Question on painting brass engine

If you are handy with an air brush, there is no need to completely dismantle the loco, looks like you got it pretty far apart now. the most important thing is clean...clean....clean....remove grease and oils....if its all oily and greasy in the running gear, a rinse with Isopryl Alcohol will help. I use fine line tape from automotive refinishing stores to tape around the drivers where they ride on the rails. keep in mind, paint don't like to stick to super slick surfaces like chrome or anything polished, so these places or parts will need to be scuffed with a scuffy pad or fine sand paper. when I airbrush a chassis like that, I usually keep the motor in it so I can either turn the flywheel or the motor shaft itself exposing unpainted sections that the gun could not hit in the first pass... how far apart you tear down from here will all depend on how you want the finish to look, there is all different levels for all different folks.......good luck, have fun with it....and sunset makes a nice model........on a side note...if aint already got one...stick a pittman motor in that beauty! 

also Adam, you will need to protect from painting the electrical pick up system of that loco....2 rail can be a little more tricky than us 3 railers. I cant exactly remember how sunset picks up track power, but keep that in mind before attempting spraying........

Its up to you but I always disassemble them. At least remove the valve gear and brake shoes. In the long run it will be faster not having to mask off a lot of small parts and you will get a better job.

Pete

I don't usually disassemble any farther than you did.   I mask the tires and on recent jobs have hand painted the wheels.    For the running gear I started using "NEO-Lube" brushed on.    This is a graphite solution in alcohol I think that is sold by BTS models among others.    I think Micro-Mark handles it also.    It is brushed on and creates a dull metallic look like polished steel.     The nice thing is it is electrical conductive, and it is a lubricant.   

I use the NEO-Lube on painted brass locos to dull the running gear also.

if you haven't already done so, test run the locomotive to make sure it runs smoothly, doesn't have any shorts, and that the wheels/drivers are in gauge.  Any required repairs are better done on an unpainted locomotives.

Your choice - carefully disassemble or just hose it down.  I have done both.  Always better to get the frame painted with drivers removed.

But - if you are not in the mood, and have an airbrush, some lacquer-based flat black can be sprayed on while the mechanism is slowly running will make it ok.

After paint is applied, keep it running, and using Q-tips and acetone or lacquer thinner, clean the tires.  Easy, and ok appearance.  You will never completely coat the frame under the drivers, but you won't notice too much.

I have tested the motor and cleaned and lubed the gears. It runs nice and smooth. I am afraid to remove the drivers and the rods to be honest. I'm afraid I'll never get them back on properly.

Removing the rods are not a problem. Take some pictures first, then get a couple of bowls marking them left and right. 

The drivers are another matter. They appear to be pressed on and would require quartering when reinstalled. Not worth the hassle if you don't have the fixtures.

Pete

You didn't provide a photo of the underside of the frame, but if the drivers and axles are held in place by a small strap (usually with a machine screw at each end) across the bottom of each slot in the frame for the journals, then you can remove these straps and drop each axle with its associated journals and drivers without disassembling them or having to re-quarter them.  Just keep the axles in the proper order for reassembly.

In that case, I vote for the simple solution.  Get it on blocks, and running, and paint it.  Turn it upside down, get it running, and put a second coat on.

Practice disassembly on something less expensive, like Lobaugh or All Nation.