CNJ Heavy Mike project

Part 2 (now with more pictures!

I had a plan (hair-brained as it might be). From diagrams and research, it seemed that the heavy Mike's boiler was 96" in diameter at its widest, and the smokebox was 86" in diameter. Scaling 96" down came to a wonderful 2", and the smokebox scaled to just over 1 3/4". Ordered some brass tubing, and figured I'd clad the original boiler using that and JB Kwik to hold it in place rather than attempt to solder everything, as I have no plans to ever take it apart again, and the faster curing time of the "Kwik" would allow me to get more work done, faster. Cutting the tubes for the straight parts was easy, cladding the tapered parts a bit more challenging, involving cutting tubes lengthwise, then fitting and trimming as needed to cover. I also cut a ring the thickness of the smokebox front which was applied to the original front to bring it out to the diameter of the new, larger smokebox.

I originally planned to meticulously map the items I'd removed from the original, so I could put them back on the finished product, but quickly scrapped that as I realized that it would be much easier to just figure out where things needed to be and drill new holes when that time came, since not everything would be in the same place, or used at all. 

2 large aids were the folks at CNJ at Mauch Chunk (a wonderful bunch of guys who model the CNJ in the UK), who put together a guide for converting an HO BLI USRA Mikado to both CNJ M3s and M3as BLI USRA to CNJ Heavy Mike conversion, and Brasstrains.com's pictures of an HO OMI CNJ M3as 2-8-2. Armed with this info (and some detail parts from Precision Scale Co.), I was on my way.

First order of business after enlarging the boiler was adding the Wooten firebox. Our good friend styrene came to my aid. I JB Kwik'd the first layer onto the original brass firebox, and built it out as needed, then filed and shaped it. Also used styrene for the cover in front of the cab. A hose clamp is holding everything to the correct diameter until the front of the boiler is attached again. Hit everything with a quick coat of primer to see what needed a bit more work, and drove on...

Put the smokestack back in, attached one of the domes, and added the Elesco feedwater heater. Only problem, the ends on "Precision" Scale Co.'s heater were reversed, so I had to cut them off, re-attach them and THEN I could mount it. It's starting to look like a train again, rather than a collection of brass tubes with various holes cut in them!

Stay tuned for Part 3!

Great project, Magicland!  Thanks for posting...I’ll be following this thread closely.  Being a huge CNJ fan, I’ve been patiently waiting for one of the manufacturers/importers to offer an accurate CNJ Heavy Mike.  I remember being happy to hear that Lionel was going to offer one, only to see later that it wasn’t an accurate representation of the CNJ’s Heavy Mikes.  3rd Rail would probably be the most likely candidate to produce an accurate version, but that’s probably a long shot.

These locomotives worked hard for many years dragging heavy freights up and down the mountain grades of northeastern PA where I grew up, so I’d love to own one or two.  I know my modeling limitations and probably won’t tackle a project of this magnitude; but I certainly will watch and appreciate yours!

Off to a great start! THIS is the type of modeling I love..... keep posting! JohnA 

Great project!  Keep the updates coming.

Awesome start to an ambitious project!  Thanks for sharing and jeep the updates coming 

When I saw CNJ and Heavy Mike in the title I was hooked! Looking great! Is that a recent Williams mike or an older brass one? Looks like an old one.

You apparently have the skills.  The better way is to solder the courses back together, and that could have been done with the same torch.

I too use the brass bar rail, but screw it together with rings underneath, using 2-56 brass F/H screws before soldering.  With the right flux, the solder just leaps in there.

Too late now, but when the Hines Lines show up, they go for $150-$300.  And the Scale Craft K4 has the L1 boiler, but its taper is not like the big USRA.

Very nice work!

@Trainmstr posted:

When I saw CNJ and Heavy Mike in the title I was hooked! Looking great! Is that a recent Williams mike or an older brass one? Looks like an old one.

I believe this was the 1990 one. Crazy, it being NIB 30 years later, it was in pristine condition, and I really hated taking it apart.

@bob2 posted:

You apparently have the skills.  The better way is to solder the courses back together, and that could have been done with the same torch.

I too use the brass bar rail, but screw it together with rings underneath, using 2-56 brass F/H screws before soldering.  With the right flux, the solder just leaps in there.

Too late now, but when the Hines Lines show up, they go for $150-$300.  And the Scale Craft K4 has the L1 boiler, but its taper is not like the big USRA.

Very nice work!

While I appreciate your compliments, I'm just winging this as I go along. I'm totally in awe of the people who put things like this together in the first place, fabbed completely out of brass, as that's a level of skill I can only dream of attaining. When I look at the original postwar Hines Lines models, I'm amazed at what they were able to do at the time with the tools they had. Truly works of art...

Okay, I've been busy with a few other projects, but I'm finally getting a chance to work on this again (or, more accurately, show my work). Added the ash pans to the firebox (also had to rework the front of the firebox as I found a more detailed picture of the details, rivets will be added prior to painting), have the shell re-assembled into one piece, trimmed the running boards closes to the cab (not seen in the pic, as they haven't been re-attached yet). Before I re-attach them, I need to plot out a good bit of the plumbing and where it'll run, as some of it needs to go between them and the boiler/firebox.

Next I'll work on a bunch of the details. Need to add the bands between the boiler sections, whatever you call the plugs that should blow out before the boiler explodes, foot steps, mark and drill for the handrail stanchions, and whatever plumbing that needs to go on before the running boards. Hopefully I'll have pics of my additional progress sometime this weekend...

Great Job magicland!

   Progress is looking good and I look forward to the finished project 

Al

Hopefully I'll get an updated photo either tonight or tomorrow. Had to fill the seam above where the firebox starts, it's about 1/8" off from where the band at the top of the firebox falls.

CNJ used 2 single stage air pumps instead of a cross-compound unit (which the original model had). Had these made on shapeways, turned out cheaper than getting them from Precision Brass, and they're more detailed. Hard to get the detail to show up in a photo since they're made from clear plastic. 

Minor progress made. Bands between boiler sections replace/added, holes drilled for and pressure reliefs and boiler steps replaced. Holes drilled for some plumbing, routes marked for the others that I need to run before replacing the firebox section running boards. Up next, running that plumbing and fabbing a mount for the generator, then re-attaching the firebox section running boards, as well as drilling the holes for the handrail stanchions (also hopefully finding the one that ended up on the kitchen floor when I removed them, or finding a replacement).

Looks impressive. I am also one of those that would have bought the Lionel CNJ Mike if it had been accurate so I will definitely be keeping an eye on your exciting project.

Intermission. While I waited for the stanchions to show up, I finished off this. Needed something to interchange freight in South Amboy. Started as an MTH Chessie SW-9. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled program. Stanchions came today, hoping the holes are big enough for the handrail wire... 

I am mightily impressed by this project, both in the work done and the absence of whining for 3rd Rail to make the loco. Good on ya!!

Well, looks like the holes on the stanchions I ordered are too small for the handrail wire (1 mm) that I have (reusing the original handrails). Tried drilling out the ends to 1 mm, but that just removes the end once the bit starts to cut. So, it's either find some other suitable stanchions, or figure out some way to create ends for the stanchions with 1 mm holes (Thought of using seed beads, but when the size is right, the hole is too small). Only need to make 2 (hopefully, lost 1 and broke 1 in the removal). Other than the holes in the end, the stanchions I got are fairly close matches.

So, with that at a temporary standstill, I fabbed up a mount for the generator and got that attached, and gave everything a light coat of primer to check for any areas that need further work before the serious plumbing starts. Which presents, of course, another problem. I've got good detail pics of 2 M3as models, but neither of them are close to each other, or pics of the actual engines as far as plumbing goes (though good detail shots don't, for the most part, exist), and even the actual engines don't match each other (depending on the year, repairs, modifications, etc). So I'm going to have to plan this out as a "most likely" thing and take a bit of artistic license. Also threw some paint on the parts of the chassis I had to modify to fit the larger smokebox. 

Quick update. Started on the plumbing. Disregard the pattern on the hose wrap, it won't stay that color. Temporarily re-attached the chassis to help with positioning (and the screw hole lined up AND worked!). Trying to figure out how to support the feedwater pump and air pumps, I expect most of the day tomorrow will be devoted to that...

Looking good.  You can find an air pump bracket in the PSC catalog for an idea, and then maybe make your own.

Any updates on this project?

Great project!  Your Wooten firebox turned out very well which to me is such an important detail on CNJ steam that is not common in the model world.

@rex desilets posted:

I am mightily impressed by this project, both in the work done and the absence of whining for 3rd Rail to make the loco. Good on ya!!

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!  This is so true.  While I am die hard CNJ fan, this would get maybe about 20 preorders and I would be probably two of them.

@49Lionel posted:

Any updates on this project?

Not for a bit. It's gotten sidetracked due to my Baldwin DRX-6-4-2000 project. Last I looked, I had the front and rear running boards put back on, but the middle ones were waiting for me to figure out what plumbing had to run under them, and since it seems no 2 were built alike, it's confusing as heck. I also wasn't happy with the look of the large rivets that I'd put on the front sides of the firebox.

Now that I can print my own detail parts, that paves the way for things to move forward, just as soon as I can get a few other projects wrapped up. In addition to the DRX-6-4-2000, I'm in the middle of repainting a VO-1000 (green) and an H-15-44 (blue. The model is technically an H-16-44, but the only visible difference between the two is the cladding over the undercarriage detail and the lack of full side railings. 1508 had the cladding removed while still in blue paint, and was also one of the few units that was retrofitted with full side railings, so 1508 it'll be). Getting appropriate decals is another story. Had them custom printed for the DRX-6-4-2000, but I'm hoping I can scrounge up what I need for the other 2 from leftovers I have.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Great project!  Your Wooten firebox turned out very well which to me is such an important detail on CNJ steam that is not common in the model world.

Thanks. Doubt I would have attempted it if not for those crazy guys over in England from http://www.homauchchunk.co.uk/, who do some amazing HO scale CNJ modeling, and who published a tutorial on how they converted theirs. I recently ran into a good deal on a CNJ USRA 0-6-0 and SERIOUSLY thought about modifying it into the 113, which had a Wooten firebox, but I also SERIOUSLY don't have the time to do that at the moment, so it'll stay as-built for the time being...

My biggest challenge with all my CNJ projects.  Time.  I have stack of All-Nation coaches to build, repair, re-truck, or repaint.  My late era 835 Pacific project is in limbo pending finding a suitable donor for the motor, tender, valve gear, and pilot, and while I'd love to tackle a DRX-6-4-2000 like yours one day in 2 rail, time is not my friend when I work constantly.

Look forward to seeing more of this project when your get time to do more on it.

I need to stop finding new projects before I finish current ones. I seriously thought I had "enough" CNJ and supporting "stuff" (except for 2 bay hoppers and tank cars, which I want more of, but simply don't have space for).

Then I found a postcard of PRR MP54 units on the Raritan Bay draw, and figured I needed a few of those. Came across a good deal on one later K-Line (with the seats, not the silhouettes) non-powered unit. I'd love a set of the Sunset Brass ones, if I could both find and afford them (I can do neither), so the K-line ones will do, for now. Of course, finding a 2 car set going for less than the original MSRP seems impossible. Came across a good deal on a set of 2 in Lackawanna paint, so they'll get owl eyes and painted sometime in the near future.

Then I realized I didn't have any CNJ switchers just about the time I came across a "good" deal on a Weaver VO-1000 (It's hard for me to pass up any CNJ-able engines with either TMCC or DCS that I can get for less than the cost of either a TMCC or DCS upgrade). That was shortly followed by the H-16-44 and the 0-6-0. I'd like to think I'm done, but I don't believe that for a second...

OK, one step closer to resuming (well, after making some of the railings yellow)...

Sure, they were produced by Weaver in CNJ paint, but not at the price I paid for this.

I have an HO Fleischman VO-1000 that was slated to get CNJ paint prior to moving into O scale.  A nice hefty locomotive.  I like the Weaver version.  That would be a nice switcher to find one day.

Oh, look, another project! Not an engine, thankfully (though I do have the paint just about finished and the decals on 1508 in the blue and tangerine). Wanted a switch tower, but couldn't find anything I liked at a price I wanted to pay. So, after looking at a few pictures of Essay tower, I said to myself "Self, that wouldn't be too hard to build, would it?"

A few sheets of styrene brick and shingles later from Micro Mark, and I come across someone who's got the actual proposed scale building plans to it, with all the dimensions. There's one window on the plans that it doesn't look like ever made it into the tower from all the pictures I can find, but I'm not averse to cutting one less opening.

I'm going to 3D print all the windows and doors, roof gutters, downspouts, chimney top and exterior stairs, and I'll be in business. Going to make it in 2 parts. The upper 2 stories and roof, so until the point where I actually have a layout to put it on it can sit on a flat surface and look charming, and the cellar, which will either be made with a sloped bottom to sit on a hill, or flat bottom to sit into a hill (since the original's front is one story lower than the rear, as the track that leads to the Amboy secondary rises after it leaves the NY&LB).

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I MAY have found the parts to make the large 12 wheel tender for the heavy Mike. I was going to just build one with a standard USRA style tender (because donor shells for 50' tenders are in short supply), but man, they just look massive with those big ol' class W tenders behind them...

Another project knocked out, one step closer to resuming. Cab heralds are from a K4 HO express boxcar decal set, nose heralds are from an HO RS1 decal set, numbers are from various leftovers, number boards I printed, and the "F"s for the nose were made by cutting down a "P" and an "E". Where there's a will, there's a way...

All your CNJ projects are looking wonderful.  So glad to see guys still 'bashing away on projects to make them more accurate. Those CNJ heavy Mikes were beauties for sure and you can be proud to own your own version of one.  Good on ya!

I mean looking forward to more progress on the Mike. I wrote an article for RMC a 15 years ago or so on an HO kitbash of one. It was a fun project,  but took a lot of time. Your project is much more involved. Very nice work!

While not an O gauger, I am interested in this project. I am planning something similar starting with an Am Flyer (S gauge) Atlantic, chopping it up and recombining the pieces into a Reading P-7sb. I haven’t started yet, but have accumulated detail brass castings, drivers, and various other items to use in the conversion.

One thing that caught my attention is how Magicland attached styrene to metal, JB Kwik. I have tried various adhesives to ‘glue’ styrene and metal, but have not found one I think is strong enough. Epoxies generally don’t stick very well to styrene. Would like to hear more about it.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Looks like I'm about ready to get back to this, as most other side projects have now been finished.

In the meantime, I built the top 2 floors of the NY&LB SA tower (the cellar will be built once it actually has a "forever" home, since it'll sit between 2 different track elevations.

In the above picture, you can see 2 K-Line Lackawanna "Interurban" units. I wanted some MP54s to run on my eventual South Amboy layout (which there currently isn't room for, so I'm just gathering the pieces at this time), was able to pick up one in PRR at a substantial discount, but was also able to get these for less than half the price of the same thing in PRR paint, the main differences being these had square windows on the ends, and one unit had 2 pantographs and the second had none. Moved one of the pantographs to the 2nd unit, modified the bodies by adding round "owl eyes" windows that I printed to the ends, and painted them to match. The K-line units are painted a too dark tuscan, I had the choice to either paint and reletter all 3, or to try and match the 2 to the K-line color, ended up mixing just about equal parts Tru-color 276 (PRR 1948+ passenger car tuscan) with TCP-075 (Pennsy Brunswick green) and got a fairly close match to the K-Line color.

At the same time, I was working on a diorama to sit on a buffet in my living room, to display some of my trains, that's it above and below. It's made in 2 pieces so that it can be relocated for holiday decorations. Did a viaduct level with catenery, and a lower one with a 2 track main, 2 sidings and a grade crossing.

At the time the Mike got sidelined, I wasn't happy with some of the details (in particular, the large rivets on the front of the Wooten firebox). Now that I've gotten this 3D printing thing under my belt, I can print out exactly what I want. I still have to figure out the plumbing, as from pictures it seems that no 2 units were plumbed alike...

@Tom Stoltz posted:

While not an O gauger, I am interested in this project. I am planning something similar starting with an Am Flyer (S gauge) Atlantic, chopping it up and recombining the pieces into a Reading P-7sb. I haven’t started yet, but have accumulated detail brass castings, drivers, and various other items to use in the conversion.

One thing that caught my attention is how Magicland attached styrene to metal, JB Kwik. I have tried various adhesives to ‘glue’ styrene and metal, but have not found one I think is strong enough. Epoxies generally don’t stick very well to styrene. Would like to hear more about it.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

The styrene layers were glued to each other with Testors liquid cement, while the base styrene layer was epoxied to the brass. So far, so good, and it was certainly a strong enough bond for me to file the sandwiched styrene layers into the shape I wanted without it separating from the brass.

Okay, where were we? Having completed a ton of other projects, it's time to get back to this. Hit the running gear and parts of the wheels with some NeoLube to blacken them (as I've never seen a CNJ Mike with shiny running gear). Worked great, but I wish they sold it in smaller bottles! I don't think I'll ever come close to using up what I've got. Something the size of a Testor's paint bottle would have been fine. Once I figure out where I've put my brass rods, I'll get back to the plumbing.

And since it won't be enough of a challenge, I've decided to go with the large tender with 6 wheel trucks, which, AFAIK, isn't made anywhere in O scale. Even the $1300 Lionel BTO heavy Mike comes with the USRA tender. The MTH C&O Kanawha tender is close, but you can't exactly pick one up without dropping the cash for the engine as well, and it comes with the wrong trucks.

So, having picked up the RIGHT trucks from the Lionel 50% off sale, we're rollin'! This thing was huge. Near as I can figure, it was about 50' long (that's 12.5" in O scale). I've got an MTH tender shell that's 9" long, so it's going to get cut and I'm going to add another 3.5" in, as well as correct some of the details, and add an actual coal load. A Lionel legacy scale berkshire tender frame will form the basis of the build, as that should take the Lionel 6 wheel tender trucks without any problem.

Got the tender shell cut in 2, playing around with options for the 3.5" extension. One is to get another similar shell, and cut out a piece the length I need. Only problem with that is both the cost of another shell, and cutting it (2 cuts), which is a pain. The other option is to print the piece I need. In theory, a piece of cake, except it's pushing the size limitations that I can currently print at. I can supposedly fit it (just), but that close to the edges, print quality may suffer. Of course, once the new printer gets here, that won't be an issue, but it's not supposed to ship until January. In the meantime, I've modeled the piece I need to add...

Printing out the top and one of the sides separately so I can just size and rivet placement...

First full test print. 6 hours, about $2 worth of resin. Model is scaled exactly, however resin doesn't always print exactly to scale, so there'll have to be some slight tweaking between this and a final, usable piece. Wouldn't be an issue if I could print an entire tender shell in 1 piece, but I've got to mate the extension between 2 die-cast pieces, so... Hopefully it'll just take one set of adjustments to nail it. Curing this, then measuring and comparing to the die-cast shell. Reprint tomorrow (if I have enough resin left). If not, Saturday. The cross-pieces on the bottom will be cut out, I just added them to help the sidewalls print straight. Water hatch on the rear piece will be removed and replaced with a transverse mounted one that I'll print.

Picked up another side project(s), but it shouldn't keep me from this (much). Heck, anytime you can get an AA set of Legacy Sharks AND an E8 for $150 (all in need of minor repairs), you jump.

Both shark units look like they were dropped. Bent trainphone antennas and supports (1 support missing on each unit). Already have most of them straightened out, some CA should hold them in place just fine. When I get a few minutes, I'll make a model of the supports and print them to replace the missing ones. Already have Tru-Color Brunswick Green paint (left over from another project). The dummy A is missing the "cap" for the smoke fluid filler tube, also a very simple modeling project. Other than that, they're good to go.

E8 is missing a sideframe on both the front and rear trucks. Current trucks on there say "Williams", though I believe the body is by Weaver. Lionel E8 sideframes are available, but I may see if I can model them. Detail on the remaining 2 leave a lot to be desired, and I know I can make better ones. The grills on one of the sides are loose, but other than that, it's good.

I've been looking for a passenger diesel for my future "South Amboy" engine changes. I've got a GG1 to bring trains in, and a K4 to bring them out, the E8 will slot in nicely (since there's no way I'm ever going to find a passenger shark at anything approaching a reasonable price). I know they worked the NY&LB, though I'm not sure the years, but PRR got them in 1949, and the K4s ran until 1957, so there was probably some occasional overlap. The E8 being DGLE 5 stripe is just a bonus.

No idea what I'm going to use the sharks for, since CNJ handled all the freight on the NY&LB, and AFAIK, what's now the "Amboy secondary" was electrified, as were the PRR tracks to the piers in South Amboy, but they sure look great.