Ten-Wheelers for the Grand Valley....

[cn nutbar]

No need to buy brass anymore---these locomotives are going to be beautiful Doc

[gbwdude]

Fantastic work Wayne! I've been a fan of your work for some time now and this reassures it.

I do have two questions; 1. How did you remove the details from the Varney/Bowser boilers? 2. How did you cast your own weights, as used in your tender?

I've just acquired a Mantua Big Six that I'd like to redetail and add DCC and all the fun stuff to.

[doctorwayne]

Thanks for your kind words, Tyler.

Most of the free-standing details, such as the sandbox and the raised cast-on piping was removed with a mill file. I've also been known to use a hacksaw and, on occasion, a ball peen hammer with a cold chisel. Once the bulk of the detail has been removed, more finely-cut files can be brought into play to finish the job.
For the airtanks and other detail below the running boards, I used a hacksaw to remove the bulk of the material, then finished with a rotary cutting bit in a Dremel-like tool. This latter area didn't need to be especially neat, as I had new air tanks and other details to cover most of space, and once it's on the layout, that area is in the shadows.

However, I did remove the locos' cabs, slicing them off with a hacksaw (I wanted to use the cabs from Bachmann Consolidations to create a "family" look), and that allowed room to operate a hacksaw under the running boards - first cut "in" just beneath the running boards, then the second cut "up" to finish the major removal. If you don't wish to remove your loco's cab, any removal work under the running boards will likely require a cutting bit.

While it's not the best method, the cold chisel can be useful for removing a major portion of bulky details, such as air tanks, but the locomotive must be fully-supported behind where the blows are to be struck - a solid whack on an unsupported area could make a mess of the whole works.

A cut-off disc in your Dremel is useful for removing smaller details, but use the face of the disc, not the edge, and with very light pressure - be sure to wear safety glasses or goggles, as a slip or too much pressure can shatter the disc.

As for casting lead weights, there's some info HERE

Wayne

[Tyson Rayles]

Beautiful Wayne !

[doctorwayne]

Well, other than for a couple of minor details (pilot air and signal hoses and braces for the feedwater pipes beneath the cab), these locos are finally ready for paint. I'll wait until the current cold snap ends, though, as my paint shop is in the garage, and the room needs to be heated for several hours in this weather in order to get the compressor warm enough to not blow a fuse.

Fireman's side:



...and engineer's side:




Wayne

[sailormatlac]

Simply wow. They really have a nice bulky silhouette that makes their proportions harmonious. I can't wait to see all this work unified under a nice coat of warm black.

Matt

[doctorwayne]

Well, after a long delay for painting, I wasn't at all pleased with the look of these locos in Grand Valley paint.  Here's a Grand Valley Mogul to illustrate that look:




The striping on the Ten Wheelers' low and boxy tenders made them look even pudgier than they were, so I decided that they'd look better as Erie Northshore locos.  Besides, with the Northshore's Mikes usually working coal trains, or through freights between interchanges, a couple of smaller Northshore locos to cover the locals and mixed trains made more sense.

Here's the 622 on the Lowbanks turntable:





...and sister 620 hustling a short freight out of town:



...dropping a car at Bowyer Manufacturing:



...or doubleheaded on a through freight:



The 622 at the Lowbanks crossing.  




These locos are pretty-good pullers:  while setting up these photos, the 620 pulled 3 freight cars and 13 ounce combine Willowglade up the curving grade between Lowbanks and Elfrida, all while pushing a dozen empty hoppers, then continuing to push until the hoppers went all the way up the 2.5% grade towards South Cayuga, where they were parked out of the way for the photos.  They also doublehead well together or with the Northshore's Athearn Mikes.
Only seven more locomotives (at least of my own) to re-work and one to scratchbuild.    

Wayne

[Charlie B]

Wayne, those are great looking locomotives.
Charlie

[Sumpter250]

Varney, Now there's a name that goes back a day or three. My B&O 0-4-0T ( my very first steam loco ) was a Varney, as was the "Casey Jones" 4-6-0 ( my second steam loco , someday I will have to complete the rebuild of that one, I've only had that loco for about sixty years now )

[cn nutbar]

During a recent rail-fanning adventure on the EG&E I was lucky to catch a pair of these locomotives crossing Walnut St. in Dunnville

[modelsof1900]

How all times, Doc.
Extreme fine modeling of your nice small locos. This that size that I love especially!

[sailormatlac]

Oh! I missed them! They look great in that simplistic paint scheme. 4-6-0 are always overlooked on layout but you see them almost everywhere on old pictures.

Thanks for sharing... that reminds me I have 3 steamers stalled "in progress"... 4-4-0, 2-6-0 and 2-8-0.

Matt

[cn nutbar]

Erie Northshore ten-wheeller #620 is the trailing locomotive of a double-header as they cross Chippewa Creek with a solid consist of reefers full of Lake Erie perch

[sailormatlac]

Great shots Mr. Nutbar! Really capture the bulkiness of this freelanced prototype. Sound like model railfanning is getting exciting in Southern Ontario!

Matt

[cn nutbar]

Thanks Matt.You won't find a better spot for rail-fanning that offers such a variety of impressive motive power,beautiful scenery,large (Gern) and small industries in both larger cities (Dunnville) and smaller towns such as Lowbanks ,Elfrida and East Elfrida and then add my favourite bridge scenes on the Maitland River,Chippewa Creek and the Speed River---it's a rail-fanner's dream come true.I've learned to make sure my camera is fully charged when Doctor Wayne invites me on a tour as there is so much to see.
Here's another shot of #622 in Dunnville as she passes CNR T2A 4193