Best Of New Brass EP-2 assembly & Mod clinic

[peteski]

There is no doubt this is in large measure a labor of love.

No doubt!

[u18b]

One thing I'm wondering about it what is now the value of this model. Ron started with what was probably $600-$800 model.

Actually, the starting point of a built kit (even plain unpainted brass) would be much higher.

I say this based on the fact that the old NJ Custom Brass EP-2 - which barely runs- tends to sell for 500-800 (undamaged).  Think of it..... 800 bucks for a shelf queen that takes quite a bit of skill to fix.

This model is absolutely vastly superior- even without all my refinements, design changes, and various improvements-- not to mention paint scheme, and DCC.

[Chris333]

I wonder if an improved brass model is really worth more because you know - collectors 

[peteski]

I wonder if an improved brass model is really worth more because you know - collectors 

Judging by the almost total lack of any more N scale brass being released in the last decade, I think that the N scale brass collector market has shrunk dramatically.  Most modelers want to run their models.  There are also lots more of well-detailed and well-running plastic models out there.

Too bad that the N scale brass market also does not seem to support releases of some of the more esoteric subjects which will probably never going to be produced in plastic.

[u18b]

I posted a list of stuff still to do.
It was a big list, so time to keep moving forward.

I worked on the Boiler room.
I gave it a good last clearcoat.  I made it glossy.
Normally, a loco is rarely "glossy" but in this case, this loco was painted just for this special event and was only on the road to be deliver- not in service.

So for the 1948 Railroad Fair, it would have been pristine.

With it's last gloss coat, time for windows.

Got out my pack of 10 mil Evergreen clear acetate and cut a piece big enough for all the windows.




Since it would have had oils from my hands, I cleaned it with an alcohol prep pad from the first aid kit.




I then airbrushed ONE side of the acetate gray.  I put two good coats on it.




Here is the glass side.
We as a group on this thread decided that they must have painted the INSIDE of the glass.
So that means the shiny side needs to be up against the windows.

.

Went back and mixed up small amounts of epoxy.




Trimmed the painted piece with scissors.



A  test fit showed me there is a handrail on the inside that I had to clear.
So I trimmed my piece even more.
Applied the epoxy on the inside walls away from the windows.




Here is the finished product.
Shiny glass to the outside.
The boiler room is now finished (except for possible weight addition at the end.

[nkalanaga]

Any idea why they painted the windows?  Surely it wasn't to keep people from seeing what a boiler looks like.

[u18b]

I have absolutely no idea.

They must have scraped the paint off, because it appears to not be there when the unit re-entered service later.

Who knows, the unit was so pristine in paint-- on the outside....
That the boiler room was all filthy and blackened- and they were coving that up.

But I have no idea why they painted the windows.
It was not a common practice.

[central.vermont]

Here is the finished product.
Shiny glass to the outside.
The boiler room is now finished (except for possible weight addition at the end.

Ron,

Shouldn't the glazing be flush to the back side of the windows? In the photo it appears to not be because you can see a shadow of the window on the glazing you have glued in.

Jon

[u18b]

Jon,
Yes.  Although not perfectly - like any model that is not using preformed windows.
For example, there are slight imperfections from the factory where KMT soldered in the windows.

To be honest, this is one of those shots where it actually looks better than the shot portrays.

I'll have to decide whether to re-do the window or let it be.

[peteski]

Looking at the photo it looks like the large "glass" piece is not even touching the inside wall.  I think that if you cut smaller individual pieces and apply them behind each window, the "glass" would end up right against the window frame.

[u18b]

Now comes a moment I have been dreading a bit since I knew it would be a challenge.

Time for the rails at the door.
I had to delay until now since masking behind the rail would have been impossible.

First thing I did was open up the holes with a #78 drill bit.




Here is the piece I painted a long time ago.




Trimmed.




Painted the maroon/berry.



I don't mind telling you that is was no small feat getting it in there.
I inserted the bottom post first, bent the assembly away from the door and tried to get the horizontal rails into their holes.
Glad it is over.






I superglued them in place on the inside.

[u18b]

When I look at the Railroad Fair images form 1948, my heart just sinks because of such and important detail that will be missing from my model.



No one knows how this locomotive moved across the stage, but up top, there is a fake catenary wire attached to the pantographs.

There just has to be a way to make that in N scale.

Be prepared for another chapter in  Neurosurgery Today.

[u18b]

Longer posts coming....

When I look at that fake Catenary wire, the cool thing is the lightning bolts on the ends!  LOL.



I searched my parts box.
Nothing.

I went to the hobby shop.  I knew that they had a lot of military etched parts.  Many of these are amazing sets.
Looked a long time (even with a magnifying glass) and came home with this.

It is some photo etched part for a Tank of some kind.



Let's zoom in on that yellow area.

It is some kind of grill.



Now, when you see that grill, you may see a grill.

What I see are hundreds of lightning bolts.




Let's see if we can make this happen.

[u18b]

My first step was to see if I could solder to it.

Looks like stainless steel- which is hard to work with sometimes.

But as you can see in the bottom right corner, the solder stuck.



So I isolate an area where I can work.




Now at first, I began by making some individual cuts.
Then I thought.... this is too hard.
Keep it simple.

If I cut through the very center of the diamond holes, then I will have something VERY useful.




Here is my first attempt.  It was OK, but the points were not sharp enough.
I tried again and got a better strip.



So that takes care of the bolt possibilities.

Now to prepare the wire.

[u18b]

I had about 14 or 16 mil guitar string.

I knew I needed about 75 N scale feet.



I squeezed the end of the wire in my pliers.
But the wire was too difficult to deal with.


So I went with 20 mil brass wire instead.  It flattened out beautifully.



Then I trimmed it.







Here is my third hand for soldering.



This was my fifth try.  I ended up tossing it, but it was close.



In the end, it took me about 7 tries to get what I wanted.
Here is the final draft.




Wow--- that is something else!