Best Of SP&S 4-4-2 Atlantic project

[superturbine]

PERFECT!

[mmagliaro]

PERFECT!

Heh heh, hardly.  But thanks.
It tapers up and then straightens out near the top, which it really shouldn't do.  It should have been one
long straight taper.  But I am done messing with it.  This was #4.  I tried a styrene tube, a brass tube, and then
2 experiments with turning brass rod (I just chucked it in the mill and ran files against it).     I drilled out a .020"
hole in the bottom and put a piece of .020" brass wire in it, which goes into a matching .020" hole drilled in the top
of the boiler, so the thing will stay put (with the help of some glue, of course).

[strummer]

As always, I am in awe of those of you who can make such fabulous models in such a small scale...

I was able to do this kind of stuff when I was in both 'HO', and 'O', but the size of these tiny parts makes me just sitß back, watch you masters at work, and be content with my "out of the box" steamers...

Mark in Oregon

[mmagliaro]

Thanks, Mark!  But really, there's nothing to it.  It's more a matter of practice and figuring out techniques and tools
to work with smaller-scale trains.  It's more persistence than it is anything else.  I started this with the tender on Sept 1,
and I have worked on it, (guessing) 4 out of 7 days per week, figuring 2 hrs/night on 2 weekdays and 3 hrs/day on
2 weekend days, plus, I'd say 30% of those days I had serious 4 hour pushes, so I get... (whirr whirr whirr)

13 weeks (26 weekdays, 26 weekend days) --> 2x2x13 (weekdays)+ 2x3x13(weekends) = 52 + 78 = 130
and then the 30% part,   52(days) x 30% x  2 extra hrs = another 31

So yeah. about 160 hours.
And something tells me I'm guess on the low side.

But it's all fun and pure enjoyment.  If you love doing this, it isn't that tough.

[mmagliaro]

Video of the shake-down runs.   A few drops of oil on those gears and now it just purrs.  Couldn't be happier with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zZIJULKMIA

[Chris333]

OK now your just showing off 

[strummer]

Looks and runs great, of course.

Looks like you've got a nice looking layout as well; the long trestle puts me to mind of a similar one outside of McMinnville, I think...

Question: what made you decide to "switch over" to the SP&S after focusing on the PRR?

Mark in Oregon

[mmagliaro]

Looks and runs great, of course.

Looks like you've got a nice looking layout as well; the long trestle puts me to mind of a similar one outside of McMinnville, I think...

Question: what made you decide to "switch over" to the SP&S after focusing on the PRR?

Mark in Oregon

I lived in PA for 20 years.  When I moved there, I decided it made sense to model and learn about what was around me.  It's not like I grew up near a PRR mainline or had any family or friends who were in railroading.
So when my life changed and I moved out to OR, I decided to do exactly the same thing, put PRR away as a chapter, and start learning and modeling what was around me in the Pac Northwest.   Amongt all the choices, I just esthetically liked the NP and SP&S the best, so that's where I am putting my energies.

[mmagliaro]

OK now your just showing off 

Ha!  Nah.  I just wanted to show people that it really does run, and it's not just a pretty shelf queen.
After I get it painted, and I take video with my wife's hi-def camera, THEN I'll be showing off.   

Seriously... you cannot beat those awesome Faulhaber motors with all-stainless gearheads.
You put that in, and amazing things happen.   This motor is from a "stash" I bought from Edmund Scientific
about 20 years ago.  They had them in their surplus catalog, gearhead and all, for something like $18.  I bought
three (because I didn't know any better, so I didn't buy 20).  And only years later, I discovered that these
were the top-of-the-line ones with all stainless gearing and ball-bearing shaft bearings (no simple phosphor bronze
sleeve bearing!).   That's why I was determined to find a way to hide the backend of the motor at the rear of the cab,
rather than put in a smaller coreless gearmotor.

[strummer]

I lived in PA for 20 years.  When I moved there, I decided it made sense to model and learn about what was around me.  It's not like I grew up near a PRR mainline or had any family or friends who were in railroading.
So when my life changed and I moved out to OR, I decided to do exactly the same thing, put PRR away as a chapter, and start learning and modeling what was around me in the Pac Northwest.   Amongt all the choices, I just esthetically liked the NP and SP&S the best, so that's where I am putting my energies.

Well, that makes sense...I figured there had to be a logical explanation. You know, the NP Q-6 class Pacific is a nice looking engine; you should think about making one of those someday.... If anyone one can do it, you can.

Mark in Oregon

[Lemosteam]

  ....

Love the vid Max!  And the loco too!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That engine really is a work of art Max.

Although, I still prefer it as the Pennsy version...

[Chris333]

You could say he took a rare locomotive and turned it into a one of a kind locomotive.

[mmagliaro]

Thank you all, and Ed and Chris.     The PRR E6 is a beautiful engine, but
the Black River model was never very close or accurate.  That was one of the big factors that weighed in my
decision to use it.  It makes very accurate SP&S C-1, but without 80" drivers, or something at least close, among
all the other things it really would need, it is just way off for any Pennsy Atlantic.

Chris... one of a kind... heh heh, like your camelback!

[Hornwrecker]

Very nice.  Much better looking than it was to start with, and I'm a Pennsy freak.