KATO Mike detail parts

[Bill H]

Group:
I recently was able to procure a few KATO Mikes, and was able to install the traction tire sets and upgraded drivers. However, the detail parts for both Mikes were missing. I have the Gold Medal steam engine detail frets on the way, any suggestions as to the size of wire for the handrails to fit the Gold Medal stanchions? Any other suggestions.

As I model the B&O, biggest issue will be figuring out how to move the headlight to the top of the boiler. An example would be the B&O P3 on Northeast Railfan. See http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo5100sa.jpg


Any suggestions there?

Kind regards,
Bill

[eja]

Very carefully 

[mmagliaro]

I use .008" phosphor bronze wire in all my stanchions, whether they be Gold Medal or not.    They look more in scale than
.010", and if you use phosphor bronze instead of brass, the wire will stay nice and straight even after the engine is handled a lot.  Brass wire will bend and look like a sloppy noodle after a while especially if the handrails are standing off the body.

Tichy Train Group sells convenient packs of the .008" wire.

[Bill H]

Thanks Max, any ideas for the headlight?

[brokemoto]

You might be able to do it with a clear plastic sprue from a building kit.  If you can find one that approaches the diameter of a headlight fixture, you can sand it smooth and paint it black or BandO Blue, depending on your era.  Of course, leave the face of it clear.  You can cut down the longer piece from which the "fixture" will angle.  Paint only the "fixture", though.

Cut off the headlight fixture from the smokebox cover, cover the hole with a plastic disk and put the Capitol Dome over it (somebody sells a capitol dome herald in brass--it might be Gold Medal).  Cut or drill a small hole in the top of the smokebox in front of the stack.  Insert the clear post into it and up against whatever it is that Kato uses for a light. 

Odds are that you could get away with resting the fixture on top of the smokebox instead of on a shelf at the apex of the smokebox cover.  B&O did not have any USRA heavy Mikados, so it will not be that big a deal where the fixture rests.

You might be able to use the center-mounted fixture and simply cut down an angled clear plastic sprue to fit into it.  Another possibility is to use the fixture from an old B-mann or C-C shell and fit an angled clear plastic sprue into it.

[mmagliaro]

I think I would first try cutting off the fixture, mounting it up on top, and then snaking some fiber optic tubing up into it through diagonally-drilled tiny holes in the back of the fixture and the boiler (similar to what brokemoto is suggesting, although I would use some plastic fiber optic strand, say about .030" diameter - it's cheap and easy to work with).   Inside the boiler, the other end of the strand should run right up against LED to get good brightness.

A .030" strand is pretty easy to hide, even it shows a little going into the lower corner of the headlight housing.

Of course, the other way to go would be to solder some magnet wire to a tiny 0603 SMD LED and put the LED right inside the headlight housing.  Then feed the tiny magnet wires inside the boiler, and solder them to a bit of PC board right inside, and from there, run heavier wire to the lighting circuit.  That protects the magnet wires (not having them exposed anywhere).

[mike_lawyer]

I have had success using nano LEDs installed right in the headlight housing.  It can be a bit tedious, but with practice, you get the hang of it.

[Bill H]

I think I would first try cutting off the fixture, mounting it up on top, and then snaking some fiber optic tubing up into it through diagonally-drilled tiny holes in the back of the fixture and the boiler (similar to what brokemoto is suggesting, although I would use some plastic fiber optic strand, say about .030" diameter - it's cheap and easy to work with).   Inside the boiler, the other end of the strand should run right up against LED to get good brightness.

A .030" strand is pretty easy to hide, even it shows a little going into the lower corner of the headlight housing.

Of course, the other way to go would be to solder some magnet wire to a tiny 0603 SMD LED and put the LED right inside the headlight housing.  Then feed the tiny magnet wires inside the boiler, and solder them to a bit of PC board right inside, and from there, run heavier wire to the lighting circuit.  That protects the magnet wires (not having them exposed anywhere).

Max:
Thanks for the suggestions. I am thinking about, at least on the Bachmanns to cut off the existing headlight, form a u shaped bracket from brass, with two pins that would sit in holes in the shell to add support and then trying to get some fiber optic to it.

Already ordered your wire as you suggested for the handrails.

Last, apologies for the late response, I had to go overseas on very short notice last week and am just catching up on personal stuff after flying a total of 26 hours (two flights 15 + 9) to get home today.

Kind regards,
Bill