Thanks, Mark.
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PRR S-2 6-8-6 disassembly, paint, decoder install.
This is an ALCO model and made in 1977. PRR only made one of these turbines.
A can motor was already in the engine.
Every truck, tender and engine has the side frames soldered so unable to remove the wheel sets.
Had to drill holes for the speaker.
Usually, I like to make a hole below the tender deck for the decoder wires but too much stuff under there so I enlarged the slot under the coal doors. There were only two small tabs sticking down from the doors so it was easy to remove them. I'm guessing the 'tabs' were for when the tender was full of coal, some would come out the bottom for those few scoops that the fireman may want to fill in the corners of the fire box.
Tender lights drilled out for LED's.
The hand rails were soldered to the front smoke box stanchions so I had to 'wick' the solder out so the front could be removed. Nice that the keystone is red and numbered.
The lower set of piping had to be resolder to the running board. Surprised I could use my 'station' soldering iron to repair it.
The 'elephant' ears were not mechanically attached to the boiler.
They are now!
Had to drill and tap for some #90 screws.
Fortunately, ALCO models made the 'elephant' ears with 'L' tabs so I drilled through those and into the running board. I needed to make them removable in order to paint them, properly.
Unusual way to secure the side rods to the drivers. It's scale but needs a special tool to fit the two outside slots to remove them. I've never encountered this before as they are either slot or hex head screws. No tools were in the box so don't know if ALCO models, initially, provided one.
I just removed the drivers as a set and will not paint the tire rims. Fortunately, the inner wheel is black. Not a lot of parts to remove on this engine.
One of the spring castings was loose and needed resistance soldering.
Not a lot of parts to paint, either. These will be baked.
These will air dry.
PRR J-1 2-10-4 got a second coat of green and black.
The PRR green was too dark and I couldn't tell it was green so I mixed in some dark GN green with the PRR green.
By itself, the boiler looks black until next to something that, actually, is black.
