My brass Westside 4-4-0 - painted!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

A couple years ago, I found this Westside/Samhongsa model of the Pennsylvania RR’s 1223 4-4-0.

It was in pretty good shape, but it needed a good cleaning and a stronger motor. After fixing it up, it was a great runner and looked pretty good. Unfortunately, the red foam used for packing stained the brass colored coating, so I decided to strip it off. Not only did the coating turn out to be indestructible, but it turned all foggy after a day in lacquer thinner. So, I painted it!




I think the paint turned out very good![:D] I actually think it looks better now than it did in its brass color.[:D] Because of the complexity of the detail, I decided to paint the frame DGLE like the rest of the engine instead of black, but how many people are going to notice that anyway?

So now I have a high quality brass steam engine that both runs and looks great![:D] Who could ask for m

2

Yep, that’s one sharp looking machine you got there. [wow][tup] [yeah][bow]

If only I could paint and make it look that good. [:-^]

3

Hum, I would say it looks good Darth, but it is from you so we know it would! How many engines do you have now anyway counting projects?

Ken

4

Nicely done. I’m glad to see there are others besides me that think unpainted brass locos and cars are unfinished.

5

Hello Very nice job Darth. I just picked up one of these at the last train show. It looked the same as yours it even has red stains on it. Do think I should try a strip it or just paint over it? Mine would hardly move even after a good cleaning so I ordered a new motor from nwsl . I got the 1630d-9 motor. It was the only one they had that was close to the right size. Should be here this week. Keep up the great work Frank

6

Now you’ve done it! Now you must fill the coal bunker which has an unprototypical raised floor…

Mark

7

Darth:

Hats off! [bow] Another of your beautiful jobs!! What a sweet looking little loco.[:P]

Tom [:D]

8

It looks great. I have a few questions:

What did you do to prep the surface?

Did you use primer? If so, what kind?

How far did you disassemble it?

Any tips for the rest of us working up the nerve to paint our naked brass?

Thanks for sharing. It really looks sweet!

9

Thanks everyone for your comments.[:D]

cudaken, I’ve got around 90 engines now, ranging from the cheapest Tyco to this steam engine here. They just keep on coming…

0-6-0, if you’re going to paint it either way, I’d say just go over the coating. You can still soak it in something like vinegar to etch the surface, but I have no idea what will strip the stuff off. Your choice of motor should fit well inside the boiler, but you’ll have to remove the original motor mount and make your own to get it in.

markpierce, I’ve got some black foam and crushed coal, so I might just have to make a (removable) coal load for the tender.[:D]

shayfan84325,

  1. I attempted to strip the coating off by soaking it in lacquer thinner for a day. That didn’t work, so I just washed it in soap and water.
  2. I didn’t use primer this time. I probably should have, but everything still turned out fine.
  3. I removed all the mechanicle and electrical parts, and separated it into the engine frame, boiler, and tender. I also painted the trucks separately. It would have been easier to paint if I removed the detail parts, but that would’ve taken hours of careful soldering (and a better iron than the one I’ve got).
  4. Disassemble everything as far as you can. Use good quality paints in an airbrush (I like enamels for airbrushing). Bake every color once it’s on (I did 10-15 minutes in my job’s industrial convection oven at 80C). Do the darkest color last. Use masking tape no stronger than blue painter’s tape, and make sure it’s not lifting anywhere. That’s about everything I can think of for simple painting tips, but I’m sure other members can tell you even more.[:D]