Here is another "Before & After" project I finally finished yesterday. It was a long time "a'comin," and still has a few more details I might add on later. Not a 'junker' this time, but a commercial product worked over and re-detailed to something more specific. It is a Jersey Central 4-6-0 Camelback, offered by Williams over 15 years ago.
With some digging and hunting CNJ camelback photos, I found one that would work well for the Williams, which is basically designed for 3 rail. However this one was factory built as 2 rail. The photos below will show the transformation, which I worked on for about a year or so, off and on; more recently on.
I put on an All Nation pilot, modified to model a CNJ pilot by cutting off the narrow corner steps and putting on wider, double steps. The original pilot was fitted with braces and put under the back end of the tender, a'la CNJ.
The tender got a few things changed as well, moving the ladder over to the right side, adding tail beam details, installing a big generator on the rear deck (it powered lights for the cars), a steam feed pipe for it and a tool box, both tucked into the left side sill. Also a pair of firing deck safety gates were made and installed. Yes, a fireman as well, wielding his shovel. A pair of Central Locomotive Works pedestal tender trucks were put under it. I save the original 'Bettendorfs,' as CNJ did use both types, sometimes under the same tender!
Up in the loco cab, the original sporty looking engineer with his shirt open and sleeves rolled up was taken out for safety reasons. He was replaced with a more suitably garbed engineer for running steam, where everything around you in a cab is super HOT! The front end of the loco needed many more details, which you can see in the photos.
Then, some paint and the loco number was changed. The original number was for a former Reading loco the CNJ used, which had an entirely different cab. In the photos I collected, CNJ 762 was one I liked, and so it became. Some Scale Coat 1 satin finish loco blacks was used, and darker graphite was put on, from a Floquil mix I made up a long time ago. It's still in good condition! The "bling" of the shiny rods was killed with more black paint, creating a basic "grimy CNJ" look. Actually, maintaining polished rods is an expensive proposition, now mainly done on some tourist and excursion steam power. Such is not for everyday use on a busy, working railroad every day!
I used a Champ decal set for renumbering and data. Unfortunately Champs cab side numbers are too small and are more like those put on the back of the tender. BUT they have the proper font. A Walthers CNJ set has bigger numbers but in a narrower font that looks strange. The silver number on the front number plate was from a Champ decal set for B&O Cincinnatian passenger cars, which had aluminum lettering.
Enough of my ongoing blather. Here is the "Before and After" for what is now CNJ 762.
S. Islander
