Fixing a brass Erie 2-8-4, Class S-4 for Erieman

[ACL1504]

Frank's Erie Berkshire is now finished.

I got Frank a great price on a TCS WOW decoder, $87.00 and change. The retail is around $130.00. I paid a friend $50.00 to install the decoder and new speaker. Yes, I could have done it myself but got Frank's permission for the extra expenduture.

Anyway, I found some old Roundhouse (MDC) red marker jewels and installed them in the tender markers. No photo here.

I was running a track test run with the loco and noticed the trailing truck was't rolling smoothly. And, it was also the cause of a very minor intermittent  short.

The trailing truck has an ash pan on top of the truck. I've never seen this on any other brass loco but it is really a very nice addition.

In the photo below, you can see the ash pan on the truck. I'm showing the side so you can get an idea of another adjustment I found necessary to make.




The area on the ash pan just above the front journal box was to high. It came to a rounded point and it was necessary to shave this down so it didn't touch the bottom of the firebox. You can see where I smoothed out the angle of the top of the ash pan.

Also, the trailing truck had a tendency to "drift", meaning the front wheels sometimes floated above the rails.

I solved this problem by adding some weight to the inside of the trailing truck.

I used a product called "Low Temp or Flow Temp" from Walthers. I used the soldering iron to melt some off the block and placed it in the ash pan. I then used the soldering iron and melted it in place as shown below.



Whats great about this product is that it melts and doesn't get so hot that it burns the paint. I've added this to many of my new loco paint jobs (inside the boilers) and it doesn't affect the new paint. However, you can only use it on the loco AFTER you have finished baking the loco paint.

More in a few.

[tct855]

Tom,
         Man! you always find the rarest things (ash pan).  I never seen one on any model I've ever seen or done.  That's cool.  The metal you speak of is called (cerribin) invented by NASA (like so many other things).  It's becoming harder to find because of the price of casting metals have gone up so darn high.

I buy them is 3 pound brick ingots in a 1/2 dozen count.  Which last me about 5 years on average.  I use it in any brass piece that needs to be weighted or balanced.  Even diesels.  You're right after the model is finished and you test run it and find it needs tweaking here or there (like lead or trailing trucks).  It does wonders. 

I find it funny that you and I lived in the same state for decades and did the same type of modeling, never met until a couple years ago and yet still manage to do the same practices.  spooky! ha.
Thanx Thom...

[ACL1504]

I also added some very light weathering in places on the loco. This last little push added an additional 1.25 hours to the model repair cost.

ACL1504        -    23.00 hours @ $25.00   =  $575.00

Unknown Guy -    23.00 hours @  $35.00  =  $805.00

Darryl             -    23.00 hours @  $45.00  =  $1,035.00

Steven            -    23.00 hours @  $55.00  =  $1,265.00

Now add the decoder price $87.00 and speaker price $12.50 to the totals above.

This gives everyone a really good idea of the cost of maintaining a brass loco is you want it to run smoothly, look realistic and sound excellent as well.

Brass model steam locomotives are costly to maintain and repair, just like the prototypes were.

I listed me at $25.00 per hour but would never do any work for less than $45.00 hour. Again, this was just to show everyone that you just don't get a job like this for nothing.

I appreciate all who followed on this adventure.

Tom


Now as promised, here is a short video of the Erie Berkshire after taking water and pulling the reefers. When the loco starts, we had the throttle set a 1MPH! Turn up your speakers.

I love the sound of the lonesome wailing whistle.

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[tct855]

Tom,
           Yeah baby! Toot Toot! ha.   Awesome video "T".  Thanx Thom...

[ACL1504]

Tom,
         Man! you always find the rarest things (ash pan).  I never seen one on any model I've ever seen or done.  That's cool.  The metal you speak of is called (cerribin) invented by NASA (like so many other things).  It's becoming harder to find because of the price of casting metals have gone up so darn high.

I buy them is 3 pound brick ingots in a 1/2 dozen count.  Which last me about 5 years on average.  I use it in any brass piece that needs to be weighted or balanced.  Even diesels.  You're right after the model is finished and you test run it and find it needs tweaking here or there (like lead or trailing trucks).  It does wonders. 

I find it funny that you and I lived in the same state for decades and did the same type of modeling, never met until a couple years ago and yet still manage to do the same practices.  spooky! ha.
Thanx Thom...

Thom,

Yes, we did live in the same state but you lived about 300+ miles from me in Orlando. Also, your were in your Momma's womb when I was 17 years of age and full of myself.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Tom,
           Yeah baby! Toot Toot! ha.   Awesome video "T".  Thanx Thom...

Thom,

I believe the videos give us a whole new perspective of what we are doing on our threads.

Toot, Toot!

Tom

[tct855]

Tom,
           Yeah baby! Toot Toot! ha.   Awesome video "T".  Thanx Thom...

Thom,

I believe the videos give us a whole new perspective of what we are doing on our threads.

Toot, Toot!

Tom

Amen Brother!  We'll have to start saying "We like videos" in lieu of pictures. ha.  Thanx Thom...

[ACL1504]

Tom,
           Yeah baby! Toot Toot! ha.   Awesome video "T".  Thanx Thom...

Thom,

I believe the videos give us a whole new perspective of what we are doing on our threads.

Toot, Toot!

Tom

Amen Brother!  We'll have to start saying "We like videos" in lieu of pictures. ha.  Thanx Thom...

Yepper, over and out. Oh, wait, I may as well include Frank's Berkshire doing the initial test run on the new track around Baker's Curve.

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[Mkrailway]

That is way too cool!

[MAP]

Nice!

[Zephyrus52246]

That is a great whistle.  Thanks for posting the videos, and nice work on the 2-8-4.  You'd better hold off on sending it to Frank, he has a lot of work to do on his layout yet, and once he gets the loco, he'll be playing with it instead of working.   


Jeff

[Erieman]

Tom,


Simply marvelous job, my friend. The last couple of days have been quite hectic, non train related work. Since it has gotten very hot so soon, I had to have my old swamp coolers replaced. I did not do the work, but there was plenty still to do. With that project complete, i can now back to seeing all your fine work in this thread. Dr. Jeff is almost right. With 49 days and counting until Lou Sassi arrives, i am under the gun to complete, as best I can, a large section of my layout and having the engine back in its stall on my layout might really slow me down (NOT). I am really looking forward to seeing that beauty run on the M&E. It will be prominent in many of the layout photos, mark my word. Once this layout shoot is over,I will be working on "your project". Thank you for all your hard work and I hope it runs as well on the M&E. And yes, I will take video of it in its new home.


Frank / Erieman

[7thStreetShops]

Hi Tom,

I want to tell you what a great job you have done with this Berkie. Looks, runs, and sounds fabulous.

Being in the industry, I especially appreciate the reality check you've offered on what it actually takes - and therefore may cost - to make an engine turn out as this one.

We almost take for granted what we see magazines, on line photos and videos, or during a layout tour and we perhaps appreciate the dedication that it takes to make these things as beautiful as they are; somehow it's almost magical! But it is NOT magic. It is Work. For those who tinker with their own stuff they likely have a better understanding of that work but even that does not make clear what it is like to do this for a living.

I like to distill things down to their most basic element (first principle to solving a problem - remember math?). "Model Railroader" use to have a slogan on their cover - "Model Railroading is Fun". I think it would be more precise to say - Model Railroading is Entertainment. Is it not? You must pay the utility bill. You do not have to buy a new brass engine.

For some of us Model Railroading is not a hobby - we do it in order to pay the utility bill. No one can describe how much of a "game changer" that is. I've heard many a story - even from some of the best (Kelley Morris for instance) that once you make model railroading your job you no longer have a hobby. While I've found that isn't quite true - I still try to do the hobby - I certainly now understand the dynamics. I can tell you, at the end of the day, that the last thing I want to do is build a model kit or lay any track. I find that there is a huge amount of sacrifice even tho I very much enjoy my "day job" (I get to play with other people's stuff!)

And if I may be so bold as to add the very concept of the Value of Time; if you are not happy with my work I can refund you the money you paid, but no one, anywhere, can EVER refund to me a single second of the time it took me to do that work. What then is the real value of Time? And what about the skills I've acquired over the years? Is it not true that when you hire me to do your work, that you are using my time because either your time is simply not available or your own assessment of your skills suggests you might be wasting your time if you do the work yourself?

I hear this very often; "I'm glad I found you - I can't find anyone who can do this work for me." I wonder why that is...?

Thank you for including me in your comparison

Derrell (aka Daryl)


"Model locomotives are little machines" - 7th Street Shops

[ACL1504]

Derrell,

First, a big welcome to the forum. And, thank you for the support on Frank's Erie.


I started painting brass locos, mainly steam, to supplement my rookie law enforcement salary. Not only did it pay many bills it was also fun. I placed a few adds for custom/painting detailing in Model Railroader in the early 1980's. The response to the adds were more than I expected.

I soon realized my hobby had become a business. I wanted to keep it a hobby and only painted for those in the Central Florida and Tampa area.

What we do, or I did, and you and Thom continue to do, is an art that very few people have the ability to do. This is where time is important. As you said, you can return the money but they can't return your time.

Well, I could go on and on concerning this subject.

I agree with every thing you mentioned.

My thread was to show everyone what it takes and mostly how long it takes to do just a few additional details and tweaking of a brass steam loco. It isn't cheap but then neither is going to the Dentist.

Again, Daryl, thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it.

Tom

[cuse]

beautiful work...that's some really convincing sound!!


John