Correcting Lionel oversized smoke box door hinges/ scale MARS light install

since you seem to be going for a prototype correct look, i should add a few points about that photo.

 

1)  the illuminated numbers on the headlight were removed when the Mars light was installed and the head light was changed to a dual bulb/ reflector internally.

 

2) the marker lights shown are close, but not correct.

 

3) the font for the number boards is correct by ever so slightly undersized.

 

3) both a swinging and fixed cradle for the bell are valid for the NKP Berkshires and frankly i've seen both on #753 at various times during its lifetime.

 

4) one NKP practice i believe i will ignore... they painted the bell yellow.

 

...everything else should be fairly accurate.

I've finally gotten a paint match I'm happy with.  I'll be mixing paint again for the Berk, it's a few shades darker.

Still have to add the grab irons, but I think I nailed it.

The M1b front, with scale grab irons installed.

It looks great Wowak!

You do know about the 2mm ceramic LED's that are smaller than the one you are putting in the MARS light, right?  For some of your work, these might be the ticket.

 

 

Your workmanship is beautiful and ou've done a nice job on the K4s smokebox front.  For  added prototype fidelity I recommend you consider replacing the totally wrong markers on the smokebox.  In the post war "modernized front" end the PRR no longer used green/white classification lights on the smokebox. Class lights were dropped around 1940.  For severe years the K4's ran with pilot mounted red marker lights on the pilot beam  In the mid 1940's the diving helmet style pilot beam marker lights were replaced by much smaller red lens smokebox mounted marker lights in two styles.  Lost wax castings for the oval style are available from PrecisionScale, and the more common small bulls eye style from Bowser/CalScale.  Due to their size they are very hard to put scale sized red LED's in.  Since the red front end markers were only lit when the locomotive was running backward at the end of a train, I don't bother illuminating them.  Another easy detail upgrade would be replacing the bell with a PSC PRR bell casting.

 

Ed Rappe

 

 

 

 

I like your work.  Personally, I love the larger class lamps, and put them on everything whether or not there is a prototype. Artistic license, I guess.

I'm just doing what they pay me to do.  

I spent the last 2 weeks of August getting ready for my vacation over Labor Day weekend, and apparently it took 3 weeks to recover.  But I'm back at work on the Berk.  The Mars light still needs another coat or 2 of satin clear to bring the gloss down to match the headlight, but other than that, the mount is done.  The hardest part of this is still the paint-matching, mostly because paint doesn't dry instantaneously, and metallic paint never dries the same color as it is wet, at least not on my work bench.  So it's been a lot of mixing, painting a test piece, waiting for it to dry, and mixing more.  

That is some excellent work, the NKP would be proud.

Got the whole Berk front put back together. Jeez that's a lot of wiring in there! 

 

The big gaping hole where the marker light bulb goes through the front drives me crazy.  I know it's that big so the bulb can be fished through, so I can't fill it in, because some day those bulbs may burn out and need to be replaced, so I did the next best thing I could think of, I put some liquid electrical tape over the hole.  That should pull right off if the bulbs need to be changed.

That is a lot of wiring.   One thing to consider, you could replace the bulb with an LED, should last as long as the locomotive.   I use warm white for steamers.

first off, fantastic job.

 

purely as an FYI, though... when NKP mounted the Mars lights on the Berkshires, the headlight changed to a dual bulb (over/under) and the numbers were removed from the headlight 'wings'.

 

cheers...gary

Brian,

 

Nice job!

 

Dave

Wowak,

You do excellent, intricate work.

You have the sight of an eagle, hands of a surgeon and patience of a Saint.

Good luck,

Ralph

 

I'm aware, but that wasn't part of the original job.  (These aren't my locos.)  

Definitely too kind.  I feel like I'm all thumbs most of the time!

Well the last one to finish is the M1b.  Final coat of paint.  After fighting with the paint match on the other two, the easiest was was to dust the whole smokebox with the final coat.  Fortunately all the minor details were easy to remove (actually I was surprised and a little dismayed how easy the builders' plates came off... I wouldn't be surprised if a few of these won't eventually fall off "in the field" on other engines.)

I still want to look over everything one more time and make sure they're all perfect, but largely this project is done.  Which means my favorite part: getting paid.    

nice work on the M1 mountain, though i cannot quite comprehend what the PA design engineers were thinking when the mounted the dynamo on the smokebox front(??)  not only would i imagine it was much harder to access the smokebox with that configuration, but as most other installations, i would also think it is much easier to tap and control steam off the turret closer to the cab and then only having to run the wiring up to the front lights.  at least you would think they should have built some sort of shielding to protect the works such as was done with pilot mounted air compressors.

1) Note the large platform mounted just under the "swing-open" smokebox door. That platform is for the Electrician to stand on and SERVICE the Dynamo.

 

2) The Dynamo being moved forward to its "Post War" position made it easier to service, plus being forward of the stack, provided a cleaner envirnment.

 

3) Note that BOTH the Dynamo mount AND that stand-on platform, are mounted such as NOT to restrict the smokebox "swing open", or small, center door, at least on the real PRR steam locomotives.

Yes, the PRR originally put the dynamo ahead of the stack to keep it clean, but after WWII the headlight and dynamo swapped locations to make service easier.  I've wondered if the lack of soot really made that big a difference,  but Pennsy was keen to have it ahead of the stack.