HO scale M&StL #304 Mogul
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HO scale M&StL #304 Mogul |
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My first attempt at a steam kitbash.
5/29/2002
Construction Photos
Click here for locomotive photos |
Click here for tender photos
| An IHC mogul like the one above was the starting point. It cost me $35 at a swap meet and has a smooth, quiet drive. The over all shape and dimesions of the boiler and drivers as well as the location of the steam and sand domes are very close to the old Iowa Central locomotives I wanted to model. They served my home town area of Eldora and Steamboat Rock, Iowa from the late 1800's to the mid 1930s starting out on passenger trains then moving to freight as 10 wheelers (4-6-0) replaced them. The 10 wheelers had a better history of staying on the rails which is important in the passenger business. |
4/28/2002
Lights and a decoder are now working and everything should be ready for
paint.
The tender has been moved closer to the engine.
Here's the progress as of 2/24/02.
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I removed nearly all of the cast on piping from the boiler, relocated the headlamp, changed the slide valve chests, replaced the pilot, changed cab windows, relocated walkways, re-worked the smoke box front. The leading truck was shortened a little to clear the new pilot. This shot is before moving the cab forward. The project started by removing the walkways and filling in the walkway openings on the boiler with various thicknesses of styrene glued in place with a thicker ca glue. nearly all of the piping was removed from the boiler with a square wnded x-acto blade. I left the bands on the boiler and the conduit that leads to the headlamp. Nexe everything was sanded with 400 than 600 grit sandpaper. |
3/26/02 This shot shows the moved and lenghtened cab and new accessory
dome.
The 18" difference really changes the overall look of the engine.
5/1/2002
2/24/2002 As of today I have the tender back in running condition and coupled to the loco. I think I have 20-25 hours in it so far. The work that still needs to be done is to detail the tender, add decoder, put jewels in marler lamps and headlamp, paint and decal, add couplers.
3/25/02 I was convinced that things just wouldn't look right without moving the cab forward by Joe Binish. He was right. I was afraid to tackle this but it worked out fine. I had to relocate the accessory dome lower the cab floor, extend the botttom and rear of the cab a bit, add a new back wall to the cab. modify the weight and add new mounting screws. In the process I broke some of the solder joints on the injector piping but the repairs are much better. Now on to the paint shop. The front coupler, another problem area, is now done. I used a Kadee #58 with the rear swivel hole cut off and mounted it in the new PFM pilot. To get it in there I drilled a new hole in the coupler shank and in the draft gear box and made what ammounts to a link and pin connection. It is as close to the prototype as I think can be done and it works. Look here for updated photos.
L. Cash Groth
Diagram courtesy of Gene Green
Rivarossi tender that has been shortened in both height and length.
The distance between the loco and tender was shortened later.
A new styrene underframe was made to reposition the trucks and lower the
tender.
I used the trucks and the truck bolts from the original IHC tender.
Number 304 in Peoria 1936 Schenectady Locomotive Works 2-6-0
Delivered 1902 Drivers 63" - Tractive Effort 26,660 - Cylinders20x26
- Weight 142,200
Lyndon Groth collection
What I've learned so far is that it has been worth the
effort to try to get things as
close to the original as possible. Even if it takes more time than I had
planned on investing.
I also learned that .010 phosphor bronze wire makes super handrails and
grabs.
Parts List: With the execption of the tender I found all of the
following in stock at Scale Model Supply Minneapolis.
They are the only place in the cities with detail parts.
| Custom Finishes by Bob Rzasa | |
| J-148 | rectangular junction boxes |
| S115 | steam loco pilot steps (tender) |
| Cal-Scale | |
| 190-481 | piping bracket 3 hole for .020 wire |
| MA-325 | marker lamps caboose & passenger (tender) |
| HL-207 | headlight plain (tender) |
| 190-228 | aux. dome w/fittings (top ring filed off) |
| G-215 | generator Pyle National |
| NP-245 | number plates plain round |
| 190-202 | headlight sunbeam |
| 190-312 | loco marker lights |
| HB-246 | headlight bracket high mounting |
| AP-346 | air pump remote strainer w/pipes |
| CV-265 | boiler check valve vertical |
| 190-377 | boiler steps |
| 190-383 | junction box 3-way |
| BE-328 | Bell w/anti rotation top bar |
| Pacific Fast Mail | |
| PI-26 | pilot C&O medium type complete kit |
| M.V. Products | |
| L166 | headlight lenses |
| Cary Locomotive Works | |
| 227 | pipes & valves (sand pipe fittings) |
| Grandt Line | |
| 5222 | 16 pane double window |
| Rivarossi | |
| Tender from Rivarossi Pacific locomotive that I purchased on eBay | |
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