor and gear mounted and test was made by powering through wires directly to the motor contacts. Some work to eliminate any binds followed until the mechanism runs really even and free.
When first test mounting the shell, i detected it was to low on the front end. After measuring and comparing with prototype photos, i added some 1.0mm styrene sheet on the steam chest. So the shell is now on the correct height and fits horizontal.

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The tender was also roughly bolted together to see how it fits.


Lutz
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#2
Worship Worship Worship Worship Worship

Another Bowser Build!!! Gotta love it

Matt
Don't follow me, I'm lost too.
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#3
You guys that tackle this kind of stuff are amazing. Very nice! Thumbsup
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#4
Bring it on! Love to see steam builds. 2285_

Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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#5
My ALL TIME FAVORITE steam locomotive, followed closely by the PRR E6s Atlantic.

I have an A5s, a modified Mantua, that needs a motor. I will be watching this with great interest!

Did you, by chance, build this model before? I saw a similar build from Germany over on Trainboard forum. I joked that I wanted him (you?) to build me the same model for me and to the same specs... but it wasn't really a joke. I wish I had the kind of skills you guys exhibit on your steam builds.

Dave
-Dave
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#6
Puddlejumper Wrote:My ALL TIME FAVORITE steam locomotive, followed closely by the PRR E6s Atlantic.
I saw a similar build from Germany over on Trainboard forum. I joked that I wanted him (you?) to build me the same model for me and to the same specs... but it wasn't really a joke. I wish I had the kind of skills you guys exhibit on your steam builds. Dave

Being the "illegitimate son of the Pennsylvania RR", the Long Island also had a few A5's, and E6's, including one E6, the 460, the "Lindbergh Engine".

" I wish I had the kind of skills you guys exhibit on your steam builds."

If one has the mind set, to build models, the skills can be learned--------------mostly by making mistakes, and spending the time to learn from them. None of us started by building contest winning models.
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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#7
Puddlejumper Wrote:My ALL TIME FAVORITE steam locomotive, followed closely by the PRR E6s Atlantic.

I have an A5s, a modified Mantua, that needs a motor. I will be watching this with great interest!

Dave

Try this site:

<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.yardbirdtrains.com">www.yardbirdtrains.com</a><!-- w -->

I put one of the replacement motors in my Mantua Shifter and it purrs!

Sorry for the hijack... :oops: ...Now back to the Bowser build... Popcornbeer

Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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#8
I miss the kits Sad

This should be fun to watch.
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Kevin
Check out my Shapeways creations!
3-d printed items in HO/HOn3 and more!
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#9
Hello Folks!

Yes Dave, you are right. Several years ago i posted in the trainbord forum. But sadly enough the picture hoster collapsed and nearly all the pictures went into the great electronic nirwana.
This will be an completely new written thread with completely new uploaded photos on another hoster from which I hope the pictures will stay there.

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The cast on sanding lines were removed by grinding and sanding.
And you see the shell is sitting now complete horizontal on the chassis.

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From this angle you see the hollow bottomless cab with no boiler backhead.

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Here I started to add more detailing to the frame. This are simply styrene strips, cut from sheet material and glued to the frame to match a more prototypical look.

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In one of my scrap boxes i found a pair of leaf springs. I glued them to the sides of the gearbox to camouflage the relatively massive gearbox.

On test runs the original motor and gears worked well, especially on DCC, so I left it unchanged.

Lutz
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#10
thats a cool little switcher. I've always wanted a bowser E6 Atlantic kit.
Modeling New Jersey Under the Wire 1978-1979.  
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#11
Lutz, a really fine work.
Years ago I owned 4 different Bowser kits, the biggest a 2-10-2 and all I have sold because I thought that I never would get well running and usable models from these kis.
You demonstrate here that I laid on the wrong side. Thank you for sharing your experiences!
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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#12
Popcornbeer

Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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#13
The next thing was the hollow cab, the very hollow cab.
As i had no blueprints, i had to look to several prototype photos showing some of the interieur of ab A5's cab. At least it was a process which i can describe as "restoring to what it will be looking right".

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At first was the height of the cab floor. By looking on prototype photos the cab floor was not so low as the brass rear cab wall will point. So i decided to orientate me to the height of the tender deck. The air reservoirs give an point to the height of the cab floor too.
I made the cab floor out of 1.0mm styrene sheet.

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The sides boiler backhead were made of 0.5mm styrene sheet because it is easier to bend it. The contour follows the outer lines of the Belpaire firebox and there are several layers of 0.5mm styrene to match the contour right. The backhead plate was made of 1.0mm styrene.

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A look from the rear with mounted rear cab wall. It seems me to look right.
Another details are the wide open cab windows. On every prototype photo of an A5 which was under steam and working the cab windows were wide open. I realized this on the model by filing away the middle window crossbar and the outer frames representing a closed window pane.

Lutz
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#14
I really like that the motor / gearbox fits, with enough room to allow the building of the backhead, and cab interior detailing.
This is coming along very nicely !! Thumbsup Thumbsup
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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#15
It is time to write this post a little bit further.

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For easier mounting and demounting i filed off the upper front edge of the gearbox casing.
Adding details. A chapter of resarch for prototype photos and studying them intensively. Very intensively.
I start detailing the running gear.
Why there were missing brake detail parts on all Bowser kits, even on the superdetailed ones :?:
Two pair of suitable brake shoes i found in my scrap box. Of course this are German prototype brake shoes, but they look right according to the A5 prototype.
On the photo most parts on the running gear are fixed, but there in the box a many parts still awaiting attention.
The coupler and box are Kadee #78 which will fit perfect.

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Because of the boiler backhead i had to remove some flesh from the rear motor mounting block.
The ashpan was simple made out of some styrene half tube.

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Another perspective. Here the body got some of its details also.
But by looking to prototype photos i found the front end of the running board above the cylinders were not so massive as Bowser casted them.
So before detailing i milled the to much portions away. I made from some thin brass stripe mounting angles for the very front of the running boards.
Beneath the boiler backhead you see a styrene block. This block is hollow and has nut glued inside. Thus enables me to mount the rear end of the body simple srewing to the running gear. The block is sitting direct on the frame. By simple loosening two screws on the underside you can lift the Body straight off the chassis:

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Next to do is making swiss cheese out of the shell. Big Grin
Means to drill several holes and bores into the casting and a really lot of drilling with different diameters.

Lutz
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