Incremental Improvements on Lionel GS-4

I'm almost done with the detail painting improvements and then I'll pull the boiler to fix the vent thanks to your post about it being so easy. Also thanks to you I'll replace the cab figures since I already have some Artistta crew guys around here. Replace the smoke wick with a rope style, a Kadee coupler for the tender.... and BAM! Time to eat... I mean time to run the Daylight.

Hey Doug,
Actually installing the figures was more work than the hatch.  You have to carefully dremel the post that protrudes from the seat back.  It is cast into the mold of the seat.  The OEM figures have a square hole in their backs to attach them to the seat.  I always save my used up dremel wheels for that job.  It is easy to slip and nick a window.  Something tells me you know all that though.  

As far as swapping out the batting.  I think my new one smokes at least as good as if not better than my old one.  It makes tons of smoke.  In fact that is an improvement I forgot about, because I am pretty sure my old Daylight did not smoke when at idle while the new one does.  So even though I had the shell off I did not mess with the smoke unit. 

BTW your paint work on the ladders was freakin' cool.  I am really thinking about copying you.

The engine gets some detail painting as well.

Before: front wheels, cab ladder, and boiler handrail stanchions

After: Blacked out ...... will put it on the roller stand next to black out the metal tires

2 things on the front: handrail/grab iron on the front was painted black... and notice the front edge of the skirts along side of the pilot. I had painted one of them here the first coat. That just stuck out like a sore thumb so I had to paint that too.

The dummy coupler is still there because I was double heading it with 844. Now it will come off and I'll try to put a Proto Craft coupler in there....somehow!

It's the little things

Much better with black tires

Engine drivers looks 100% better but the lead engine truck wheels are hopelessly out-of-scale - way too small! Painting those pilot wheels black does help.................

Interesting to discover Lionel is using the rope style wick again. I had the new Daylight and AFT open to fix the cab vents and checked the smoke units out while the boilers were off. Thats a great move as far as I'm concerned.

Also love the new ribbon cable style wire harnesses.

Now that you've shown that the hatch can come out with (relative) ease -- there's got to be something useful for that "feature".   I was thinking bottle rockets ... running on an outdoor loop on the 4th...  but the "backwash" from the rockets would destroy the paint job dang it all...    maybe just sparklers...   or maybe... ?

Laidoffsick posted:

Much better with black tires

Very nice!.  Can you tell me where I can get that "running stand"?

daylight posted:

Laidoffsick posted:

Much better with black tires

Very nice!.  Can you tell me where I can get that "running stand"?

A great idea!!

Looks like the old Aristocraft rollers, some wood to raise the pilot and trailing trucks to the same level. Front upper wood part in the image is capable to be adjusted for locomotive length. With two pair of rollers you could then use the same stand for an articulated locomotive.

Laidoffsick posted:

Much better with black tires

Hey LaidOffSick,

First and foremost, looks amazing with this modification!  What type of paint did you use for the drivers and the ladder steps?

Thanks! Jon

I built the roller stand using scrap wood in the garage. There is a video of it in my YouTube channel.

I used Scalecoat II Loco Black for the detail painting.

Kadee front and rear with air and steam lines

Laidoffsick posted:

Kadee front and rear with air and steam lines

NICE!!!!   Now,,,,,,,don't forget that air horn. I'll bet it is a brass piece, so maybe just removing that silver paint would work fine.

Incrementally it has evolved from this.  Somewhere along the way they fixed the loco to tender paint alignment.  It was hard to stop fixating over that mistake.........some of us never have.  Then came the recent "J".

Bruce

Hot Water posted:

Laidoffsick posted:

Kadee front and rear with air and steam lines

NICE!!!!   Now,,,,,,,don't forget that air horn. I'll bet it is a brass piece, so maybe just removing that silver paint would work fine.

Stiff brush, Acetone, and a little elbow grease.....  that silver paint came right off the brass horn 

T4TT posted:

.....  I am happy I bought this engine and that Lionel is advancing our hobby.   I just wanted to post something positive about this engine as there is much about it that is worthy of praise, plus I get tired of reading all the negative posts about flaws and prices that are too high.

Wow! Finally something positive gets posted. I am tired of the negative bashing posts too.

I figure it's that winter is coming and everyone is in a bad mood. It is tough that things are priced higher so I understand some whining.

Look at the example that LOS sets by himself. He buys the engine. He makes it better, and he shares how he did it. We could learn from him if we'd just stop and look.

Hi all

Can someone be able to tell me if the CAB comes off without removing the boiler?  I know someone that has this engine and would like the vent to be corrected but told them I would see if I could get more details on the fix.

Laidoffsick, nice pics!

Thanks.

This is a great thread. I just bought the 4444 new at York at a great price! Cannot wait to start the upgrades.

I think the boiler had to come off but dont remember for sure.  I do know there was no slack in the wire harness going into the cab, so I had to loosen the harness where it was attached to the inside of the boiler.

Maybe you can see better from this photo.