Best Of New Brass EP-2 assembly & Mod clinic

[Roger Holmes]

Ron--It's good thing my Milwaukee Road heart is supported by a pacemaker because the closer this thing gets to finished the more my heart is aflutter. No really, I have atrial flutter and that's why I have a pacemaker but you are not helping 

I've always thought that if I ever paint mine, now that Ron has fine tuned it for me, I would take the coward's way out and do the original all black scheme though my favorite is the 1952 orange/maroon/black scheme.

[victor miranda]

Ron--It's good thing my Milwaukee Road heart is supported by a pacemaker because the closer this thing gets to finished the more my heart is aflutter. No really, I have atrial flutter and that's why I have a pacemaker but you are not helping 

I've always thought that if I ever paint mine, now that Ron has fine tuned it for me, I would take the coward's way out and do the original all black scheme though my favorite is the 1952 orange/maroon/black scheme.

... I'll do any BAR scheme as long as it is blue.

The only thing that eats at me is how easy Ron makes it look.

victor

[spookshow]

The only thing that eats at me is how easy Ron makes it look.

I know, right?

And think of all the other stuff he's accomplished (and posted about) in between working on this! Oy, I'm not worthy! 

Cheers,
-Mark 

[u18b]

Thanks Guys.

Actually, so much has actually stopped because of this.

The article published in the 25th Anniversary of NSM had actually been submitted 1.5 years ago.

Since I have started this project, I have submitted nothing.
And my Kumata book got put on hold.

I started this project just before Halloween last year.
1,000 photos later, I'm finally nearing completion.

[u18b]

I have to be honest on those bells.
I wasn't teasing.

I really was very concerned I might damage something by getting them back to brass.

I'm glad that step is over.

[victor miranda]

Hi U18b,

I told myself to make no comments on this thread and to enjoy
a very good modeler doing and presenting a project.

There are MANY things you have done here that I can't imagine I'll grow the skills to do.
the detailing and painting are examples.
A very few things I know I can do with ease, motor and gear work mainly.

Between those two poles, (forgive the pun) I have a gauge for the effort.

believe me, I know you are working hard at this.
believe me, I know I can't do most of what you are doing.

I have some idea for the time used to clean the bells.
what you may not believe is that I seriously doubt I would
 have ever noticed the prototype bell was not painted.

where  you stand apart from the rest of the guys like me
who can paint steam engines black and decal a tender...

You are very good at presenting how you did the work.
yet another rare skill.

victor

[central.vermont]

You know Ron, even though what you did to the bell looks great I think you should have replaced the bell entirely with a different one. After all it is the wrong bell style. It should have a steam engine type bell like something Miniature by Eric sells. 

Jon

[u18b]

Thanks for your kind words guys.

Actually Jon,  you don't know how close I came to soldering a little arm on the bell and attaching a hair/wire to it!

[u18b]

I'm just starting some decal work- which is kind of exciting.

But while we wait, might I interest you in some history?

The locomotive I'm building was painted in a new scheme just for the 1948 Chicago Railroad Fair (extended into 1949).

What was this event?

Well, it has been written that the very first commercial train to pull out of Chicago was in 1848 by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (which became the Chicago and North Western).

Thus 1948 was the 100 year mark for railroads in Chicago.

So they put together a World's Fair kind of event focused on American History and land transportation.

Many railroads were represented.  And one of the highlights of the programs was a sort of drama acted out on a HUGE scale.  They traced the history of America from its Discover/Founding using LOTS of people in period costumes and LOTS of vehicles.

A few movies from this time period survive.

Here is a home movie that is the only one I've found that shows the Hiawatha EP-2.  It is about at the 7 minute mark.

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But even BETTER quality videos can be found here.

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and here.

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Now these old movies REALLY give you a sense of what went on.

It was pretty amazing- all outdoors.

Enjoy.




 

[u18b]

Time to start decals.

First must have a plan, and reference.
So I had a photo and drawing with notes.



Microscale does not make these decals.
But a huge Milw fan does.
I assume these are Walthers decal paper (8.5 x 11).
Printed on an Alps printer.  The silver is silver, and the gold looks gold.

I got two sets, and I think they must have been damaged in shipping.
They each had some abrasion.

On this sheet, notice that the second line of nose stripe is scuffed.



On this sheet, notice it is the third and the top right has a bad spot as well.



So out of two decal sheets, I am able to proceed.
But at 15 each, that's 30 for one loco.
Owner says satisfaction guaranteed on his website, so I think I will contact him.

By the way, each sheet does one loco but there is a LOT of information and variations on that sheet.
We will not need everything on the sheet for this loco.

First off, out of the four locos that had the Railroad Fair scheme, this is the ONLY one that has 6 stripes.
All the rest had 5.
The reason for this, I surmise, is that this loco had the sandboxes removed for the fair (made it lighter?).
But when the sandboxes are present on the nose, the sandboxes only go up to the 5th stripe.... so the top stripe would have to be OVER it on the nose- all by itself.
The solution for regular Hiawatha use was to just go with 5 stripes.



Now, that photo above shows me that there are NO vertical lines in the silver stripes.
So I do not want to use the decals As-Is.

Notice the decal terminates on the left side with a black line.
I want to cut that off.
Also, Microscale decals usually do not have to be trimmed because the clear base is only directly under the color.
But many other small operation decals are made on a solid clear sheet.
So notice I scored the sheet on the right side at the angle.

I've left myself something to hold onto, and cut the clear film.



Hey.  While we're on that photo, notice a goof I made.
See how the scoring on the left is so jagged?
That's because I used a DULL knife 

Always use a fresh blade when doing decals.   

These metal decals don't quite snuggle down in all the hollows like I want.
.... but they sure look awesome.



I saw from my reference photo that the decals start just on the box on the right side.
It is then centered on the red area.



One interesting thing on this decal sheet is the two layer decals for the "bronze" plaques.
First a base of black.



Then the gold.
With black showing through in spots.
Nice effect.
This is the little one.  I'm looking forward to seeing the bigger one.



There is one disappointment I've encountered.
The numbers are too big for the boards.
I'll have to find substitutes.

[skytop35]

Good luck contacting StreamStyle Graphics. I ordered decals back in February that I'm still waiting for after paying up front. He is not answering e-mails either.

[u18b]

Not much to report as to lots of photos.

But a lot of work has been done.

Been adding the pinstripe separation stripes.

They take a long time.
But they really do add to this scheme.

[spookshow]

Pinstripe decals can be a huge PITA. But when dealing with the separation between two colors, they can come in quite handy (vis'a'vis concealing ragged masking). Or at least that's the way it works for us mere mortals, lol 

Cheers,
-Mark

[u18b]

Time to finish the silver stripes.



As I said earlier, these metal film decals do not snuggle down into crevices very well.
That door is about as good as it was going to get so far.
Pricking it with a pin will not make it settle down.  They just don't stretch like regular decals.



But I don't have to settle for that.
Lot of work, but we can do better.
Here, I cut the decal at the door frame.



Apply some more setting solution to make those parts lie flatter.



OK.  Looking better.



With a good deal of setting solution AND heating up the nose with a hair dryer, it is now sitting about as flat as it will get.
But red is showing.



Now, I cut pieces of decal for the gaps.
Here, I placed a piece over the door stoop.
And also on the middle section.



Now, I have added a piece to the right door frame.



And here is a piece for the left door frame.



In place.



A lot of work.  But it looks better.
Decals are sitting flatter.
And no red is showing through.



Now to do the other cab!  Whew!

[u18b]

A little more attention to the nose.

The pin stripe goes across the nose.

Also the herald






I was a bit disappointed with the herald at first.
The printing is so tiny and fine that a few of the finest strokes dropped out when printing.
However, while the up-closeness of a macro shot is unforgiving, you can barely see it from about 2 feet away- especially since the silver on orange contrast is so poor.



Add the builder's plate, and the A and B designation.



And there is an F for front on BOTH ends.



As I am in the neighborhood of finishing, I needed to paint the decoder wrap black.