Hi All,
This is going to be a project log for my HOn30 0-6-0 steam locomotive. It uses a bachmann n scale 0-6-0 as a base, the major components come from a 3D printer on ebay, and I’m using brass castings to superdetail it.
Here’s the progress I’ve made so far after a weekend (about 5 hours of work in total, not counting waiting for stuff to dry or cure)
You may note it has a saddle tank and a tender - this is inspired by a Canadian Collieries Locomotive that started life as a saddle tank locomotive, was given a tender, but never lost the saddle tank. The railroad I am freelancing is a mining and logging short line in the Copper Country of Michigan, and as a result I want to give it some of that backwoods weirdness - that’s also why I am using this HOn30 to represent 2 1/2 gauge instead of 2’ gauge, since there were some weird gauges up in the region (4’ 3 1/2" narrow gauge is one example!)
What remains to be done:
sanding the cab roof to get a nice curve
bell and whistle (on order)
finishing plumbing for super detailing
handrails
replace the front pilot with an HO scale appropriately sized one (currently planning on scratchbuilding a wood one, common in the narrow gauge of the region)
front number plate (this will be locomotive #2)
painting and weathering and adding the coal load
adding engineer and fireman
adding window glazing to the cab
If anyone has any suggestions, tips, or tricks, please let me know!
Thanks
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Looks super interesting! Are you going to design your own railroad logo and road name?
Yes! I am in the process of ironing out the concept for it all. My general concept is that the line started in Copper Harbor, MI around 1875 to serve the handful of mines in the northern end of the copper range up there (namely the Clarke, Delaware, Copper Falls and Central mines) and aimed to expand further south but got beaten out by standard gauge lines heading from the south, and set backs due to many of these mines not being profitable. In my timeline some of these mines would operate longer due to the lowered transportation costs of the railroad, but not a whole lot.
The locomotive as I am modeling it would be after refit sometime around 1915.
I’ve been messing around with some names but haven’t settled on anything yet, my favorite so far is “Copper Harbor & Central Railway”
Here’s a map of the line as I’m currently envisioning it, circa 1900. The mainline runs a total of about 16 miles.
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I like the way Copper Harbor and Central sounds, too. Given the fact it’s supposed to be a mining and logging route, a Shay, Climax, or Heisler would fit in quite well I imagine. No idea if those were ever made to run on narrow gauge track, though!
Yep! All three of those were available made - to - order down to 2’ gauge - and some below! I am planning a Type A Climax (this was the sort that was essentially a flatcar witn a boiler and fuel bunker on it and geared trucks) kitbash, and if I ever get my hands on one of the Atlas N scale Shays that will be getting an HOn30 treatment as well.
You might want to contact Corry R.A.I.L.S. in Corry, PA – they are restoring A-313 to operation and have many detail drawings and diagrams (they provided many to the ‘serious preservationist’ community at RyPN for feedback and comment).
Corry R.A.I.L.S. – Corry Rail & Industrial Legacy Society & Museum!
Just a quick update for today, got the bell and whistle installed, some piping bent into place, and primed and base coated. I’m planning on painting the nunber plate separately.
Need to decide how I want to do the wood for the cab - I am a fan of the heavily worn look on narrow gauge steamers - though I know they’d seldom get into that bad of shape during their lifetimes.
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and a photo on her chassis since I uploaded it to the other thread.
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