09-04-2009, 11:21 PM
Sitting down looking at my loco fleet, I decided that my J-Class Bachmann will never look "right" in my layout, and without N&W Passenger cars... it just doesn't make sense to own.
It's a fantastic puller being mostly dicast metal, and the tender has room for a sound decoder... and I have a sound decoder kicking around, so I wanted to make something useful out of it.
Since I'm modeling Canadian Roads I did a search for streamlined CN and CP 4-8-4 locomotives and came across the Confederation U4a locos. The most famous would be 6400 which pulled the Royal Train across Canada.
Thus, I started planning in my head the conversion of the J-Class to the U4a.
The Prototype:
Now, I wanted to keep as many details as possible, and the J-Class seems to be pretty dang close to a PERFECT base for this loco. The side-rods and the wheels are out of my league for replacement... the wheels are the wrong "prototype" size and design, but the side rods are also different too... But as long as I can capture the "character" of the prototype that is good enough for me.
Luckily the only modification this loco needs (aside from a Vandy Tender, which won't happen cus I want sound) is paint and a modified nose.
Now I couldn't get the nose "perfect' because of the hand railing and location of the number boards. But like I mentioned, I'm going for the general character....
First, forming the shovel nose.
Like my Heavy 4-8-2 that I've converted into a U1f, I used plasticine that hardens in air. No sticking my locos in a oven to bake the clay! That migth turn out bad... Heres where I placed the clay
After that... paint!
The mostly completed product
oh, and look at that, a video too!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s6hjXiB4Z4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s6hjXiB4Z4</a><!-- m -->
sorry for the stalling... I need to clean my track I think
now to help solve a question I have...
If this was your project... would you paint the rest of the Tender in the CN Olive? Or would you leave it as is?
It's a fantastic puller being mostly dicast metal, and the tender has room for a sound decoder... and I have a sound decoder kicking around, so I wanted to make something useful out of it.
Since I'm modeling Canadian Roads I did a search for streamlined CN and CP 4-8-4 locomotives and came across the Confederation U4a locos. The most famous would be 6400 which pulled the Royal Train across Canada.
Thus, I started planning in my head the conversion of the J-Class to the U4a.
The Prototype:
Now, I wanted to keep as many details as possible, and the J-Class seems to be pretty dang close to a PERFECT base for this loco. The side-rods and the wheels are out of my league for replacement... the wheels are the wrong "prototype" size and design, but the side rods are also different too... But as long as I can capture the "character" of the prototype that is good enough for me.
Luckily the only modification this loco needs (aside from a Vandy Tender, which won't happen cus I want sound) is paint and a modified nose.
Now I couldn't get the nose "perfect' because of the hand railing and location of the number boards. But like I mentioned, I'm going for the general character....
First, forming the shovel nose.
Like my Heavy 4-8-2 that I've converted into a U1f, I used plasticine that hardens in air. No sticking my locos in a oven to bake the clay! That migth turn out bad... Heres where I placed the clay
After that... paint!
The mostly completed product
oh, and look at that, a video too!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s6hjXiB4Z4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s6hjXiB4Z4</a><!-- m -->
sorry for the stalling... I need to clean my track I think
now to help solve a question I have...
If this was your project... would you paint the rest of the Tender in the CN Olive? Or would you leave it as is?
-------------------------------------
-Luke
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://greatfallsrr.blogspot.com/">http://greatfallsrr.blogspot.com/</a><!-- m -->
http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic...212#p15212 = Traction of the Pacific South Eastern
-Luke
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://greatfallsrr.blogspot.com/">http://greatfallsrr.blogspot.com/</a><!-- m -->
http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic...212#p15212 = Traction of the Pacific South Eastern