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

[SkipGear]

I must agree, it makes a much better SPS loco than a PRR loco.

[Lemosteam]

I said what I felt back on page one!  I'm sure that the Black River folks would be pleased to know their model became kitbash fodder for Max.  There are only so many manufacturers that can say their locos have been "Magliaro-ed" (to coin a term).

[mmagliaro]

SP&S #604 is painted!
(Click the photos to see them full size)

Here it is in a variety of scenes, running around the layout.  Paint is 2/3 Floquil Weathered Black, 1/3 Floquil Engine Black.  I want to add some cab shades, and weather it with a little light gray and white powders which will make the details pop, but first, I'm working on decals.  I need the Spokane Portland & Seattle Ry  oval with the wide band around it that contains the words "The North Bank Road" and "Columbia River Scenic Route". 

It needs to be gold, and I will need the cab numbers and the tiny "SP&S" for the dome to match. 
I have been working on an art drawing to get them custom-made, but I may also have a source.  Stay Tuned on that one.

All the appliances and the railings and most pipes are painted with NeoLube.  It's the perfect thing to give them the subtle appearance of metal, and makes them stand out from the black body.   I am not sure about the smokebox and lower firebox area.  I used to use Neolube on those all the time, but photos of this engine aren't making it clear if they really had that graphite gray look to them or not.

By the way, those two passenger cars are custom-painted Lowell Smith Signature Series SP&S.  He's done just the baggage and the #99 business car, which make a fine looking little passenger train for this engine to pull.  But I am hoping he does a few more matching heavyweights.  I think a 4-car train would be ideal.

[Philip H]

I don't model steam, but I really like what you've done here.  Best part - to me - is that you'd never know it wasn't factory original.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This really is beautiful. I'm sad that a really nice engine had to be sacrificed for it, but it looks like it was worth it. The paint job looks fantastic.

[pennsyfan1361]

Max, your locomotive Looks GREAT . Much better looking then the PRR E6 you started with, and for a Pennsy fan that a VERY HIGH compliment.       Rich

[mmagliaro]

Thank you guy!  And believe me, for Pennsy fans and non-steam fans to tell me they like my work, that is a very high compliment indeed.

I really am thrilled with the paint finish.  I didn't do anything different than I normally do.  It's just Floquil 50/50 with mineral spirits in an airbrush, at about 20 psi.   After all the fitting and filing and sanding, I am always worried that the finish won't be smooth - that there will be all sorts of little flaws in it that you don't see when everything is shiny silver and brass.  But it came out really smooth. 

I will go lightly with the weathering powders.  It's a passenger engine, after all, and the finish is good enough that I don't have to weather it much to "hide" anything.

Thank you so much.

[Chris333]

She certainly won't be confused for anything off the shelf, that's for sure.

Those cylinders still give me a chubby 

[peteski]

Those cylinders still give me a chubby 

Hey now big boy!    The only stroking we should be discussing  here is the pistons moving in and out of the cylinders!   

[Lemosteam]

Nice metaphor peteski!  Rods going in and out of cylinders!

Max, what can I say, that baby turned out first class.  I love the photos on the trestle over the meadow and the ones below it.  That scene is awesome. 

Ok so out with it, how many passenger cars will she pull?    Just curious...

[Puddington]

Simply outstanding work Max; she's going to be the star of the show wherever she polishes the rails.... Congratulations on a really fine build.

[loco-n]

Hi,
May I ask how you made the curtains? I need some for my B'man (and Atlas?) 4-4-0s.
Thank you, Franz

[mmagliaro]

Hi,
May I ask how you made the curtains? I need some for my B'man (and Atlas?) 4-4-0s.
Thank you, Franz

HI Franz.  I made them from a piece of cloth teabag.  Boil the tea, then cut open the bag and dump it out and wash
it all out thoroughly.  Then air dry it or dry it in a microwave, cut it open so you have a piece of flat cloth.
Next, hold a steel straight edge across it, so that only 1/16 or 1/8" sticks out in a nice straight strip.  Fold
along the steel edge.  Now move another 1/16 - 1/8" and fold the other way.  You are just making an "accordian" fold,
or rather, folding plaits in it, but the steel straight edge keeps the them straight.  When it's all folded, tie some threads
around it to hold it in place like a curtain that is pulled back to one side on a big window.

This whole idea came from an on-line article I found at fifer hobby here:
http://www.fiferhobby.com/html/n_scale_how_to_make_a_locomoti.html

Except that he didn't fold, he just rolled up the cloth.  I tried that, but I found that for N Scale, it was almost impossible
to really roll it small enough and tie it.  Perhaps if you rolled it around a piece of heavy steel piano wire it would
work well.  I hadn't thought of that until this moment.

[DKS]

The only stroking we should be discussing here is the pistons moving in and out of the cylinders!

Ah, the old in-and-out...

Really, really nice work, Max. Absolutely superb job.

[up1950s]

Love it Max , will you decal it ?