PRR B6 0-6-0

[nscaleSPF2]

Here are some photos of the finished model.

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B6 history

The earliest examples were produced in 1902, and the last production run ended in 1920.  A total of 360 were made.  The last unit was retired from service in 1959.  (Source:  Wikipedia)

I posted some in-process reports in the Weekend Update, on:
4/2, https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41588.15
3/26, https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41529.0
3/12, https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41424.0
and 3/5 https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41371.0

Following are the model parameters:
Mechanism = Bachmann 0-6-0.  Latest version, with the "can" motor.
Boiler shell = Die cast Minitrix 0-6-0, minus the cab.
Cab = Minitrix 4-6-2
Tender = Bachmann Spectrum (not the one that comes with the 0-6-0)
Decoder = TCS Z2
Couplers = MTL True Scale

I had to remove quite a bit of material from both the mechanism and the boiler shell, to make the boiler sit at the correct height.

The model is not perfectly accurate, if you were to measure along its length.  But it's close, and at least the motor is covered by the cab.  The drivers are also 3 inches undersized. 

The finished locomotive will pull 22 cars on level track, which is more than I expected.

Videos to follow (hopefully).

[Altoona]

Nice

[peteski]

Very nice!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Very nice!

I've sometimes been tempted to model the PRR in the steam era, but not having B6s and H8/9/10s would make it nearly impossible. It'd be like modeling Conrail in the 80s without SD40-2s. Oh, wait... hmm.

Either way, love the model!!!

[chicken45]

Jim, your stuff always looks great! Well done.
Will there be a build thread with construction photos?
The pictures make it look like the number plate is red. Is that the case? I know of only one case where a round number plate was red instead of black.

[strummer]

Very nice!

That's exactly what I was gonna say...

Mark in Oregon

[MichaelWinicki]

Impressive!

[Lemosteam]

Very Nice Jim! How did the headlight turn out? Hope you are happy with it!

[mmagliaro]

Probably the nicest example of an N Scale PRR B6s out there.
The proportions all look right as a whole, which is important, and the overall look of it is very Pennsy.
Nice work!

[nscaleSPF2]

So here are my feeble attempts at a couple of videos.

First, crawling along at 0.6 mph:

Next, pulling a short mixed freight at 22 mph:

[nscaleSPF2]

Thanks for all of your kind comments.  It's nice know, while I'm locked in the basement with Verne, that there are others out there who appreciate this work.

Will there be a build thread with construction photos?

I don't plan to do a build thread, mainly because I can't imagine anyone else repeating this.  The postings in the previous Weekend Updates should suffice, if there is anyone out there who wants to duplicate this model.

The pictures make it look like the number plate is red. Is that the case? I know of only one case where a round number plate was red instead of black.

Oops.  Looks like the number plate needs to get "weathered".  I got carried away, because the red number plate looked so cool on the model.

[nscaleSPF2]

Very Nice Jim! How did the headlight turn out? Hope you are happy with it!

Well, that's another story, John.  I wasn't going to mention it, but since you asked...

After the boiler shell was painted, it fell out out of my hand onto the work surface, a distance of about 2 inches.  Unfortunately, it fell directly onto the headlight, snapping the mounting bracket off.  The boiler is die cast, and the extra weight caused the damage (along with my clumsiness).

The second headlight / bracket assembly was installed and painted.  The inside of headlight housing was first painted black, then silver (a trick I learned from peteski).  This prevents light bleeding thru the housing.  Anyway, I used an 0603 size LED and wired it like so:

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This was my second mistake.  When those two wires are fed thru the small hole in the housing, and the LED is pushed into the back of the housing, the 2 wires can contact each other if there is not enough insulation to protect them.  And yes, there was was an intermittent short across the LED before I sealed the LED in the housing with epoxy. 

After the intermittent short became a permanent one when the epoxy hardened (Murphy's Law) the epoxy and the LED had to be surgically removed from the housing, because I didn't want to waste another housing.

The second LED was wired like this:

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And, since I did not push the LED all the way into the back of the housing, there were no short circuits this time, after expoxy.  I am very happy with the final result, it's nice and bright and the headlight and bracket are very well proportioned.

[MK]

Wow!  That's some crawling speed!!!   

[peteski]

I don't plan to do a build thread, mainly because I can't imagine anyone else repeating this.  The postings in the previous Weekend Updates should suffice, if there is anyone out there who wants to duplicate this model.

Hmm . . . And do you imagine anybody repeating Max's scratchbuilt 0-6-0 loco?  But he has lengthy thread about it.  Just sayin . . . that is a poor excuse.

But the excuse that you did post some in-progress shots in the Weekend Updates is more reasonable.  Maybe you could add a post here with links to those individual WU posts here for members to reference as a build-summary?

[mmagliaro]

Really nice running mechanism, there, man.   And it reenforces my view that we all run our trains way too fast.
At only 22 mph. it looks like it's going quite fast, and I wouldn't want to run it any faster than that.  In fact, I would probably not run it any faster than 15 in practice, as it just looks so much better.

Our N scale world is compressed, so our train speeds need to be low in order to have them look right.

Terrific job, man.