Yep, I agree. I use .040 styrene so much I finally went and bought a 4x8 foot sheet of it.
Before putting a roof on the cab, I wanted to get some resemblance of some controls in the cab. I started with the injector lifter which is a reused from a spectrum 2-8-0 and cut in half to sit on either side of the cab wall.
While I was at it, the bell, generator, and power reverse were placed. The power reverse is another reused spectrum part.
Some quick resemblance of break valves, throttle and reversing lever were added made from styrene. Then roof supports were added to make sure the roof doesn’t want to bend down.
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While the cab controls were setting I made the power reverse linkage cover. Made with .010, using the smokebox front as a guide for the curved front of the box that hugs the boiler.
Before the roof goes on the interior of the cab is painted black since the roof is glued down and painting would be quite difficult. The rood is a sheet of .010 rolled a little to sort of hold the shape for eyeballing line up. Once the main sheet is set up the vent is cut out. The under side of the roof gets a quick shot of black before getting glued down. After set the outer trim, gutters and vent are added, all .010.
Instead of using a calscale casting for the tender light I went for making the Reading style bac
Super job so far. That tender light is a piece of art! I like your logic in painting the cab innards at this point. Your locomotives are obviously more fragile than most, at least on the details. You must have a gentle touch when handling them. Dan
Fantastic Job, RDG Casey. I love what I’m seeing!!
Mitch
Thanks Mitch and Dan.
Work this week was a lot of little things. Thinking a trip to the hobby store was needed for break cylinders, I decided to just try and make them. A styrene tube piece was capped with .010 then a piece of rod was centered on a side. The rod was drilled for a .020 wire and a .010 arm was glued to the wire.
Seeing a rear angle of an I-2 (basically the same engine but smaller) gave me the safety valve set up. for a while I thought there was only one valve figuring that was wrong. In most 3/4 views the one valves is hidden perfectly by the one sitting in front of it.
Focus then shifted to the tender, the coal bunker doors made using .010 styrene.
Boxes were then added in front of the bunker on top of the tank, seen on almost every tender of this type. The trim around the bunker was also added which is a strip of .010.
The water hatch is made with a base of .040 topped with .010. Strips of .010 are used to make the hinges and hatch split.
On the frame the steps and foot boards were added all made of .010.
Lastly for tender the ladder and rear number board were added, once again all .010 styrene. The number board is spaced off the tender .010 with strips on both sides of the rectangle.
good job!
All these terrific loco builds, makes another spot on engine an expectation from you! [:P]
Another quick light test was done before the next step.
Next was rivet decals, mostly the smoke box and tender. The tender has somewhat of an odd pattern, but I saw it in a few images of I-7 tenders.
Final detailing took place over the last couple days but moved along rather quickly. Next will be paint and then delivery to the Reading. The bell ropes and cab doors will be done after some base coats of paint.
I’ve enjoyed watching the progress on your loco buildup. Your work is inspiring me with my own loco projects.
The I-7 is ready for service. It preforms well pulling 20 cars no problem. I haven’t pushed it to slipping yet so I’m not sure it’s full limits. Decals are champion, a show find.
I may take the rest of the day off, before starting the next thing, haha.
and a video.
Great build!
What did you use for the headlight clear lens?
Also, I don’t know whether its just for Reading engines, but is it accurate in that the fire box is wayyy back, or is it shorter, like in most engines?
Thanks
The lense is some microscale kristal klear I globbed around the light.
For the firebox in all the pictures I looked at for this build I didn’t see any light from the back of the cab which would mean it is not open and the back head is all the way back. This isn’t really a reading thing as bituminous coal burning engines are a rarity on the railroad. These were built turn of the century and is kind of a transitionary type between using mostly key hole fireboxes to mostly wagon top fireboxes. Needeing the heating surface but still having relitivly small drivers the solution was stick the cab on top of the firebox. Strasburg 475 is like this, and there are many narrow guage examples of this thinking, even the unaltered Roudhouse model is this way.
Oops, sorry, I should of made my question a little clearer…
I hope this picture could explain what I’m trying to say a little better.
So is it prototypical in that your engine’s firebox is so out of place? Or is that for all Reading engines?
Again, it is not a Reading design style more of a style of the era the engines were built. In the late 1800s to early 1900s this style of the cab sitting on top of the firebox as opposed to the very end was not uncommon, then locomotive design exploded in size and power by the 1920s drastically changing what was the normal.
Yes its prototypical, its not out of place, its right where it belongs, and quite common for 1800’s and early 1900 era 2-8-0 engines.
Ok thanks!
You learn something new everyday! [:D]
We’ve come to expect fine work from you, and once again, you didn’t disappoint.
The firebox astride the boiler was, as you say, quite common around the turn of the 19th/20th Centuries. East Broad Top’s Mikados are all built like that. I’m sure Reading’s engine crews accepted this in stride, since they were accustomed to the close quarters of a Camelback cab.
I have often wondered whether Reading used their usual Anthracite coal in the I-7’s, or if they used bituminous. Were there Reading lines where Bituminous was more readily available, such as the Lurgan Line? Was there a time when the I-7’s were preferred for operation on that line?
Tom
Great looking model, and looks even better there in the scenicked setting. Your finish matches your building skills.
Who makes ther rivet decals you use? Dan
Thanks guys!
Dan, the decals rivets are from mircomart. I bought some right when they came out and am still useing the original set, so they last quite a while.
Tom, the I-7 was a pretty big class I’m not sure they were meant for a specific region. Gathering pictures for reference I saw lots of locations around the Philly area, Reading, Allentown, Lancaster etc. I think for being around as long as they were in the numbers they had, I think they really got around the system.