Best Of SP&S 4-6-2 #626 Project

[mark dance]

The narrower pin-striping on the pilot wheels makes a *huge* difference...good catch and fix.  Beautiful photos...

md

[superturbine]

It looks really awesome Max.

And the thinner pin strip does make a difference!

Ok... two more possible suggestions?  I would install the side cab mirrors from a BLMA diesel detail kit (I am guessing that is a mirror and not the window frame shown).
Also, I might move the sunshade up to a point that is above the upper window frame below the upper cab handrail.  With the shade down it will hide the fact there is no window and it will make the window of the model look larger than it is and closer to the prototype.



You've done an epic engine build!!

Jason Smith

[Cajonpassfan]

Max, nothing "bittersweet" about this finish; she looks amazing!
Congratulations and thank you for sharing the long journey with the rest of us.
Kind regards, Otto K.

[bbussey]

... The PS-1 wheels won't work, as those are 33".  These pilot wheels are 36"  After looking at every type of wheelset I have, I decided none would really do, but I hit upon a way to alter the face of the metal Atlas 36" metal wheels that I used.  So here's a few photos...

That works — looks great!

[mmagliaro]

There is nothing else that I can point out anymore...  That's no fun! 

But seriously Max, you've just made my night!  Awesomeness!

Such a small detail and it made such a huge difference!  I don't know how you managed to use just tweeters to hold the wheel while using a drill on it, but it worked!

Peteski, I wondered about that myself.  I didn't want to clamp it or grab it with pliers, because I was sure I would leave toothmarks all over the metal wheel, or crush it out-of-round.   But the softness of the metal turns out to be the very thing that makes it work.   Hold it in tweezers and press DOWN, onto the flange, against a grippy rubber cutting mat,
and it stays put pretty well.  Also, that's no ordinary drill bit I spun in the hole with my hand.  I used a cobalt drill.  You have probably used those at one time or another.  They are amazing.  The only thing that can really drill stainless steel like it was butter.  So it required very little pressure to shave the metal out.


Jason:
Actually, I should just prop my shade UP more.  It's just a bit of cloth,  And it is drooping too much in the photo.
I can easily pull it up and outward so it isn't drooping down.  The way it is now, it actually reduces the size of the window by covering part of it.
That window size drives me nuts.  I have various photos of these 4-6-2's showing slightly different window configurations (which is why I have a divider in my window, although that #626 photo doesn't have one).

I think if I snipped out the window divider so it was one large opening, it would look better because it
would look like a large window.

[chicken45]

I've probably said a few time already, but I'll repeat myself. Thanks, Max, for all you do to advance the hobby, steam, and N scale. You are a bright shining star, always patient, constructive, and helpful.

[peteski]

Max, thanks for the follow up explanation of how you did that. I'll have to remember that technique - I know that it will come in vary handy one of my future projects.

[robert3985]

It looks really awesome Max.

And the thinner pin strip does make a difference!

Ok... two more possible suggestions?  I would install the side cab mirrors from a BLMA diesel detail kit (I am guessing that is a mirror and not the window frame shown).
Also, I might move the sunshade up to a point that is above the upper window frame below the upper cab handrail.  With the shade down it will hide the fact there is no window and it will make the window of the model look larger than it is and closer to the prototype.



You've done an epic engine build!!

Jason Smith

Jason & Max,
Jason's "guess" that's a mirror on the side of the cab isn't correct.  It's a windscreen and is clear glass with a metal frame around it.  I just got finished last week doing some research on Union Pacific's windscreens on their steam power, and it's different than on diesels, both to design and to function.

To confirm that SP&S did virtually the same as UP, I just finished a small Google search of the SP&S 700 looking for closeups of the cab and the window arrangement, and fortuitously, I got some historic photos of other SP&S steamers as a bonus.

The windows on SP&S and UP engines slid in tracks on the inside of the cab, and when fully closed (pulled back), there was a weather-seal on the front edges of them that would press against mating surfaces on the cab wall or the outside window to form a nice, tight seal.  On larger steam, sometimes the cab was big enough to allow a third sliding window to slide from the rear of the cab, and to nest in its "notch" when fully open in the space between the window opening and the rear wall of the cab.

The function of this sliding window arrangement was for the comfort and safety of the crew, giving them a lot of options as to how to ventilate the cab and/or to keep it cool or warm depending on temperature, weather conditions, speed of the train, tunnels or direction and velocity of the howling wind outside.

Since both the fireman and the engineer were always leaning out of the cab to see what was happening on their track and to watch for signal conditions, the windscreens were not attached to the side of the cab like a diesel's are.  For the UP, SP and SP&S (the only three roads I've done research on) they were attached to the rear edge of the outermost sliding window.  SP&S & SP's windscreens usually had a metal frame, whereas UP's (at least on Big Boys, Challengers and FEF's) didn't have a frame going all the way around.  They also appear to have a hinge (top and bottom) that would allow angle adjustment, as sliding the outside window forward or backwards gave fore & aft adjustment.

When the windows were all slid OPEN (like in your reference photo), the windscreen appears at the front edge of the window opening.  When the outermost window is fully closed (slid back), the windscreen is on the back edge of it, either halfway or one third of the way back in relation to the window opening depending on whether there were two or three sliding windows per cab side.

I agree with Jason that a good possibility for the windscreen would be to use BLMA's parts if they consist of a fine frame, and not a flat "mirror" of SS.  Attach them to the rear frame of the outermost sliding window frame in whatever position you elect to model it.

It would definitely add a little more of that "lived-in" look to your fabulous model!

[dnhouston]

Max,
I'm speechless, as I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor!  Excellent work!

[mmagliaro]

Here's a super-closeup reference photo of that cab window on #626. 

Bob, I really appreciate all the research you did on that windscreen!




For now, EDIT!... WAIT...
I was going to nip out the center divider, but that is not correct.    I cannot find any prototype window in the closed position, but I did find some photos of HO brass versions of this engine where the window is partially closed,
and you can clearly see that there are some dividers in there.  In fact, it may be a 4-pane arrangement, but
I cannot tell.

So the 2-panes will stay.  But I will raise the shade above the window, since I think
it would make the window look larger and more correct.  I agree, Jason, that's a good idea.

As for that windscreen,   I'll look at the BLMA mirrors and see what I can do.  It is such a tiny part in N Scale, that I think almost any little rectangle with supporting arms on the top and bottom would do the trick.  With my window
in the closed position, I think the windscreen should go about in the middle, Bob?  According to your description?

[robert3985]

Max,

Y'know, on my Big Boys and Challengers, to find photos of them in the 40's and 50's in service, even as photographed as they were, it was difficult for me to find "exact" photos of the windscreens.  But, I did finally.

So, I can only give you an educated guess as to where the windscreen should go according do the photos I've seen of SP&S engines, including the 700, and I would say on your model, it should be attached to the back of the center window pane, which would be the back of the "outside" window.  You've got a good close up of the actual windscreen, and common practice says it ought to be attached to where everything else I've seen for SP&S windscreens would be.

Another possibility would be to cut out a small rectangle of .005" clear Styrene to the proper dimensions and carefully paint the edges, then attach it with canopy cement to the same place. 

Interestingly, the frame in your second reference photo on the engineer's side looks a lot thicker than the frame in your other reference photo.  Looks like over time, they rebuilt the windscreen frames at least once, so both thick or thin frames would be correct depending on the year your model represents.

Ain't it FUN???? 

[superturbine]

Thanks for the correction Robert.  I've only noticed the windscreen wings in the open window position.  Most of the time the sun tends to be reflecting in the glass of the windscreen giving it a mirror look.

Here is a drawing-

[mmagliaro]

Folks, as a side-effect, I just noticed something else in that super close-up I posted.  Notice the wire connected to
the conduit on the side of the tender, at the top.  It drapes down and up, and then connects up into
the back of the cab roof somewhere.   So THAT's where the power comes from to illuminate the tender
backup light.  Remember when I put that conduit on, I ran it along the side of the tender, and just had the end of it disappear into the side of the tender near the front.  That's how the HO brass version looked, and I had no other photo or drawing showing
how it was supposed to go (or so I thought).

But actually, there is a little round junction there and a cable.

So they would connect the tender to the engine, and then plug that cable in, up in the cab somewhere, to
send power from the generator back to the taillight?

[GaryHinshaw]

Phenomenal work Max.  The thing that inspires me most is your creative use of ordinary tools and materials - lessons for us all.  The only other superlative I can offer is to move this to the Best Of section.  Thanks for taking the time to document this so thoroughly!

-Gary

[John]

I agree great job .. one thing that does strike me though .. the proto paint has a shine to it ..  also, some of the white striping on the proto extends up to that little box structure under the front dome area