Yup…I love doin it!
Who else does?
I hate appling the Athearn BB hand rails, many bad experiences. Some times they wouldn’t fit in the whole and they would get bent. But, I do like putting grab irons on locos that don’t have any. With out them, it makes the loco look flat.
I don’t LIKE applying them either, but since 95% of my roster is either Red Caboose, Intermountain, Branchline, Tichy or resin, I really don’t have much of an alternative.
Now, I DO like applying them, as well as other “bits & pieces” on my steam!
Wow!
Well done Orsonroy
Oronsroy,
You got any step by step photos of how you did that very nice looking loco? Do share, that would be a thread I would save to file…
Please leave the forum immediatly.
Quite an extensive job there!
Quite an extensive job there!
That’s a sweet looking Mike! Is that a Bowser with their super detail kit?
Really don’t mind, really like the additional realizm…even if the average " non train person" Doesn’t notice them. I’ll have to rephrase that…except for hopper cars. Tried 2 of them one with .010 plastic rod & one with ready made grabs…not worth the time or AGRIVATION. Almost worth paying the $40 for the Kadee Hopper cars. Just ordered some bracket grabs from Tichy for my CNJ & ERIE box cars. ( Tichy has added a lot of new detail parts, check them out ) Jerry
Hi Lothar,
Nope; it’s an Athearn Mike, and all of the detailing was either hand-picked or scratchbuilt by me (Bowser has nothing like this engine in its product line!). The Mike’s a model of NKP 624 in 1950:
I stripped off everything but the domes and boiler bands and started adding all-new detailing. It took me the better part of two months to do, but it was a VERY satisfying project. I had to scratchbuild a lot of the details on the model, since no one has many of the details that I needed (pump shields, throttle linkage, booster engine piping, frame extension, etc). I even gave the engine a new tender, off a long-OOP HObbyline Berk:
I still need to paint the model, and am waiting for a custom set of correct NKP steam decals to be printed (a semi-private venture with a couple of other NKP modelers, which may eventually be marketed through the NKPHTS). In the mean time, I’m having a lot of fun showing off the “work in progress” model at several local Proto Modeler’s meets:
Actually Jack, I did the model as a step-by-step online modeling article on one of Jim Six’s Yahoo Groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NICKELPLATEROADmodeler/
(do a search for “624 clinic” and over 150 messages will show up! Text only, unfortunately)
Once I have the decals for the model, and I get the thing painted and weathered (another 10 or so installments to the clinic) I’ll be releasing a how-to CD, and writing a few modeling articles for the NKPHTS on some of the signature NKP detail parts.
In the mean time, I’ve got another eight similar engine to add to my roster. I’ve switched from Athearn Mikes to BLI models since I’m now hopelessly attached to onboard sound, but the end results are about the same:
I’ve got three done and another two started. I figure I’ll have all nine done by 2010!
I don’t mind installing them - as long as I’m working in O scale or larger. A while back I tried applying them to an HO boxcar and got extremely frustrated - it definitely was NOT my idea of fun. If I ever went back to HO, I would buy either kits that have them already installed (NOT molded on) or spend the bucks for RTR. Individually applied grab irons, in any scale, make a world of difference when it comes to making models appear realistic.
Orsonroy…
WOW is right!!! Dang, I am humbled… Very nice work!!!
Brian
orsonroy,
[bow][bow][bow] I’m unworthy! I’m unworthy! [bow][bow][bow]
orsonroy-Please let us know when you release that CD. (or E-Mail me) I’d really like to get a copy.[tup]
First off- Orsonroy, as usual, Nice work on all of your steamers. But I’ve heard that the athearn Mikado is too light, so how well does it pull? Have you added extra weight?
And on to the “topic”- I don’t like applying grab irons too much, but if a loco comes with plastic ones (proto), I’ll probably yank them out and install metal ones…Or in the case of the new Trainman GP38-2’s, a unit with shell detail like that looks like an old athearn without much more than a horn…I have like 3 bags of grabs and the holes already drilled…
Dave
I rebuilt four Athearn Mikes for my free-lance road. The stock loco weighs 12.5 oz., balanced at the rear of the third driver. The modified version weighs 16.75 oz., balanced at the mid-point of the driver wheelbase. Two of them will move a 100 oz. train up a curving 2.5% grade. I did a tutorial on these modifications on another Forum, but I have to repost the photos, which were lost when the Forum moved. If you’re interested, send me a pm, and I’ll send you a link when I’ve restored the pictures.
I’m not nuts about replacing grabirons, either, but I do it because I think that it improves the appearance. I bought 6 of these Proto1000 Fowler boxcar bodies, removed all of the oversize plastic grabirons, (36 per car) plugged the holes with styrene rod, then redrilled and installed wire grabirons, which had to be fabricated due to the odd width. Also replaced all 6 corner drop steps, and fabricated new roofwalk grabirons. I also added some rudimentary brake rigging on the scratchbuilt underbodies.
I generally replace the steps and grabirons on all rolling stock and locos, although I have about three dozen hoppers that may not get this treat
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the compliment. While I model for my own gratification, it’s always nice to know that there are others out there who appreciate my work!
As to the Athearn Mike, it IS too light. Actually, the weight is badly off-center, putting the balance point somewhere just south of the rear drivers. That raises the front end of the engine ever so slightly, ruining its tractive effort (too bad too, since the drive train itself is possibly the nicest one in a plastic steamer).
I did add some weight to the engine, about 1/4 ounce of flat lead sheet under the pilot itself (making sure that it didn’t interfere with the lead truck swing). Adding all of that brass to the model helped more; I estimate that there’s another ounce and a half of detail parts on the engine, especially on the pilot:
While this isn’t the sort of detail addition that everyone can justify (the NKP did sort of add every doo-dad possible to these engines!), you can add quite a bit of weight to the pilot by adding a Worthington feedwater heater (ala ATSF and NYC steam) or a “grips box” for the crew.
I’ve only run the engine once since I redetailed it (at the Naperville show, to prove that it DID run!), and it handily walked away with 30 cars on the flat. Since my layout’s designed for 20 car freights, that’s good enough for me!
[:)]It may be cool for those who can do it. For others, myself included, it’s a nightmare[:O]. I don’t even bother with them anymore.