My latest 2-8-0 project... What does everyone think?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi!

I recently bought a Bachmann 2-8-0 off Ebay for $34!!! What a STEAL considering they usally go for $55!!

The photos didnt show the condition the engine was in.

  • The 3rd driver wheel was un-quartered:
  • Someone tried to put a SHINY GLOSS coat over it and brush paint a white trim on it:

White trim: notice how its eneven and the white got EVERYWHERE over the drivers… you can also see the glossy finish

Glossy finish on the tender:

you cant really tell its that bad but from a naked eye, it looked horrible.

The guy also tried to GRIND off some of the paint off the wheels and filed the wheels to the point where you can see the bare COPPER. (sorry, no pics)

Anyways, I fixed it all up and repainted the engine shell, tender shell, drive wheels, leading truck, pistons, etc.

I stripped the paint with iso. alcohol, and then in soap to remove the alcohol.

Then I masked it and primed it, sprayed it black and then matte finish:

NOTICE: I managed to keep the graphite smoke box paint, because I didnt have any grphite paint.

I also left masking tape on the places where I need to decal, when I get some.

After I made it look nice and run very well, I removed the original very dim incandecent headlight with a fiberglass tube bringing the light from the engine to the headlight piece, and I added a micro Yeglow LED straight into the headlight. Now its very bright!

Before: My other 2-8-0

The shell before paint stripping:

2

Nice work, especially the headlamp.

3

Nice recovery, Charles. [tup][tup]

While the gloss paint, especially on the tender, was poorly-done, most real steam locomotives left the erecting bays in gloss paint. How long it stayed that way varied from road to road.

When I paint my locomotives, the initial weathering is the various coats of clear gloss, semigloss of varying degrees, and matte finishes, then the weathering colours are applied over that.

Most represent well-maintained locos, like this:

…and others, like this Broadway Mikado done for a friend, start the same way:

…but end up like this:

Wayne

4

Hey, she cleans up real nice. Good score!

5

What do I think? Me thinks me jealous!!! Great steal and great job in restoration of a good ole gal. I have maybe the same loco but in Southern green and DCC.

6

I bought one on Ebay in N Scale last month that I will start on this summer. I sure hope it will turn out as nice as what you have done. Great job for sure. Doug

7

I must know how you changed the headlight. Did you post a youtube video of the process?

8

Nice work. I would never dare to do such a project myself.

[Y]

9

Thank you everyone who replied!!!

SETH CRAWFORD

I must know how you changed the headlight. Did you post a youtube video of the process?

No, I didn’t post a Youtube video, I took a few pictures of it while I worked on my 2-8-0.

So the setup before was an incandecent bulb, lighting up a fiberglass tube, which brought the light source in to the tiny headlight.

Original Setup:

10

Well done!