Another Brass Repair, Detailing and Painting Southern Ms-4 Class 2-8-2

[GPdemayo]

If I'm allowed to play.....

Missing ding-dong. missing or messed up right marker light, detached truck under cab, out of proportion ladder at tender rear, out of scale coal load, re-glued, bent or messed up handrails and thin metal parts. and it looks like the number on the light doesn't match the ones on the dome and tender?

[tct855]

Greg is on a roll most of what he said is on the money, but don't forget the loose pilot bracket, missing cab slip grab, cab apron, missing front tender step and missing whistle and bell chords and possibly the whistle might be loose (it's laying down) just guessing! Also the rear tender ladder looks ok to me tho.  How'd I do?  I know, I know! I can hear Trump saying I'm fired!  KPI

[ACL1504]

KPI and Greg,

For a couple of amateurs you did really well. I'll give my answers later this afternoon.

I need to get to Lowe's.

Tom

[GPdemayo]

I'll be watching.....wasn't that photo taken on the old layout? 

Greg,

These photos were taken back in 1995, three layouts ago.  Good eye! I don't think you saw that layout.

Tom

I didn't, but the track against the rise in grade looks a lot like the spot on the old layout coming up to the steel trestle on the upper level.

[ACL1504]

Greg,

The loco is sitting on one of the two lower level mainlines. The two upper tracks, not shown, lead to the old "high trestle".

Tom

[ACL1504]

The coal load was full of glue and to thick, the rear ladder was stock for the loco, the front tender steps was off but in the bag of loose parts, the pilot bracket wasn't loose, the front right marker light was intact but had a thin brass wire wrapped around it making it look odd, the numbers on the number boards did in fact match the tender and cab numbers.

Not sure what Greg meant by thin metal parts. Either way, ya'll done real good for amateurs.


I needed to repair many other parts which I'll explain as I get into it later this afternoon.

Tom

[ACL1504]

I'll add this part and start the narrative on the repairs this afternoon.

I disassembled the loco and stripped the paint off by giving the old loco a bath in Acetone.

NOTE: Acetone is nasty stuff. You should always use eye protection, a respirator and acid proof rubber gloves when working with Acetone.

There, I did my safety speech. I don't always follow my own advice.

After the bath in Acetone, I washed the parts in warm soapy water, rinsed in warm clean water and baked the parts dry in the over at 140 degrees for about 30 minutes. The oven was preheated of course.

I love putting up pictures like this one as it tends to scare people.

[BandOGuy]

Tom,
Was Samhongsa being considerate back in '78 to drill out the tender floor for you? Or, did they know you were coming later?
Looking at the valve gear parts in the photo, there's either a lot of knowledge lurking to put them back correctly or a whole lot of photos as they came apart.
I know which box all my brass is in in the storage unit, now if..........

[ACL1504]

Chip,

Yes, Samhongsa was very considerate in drilling the tender holes. I believe Key Imports and PFM were the first to drill the tender holes. At the time PFM DC Analog Sound was very very popular. So, the tender hole drilling was supposed to want people to install the sound. Kinda like a little incentive.

There is some knowledge in getting it all back together. However, just put it back the way it all came off.


No, no extra pictures for this one. By the time this one came along I already had a couple hundred under my belt.

I know there is still many interested brass owners out there that want or need things done. Yes, it is expensive and time consuming. However, the customer pays for the knowledge of how to do it and make it run and look correct.

One of the biggest reasons I stopped painting brass is that I got tired of the customers always wanting something for less than the price quoted. If I wanted the hassle, I'd stay in law enforcement.

Nothing here directed to you, just making a comment.

Thanks for following along.

Tom

[Mkrailway]

Tom,

I wish I could have that argument with you; but alas I have no brass.

[ACL1504]

Tom,

I wish I could have that argument with you; but alas I have no brass.

Marty,

I understand. I appreciate you following along.

Tom

[sdrees]

Hi Tom,

This is great stuff.

[Zephyrus52246]

Speaking of whiny customers.  I had an episode yesterday of a fine brass locomotive, custom finished/tuned by someone we all know that had issues on the layout.  Before cursing out said builder.  I looked at the trackwork.  One area had a very slight angle between a turnout and the following track and the other was a turnout where somehow the center of the turnout was very slightly lower than the edges.  The 4-8-4 would derail at the one turnout and the drivers would "float" over the one with the dip.  Just sitting there stuck with 3 sets of wheels in the air turning, the fourth set unable to propel the loco forward.  All my other locos (short steamers and diesels) are fine on these areas, but a long wheelbase steamer won't get thru them.  Absolutely nothing wrong with the loco, it's the trackwork.  Ever get an angry customer call on that Tom?  Or Thom?


Jeff

[tct855]

Jeff,
          Hi yes I've gotten questions on that problem a lot. It's a common problem.  Anytime a steam locomotive (plastic or brass) runs through a curve or a diverging route of a turnout and the  track is level (no dips or bumps) and the center drivers lift in the air.  That means the radius is too tight for the locomotive to negotiate smoothly.

In most cases the trackwork needs to be straightened out a bit (not always an option). The next recourse is to check the side rods and drivers to make sure they slide freely from side to side.  It that looks good (meaning all drivers react the same) then the next step is to shave down the bearings to give a little more radius into the model. Very exacting work.  I've done it dozens of times before.

If your locomotive shorts (with Dcc) on said radius (mostly on brass ones). I would check again the outer side of the side rods against the drivers or the driver counterweights.  Something is touching.

The same goes for any binds on said radius.  Now If said locomotive has a problem going one direction, turn around facing the opposite direction (not in reverse direction) and run again. If same problem occurs It's the radius is to tight for the model. If problem doesn't happen then check the 1st outer side rods again.

Hope this helps. Also don't believe what a manufacturer says it's model radius will traverse.  Every manufacturers size switch is slightly a different radius.  An atlas #6 turnout is not the same as a #6 peco or shinohara's. etc.

One other note: another alternative is this happens on just one or two switches or curves (of the same type) but not all then you can take a track gauge and soldering iron and heat up the inner diameter rail and push out the gauge a bit (a little bit around the apex of the curve).  This will widen the gauge a little and might solve your issue with that particular radius issue. 

Again proper trouble shooting is key and time consuming if done properly, but always pays off in the end. FYI.
                                                                                                                                                                                      Thanx Thom...

[tct855]

I'll add this part and start the narrative on the repairs this afternoon.

I disassembled the loco and stripped the paint off by giving the old loco a bath in Acetone.

NOTE: Acetone is nasty stuff. You should always use eye protection, a respirator and acid proof rubber gloves when working with Acetone.

There, I did my safety speech. I don't always follow my own advice.

After the bath in Acetone, I washed the parts in warm soapy water, rinsed in warm clean water and baked the parts dry in the over at 140 degrees for about 30 minutes. The oven was preheated of course.

I love putting up pictures like this one as it tends to scare people.

Tom,
          Here are a couple more pics of smaller locos disassembled for work. Smaller doesn't mean easier always.  Thanx Thom...