I've completed a project that I don't even remember when I started it, other than sometime in the last century.
I bought this ubiquitous Flyer C&NW 21085 to repaint. Two position reverse unit, two wire plug to tender, two piece drawbar and most importantly (to me) the full Delta trailing truck. What brought the project to a screeching halt back when the earth was cooling was for some reason, my painting the boiler caused the plastic to craze. I prepped and painted the tender and boiler at the same time, so I'm at a loss to explain how it happened. I did letter the tender with dry transfers way back when, but the crazing on the boiler did dampen my enthusiasm. I intended to buy another boiler, but never did.
Anyway, this thing has been sitting on the Isle Of Lost Projects long enough and I decided to make the best of a bad situation.
I knew if I dropped the "2," the number 1085 fell in line with Illinois Central Pacifics. So, IC 1085 it is and retains 4/5ths of its catalog number.
I didn't really have to do much to complete the 1085. Paint the smokebox and firebox using my ancient Floquil Graphite, decal the cab, and paint the bell and pop valves brass.
The lettering on the tender had to also be repaired as I never coated it after applying the dry transfers. The whole thing was given a shot of Testors semi-gloss to protect the transfers and decals.
The rest of the Gilbert heritage wasn't harmed in the completion of this project.
Still, I'm glad it's finally done, even if it's not one of my best works.
Oh, yeah. It runs like a champ.
Rusty
