I bought a lot of HO locos on Ebay and one of them was a Big Boy; so I thought. It turned out to be a plastic model (Monogram or Revell?) and without a tender and smokebox front. I cut the front of the boiler out and made (labor intensive!) a boiler tube assembly and then weathered the model to represent a locomotive at the scrap yard, ready to be cut up. I was very pleased with how it turned out and though I would share it with fellow modelers.
-Bob
Dynamite job! If I remember correctly it was Revell that made that plastic model.
Have seen those models, thought they came with tender. Wasn’t too interested so didn’t pay too much attention. Did think they would make something for a rr museum or such on the layout.
Hope you paid the appropriate price. You could also place it in the roundhouse where it was undergoing an overhaul.
Have fun,
Richard
Thanks for sharing; Great job I love it.
Very nice work!
May I suggest you move the plate with the holes back to the rear of the smokebox and then build the exhaust nozzle apparatus in the void? And the petticoat(s) down from the stacks?
Excellent weathering,
Ed
It’s sad to think of these beautiful machines being cut up for scrap, but the modeling idea is a great one, and it’s very nicely executed. Thanks for posting the pictures.
I remember MR publishing a picture years back of something similar; the same company made a static display kit of a NYC Hudson and a guy showed one being cut up for scrap.
Back in the eighties a company (I think Bowser?) offered a kit for adding electrical pickup for the Big Boy tender, so it could be used with a powered locomotive. I suspect what you got was a kit originally purchased by someone who just needed the tender to use in a project and decided to sell the remaining engine.
I believe that Monogram made those models: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Monogram-Model-Kit-HO-Gauage-Big-Boy-Locomotive-Union-Pacific-markings-/250938153755?_trksid=p4340.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC.NPJS%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D200638447167%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4747902614377062614
I have the Revell version, garage sale deal, sealed!
I was into plastics heavy & actually Revell & Monogram partnered for quite a few years. With out looking at the kits side by side (the sprues) it’s hard to say if they are the same moulds.
However, I didn’t think the Revell was a ‘snap tite’ & it is in storage…
Beutiful job, this should convince the naysayers just what weathering can do to a project.- - - terrific project ! !
Thanks for all your kind words. I just want to clarify some points that have been mentioned in the comments. I bought this model on Ebay fully assembled and without a tender or smokebox front and a few other missing parts. I had planned to put my Rivarossi BB tender with it and resell it back on Ebay. As it turned out this wasn’t a running model thus the change in plans. Without the smokebox front and railings and headlight, the idea came to me to make it a scrap job for the layout. After building the boiler tube assembly and weathering the model I decided it would look great next to my roundhouse, but that track is for my Rivarossi Big Boy and finally I put it on Ebay last night, hoping someone else could use it in a similar scene or even better in a scrap yard. I paid $37 for a lot of 8 engines; 7 diesels and the Big Boy, so I don’t have much into it, just some paint and a few pieces of brass tube. Overall it was a fun project and I may do it again with a new kit. I especially like how the weathering turned out. FYI, I saw this kit at Hobby Lobby earlier today for $25 and I know Monogram made one too as I had built one of the a few years ago. Thanks again for all your comments and I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I did making it.
-Bob
I have one (by Revell) built up and painted. I have to say, from those pictures alone, yours looks 100% better than mine. Lots of unintentional silver paint spots…never try to paint a model when you have a cold and are sneezing all the time![:(] (I was only 11…)
Now I’m just jealous![:D]
Acela