The Erie-Built Diesel

Here is the original Atlas plastic body - no grillework or doors:

Here are two more - the first is the lost-plastic nose, married to the roof with the ”snowplow” coaming.  The second shows a plastic side master with the resulting bronze side.

I can't offer any tips to your questions Bob, but I like your progress!

Looks great!

Wow! Kept the photos coming. Awesome work.

Those castings look very nice, Bob.

Jeff C

Thanks for the encouragement.  Here it is almost ready for the torch and solder operation.  Those bolt heads will disappear, some by grinding flat and others by opening the windows.  Soldering one of these monsters requires that all parts are joined solidly; there are six giant steel screws holding the roof on.

That unit behind it is a Jack Raymus E-7, shown below.  It got soldered together last year, and awaits only paint and handrails.  My next goal is some patterns like these Raymus sides so we can cast a few sides for the more common Adams E-7 models.  I plan to do them in polystyrene, or whatever the local hobby shop has in stock.

In my opinion, the most difficult part of this project is the nose art.  This is my first cut at it -soldered strips of .020 brass on a .010 plate, then attached with contact cement.  I need a better jig and six stripes, but this might work.

I did consider metal tape,  and may still try that.  Open to suggestions.

This would be a good situation for the use of a photo-etched part.  Say .010" nickel silver, with the grooves half-etched.  Or whatever thickness you like.  .010" is 1/2" at scale, so that would seem to be a nice compromise between thickness and flexibility for bending around the nose.  If you don't have a local-ish source for etching, PPD in the UK can do the work.  They do model railroad work all the time.

I know somebody that can do the cad for you .

Jim

that's not bad at all Bob. maybe the next attempt will be cleaner.

would it be out of line to suggest making it up out of styrene strips on a sheet?

Yes, because I plan to let the solder simulate the stainless.  But I did lay in a can of Alclad II, so plastic is a remote possibility.  I have more uniform strips of brass ready for attempt #2.

Thanks for the interest.  My friends at MTJ have not even noticed.

My next question - I was always a Scalecoat fan, but my, how things have changed.  For Milwaukee, I need suggestions on a good brand for both the maroon and orange.  I want them to "pop" - not like the K-Line cars.  Had K-Line not elected for a brownish maroon, I would have a string, including the Skytop.

Looking good Bob!

On artwork, I'd coñsider checking local schools/colleges/etc for a talented airbrush artist. When I was in school we longed for a shot at something like that rather than comming up with something just for the sake of something to be graded.

The airbrush folks at a local trade center did a lot of work for some of my later endevers when I lacked the time or equipment to achieve what I wanted. They worked cheaper on cool stuff... but I'm the tipping type, and the work was always great   (and formerly being good in graphics too, I can be a pretty hàrdnosed judge)

   À good airbrush artist can produce work you would have a hard time distinguishing from an actual photograph ..... and students work cheap, sometimes free + supplies.  Talk to teachers, but remember that those that can't excell, can at least teach. Ask to see work.

I was an airbrush artist once.  I was never good enough to do lettering.  We used a lot of frisket.

Etching nickel silver is a neat idea, but I think a cost/benefit study might indicate that the best course of action is to continue in the do it myself direction.  I will probably go for custom decals for the maroon on silver, but I will wait until I see how the simulated stainless looks.  Solder holds a polish for quite a long time - lots longer than brass.  And I can try that Alclad II, at eight bucks an ounce.

Bob you might want to try Bare Metal Foil for the stainless look its in the model car section.  For great looking Milwaukee paint I use Tru color and its about the best match for Milw colors. Just finishing up a Milwaukee MP15AC an Overland model used the tru color Milw orange and made the decals, I'll post pics when its done.

Thanks.  I gave some consideration to metal tape.  The stuff I have was used to protect the Fiberglas cowls on the 737 from erosion, and is a bit thick.

I might use it below the stainless corrugations, then put a maroon/clear decal over it.

I am surprised that this version of the Erie-Built has not been done in O scale yet.  I will risk reproducing what I think is an HO model.  It appears in those google search photo groups.

Here we go:,

Bob actually Atlas O offered the loco in 2005 or 06 in the Oly Hi scheme just as you pictured.

For stainless paint, you’ Want to look into one of these products...

https://youtu.be/rfLlmmu_rDg

Thanks!

-Mario

Hard to watch, but I got the idea via multiple fast forwards.  Never heard of K-color - will give it a shot.

I knew that Atlas did the Milwaukee paint scheme, but the only photos I have seen is without the corrugated stainless.  I asked them if they had done a "stick-on" for it, but no reply.

And I think I found who did the model in the photo - they specialize in Milwaukee decals.  More when they e-mail me. Edit: Streamstyle Graphics.  They actually etched the corrugations in nickel silver.  HO only.

Scale City Designs posted:

Bob actually Atlas O offered the loco in 2005 or 06 in the Oly Hi scheme just as you pictured.

Correct and there is a listing of an MILW A&B unit on da bay right now!

Right you are.  I found it, even though gremlins have hijacked my eBay.  I think my preliminary stainless looks better than theirs, but both are nowhere near as good as the streamstyles above.

Overland Pilot model.  Will be P:48 and new drive.

Jay

You didn't say pilot model over there (I don't think).  Story? Is there more than one?  Is it recent production, with good solder joints?

Two models (1 set).  Not recent.  Solder joints are fine (not early production).

The trailing unit is a production OMI model.  It is an unpainted PRR version and will be modified.  All of the drive components will be recycled.  Bob, check out the trucks.

A fine-looking machine - nice job!

Tom imported factory finished Milwaukee A/B/A units on roughly the same prototype so building a one off set in UP with UP detailing not that difficult for the artisans at Ajin Precision. It’s actually typical, I don’t believe these models were even advertised they only showed in one issue of the Overland Mail, I need to dig. Most of these late projects Tom did with Brian were super super low production runs and often times never advertised unless the builder made extras. The Milw units had catalog numbers, if APM did put those UP units together as a one off for an order I would believe that but pre-production “Pilot” with typical pilot errors it looks like a one off build for a client to me, I have a few models that were built to this sort of arrangement. They were done in HO at the same time frame 2002 I think . Opinion

https://www.brasstrains.com/cl...qquP402nDM1RQIfH6GaU

Man, Erik - I just lust after that model.  I have come to a semi stop with my bronze version, but note from your photo that my windows and snowplow roof are closer to the Milwaukee version above than to the UP that Jay posted.  Either way, these photos really help out, and I shall capture them for future use.

Still looking forward to ScaleCity's Milwaukee paint job.

Well, here is my final version of the stainless scallops and the anti-climber.  A long way to go, but you can see progress!  I have been side tracked with a 4-12-2, and tonight it gets firebox netting.  This thing is getting close to maroon and orange paint.

A craftsman...in the truest sense of the word. 

Mark in Oregon

By the way, Scott Mann was kind enough to sell me some E7 bodies, knowing what my intentions were.  I have cut the B unit sides loose, and now await word from my foundry guy as to whether we can do sand cast E7 sides for the Adams doorstops.

Bob2, you are doing a fantastic job. The Atlas engine is my favorite of all my diesels. It took a long time and some luck to get mine with the nose trim. Atlas charged an arm and legs for that model. Good luck and keep us posted. Don

I am getting there.  Orange is baked on; getting ready for maroon.

Callie Graphics will be doing the "cigar band".  She does amazing things, but it would be easier if she had some kind of sample to go by.  I will give her a template, and some basic info, but it would be great if I could find a flat decal or print.  Streamstyle had them, but are now out of stock, and didn't respond to my query.

Any hints out there?  Any railroad graphics sites I am unaware of?

I would suggest contacting the Milwaukee Road Historical Society, or the Milwaukee Public Library.  I would tend to believe that Streamstyle would have sourced the information form somewhere, and those are the two most likely places I can think of to ask.  

An alternative would be to purchase the HO set of etched parts from Bill Davis to use as a reference for creating new artwork.  

Jim

All good ideas.  Thanks.  Inquiry is in to the society.  I will ask Billy as well.

bob2 posted:

Well, here is my final version of the stainless scallops and the anti-climber.  A long way to go, but you can see progress!  I have been side tracked with a 4-12-2, and tonight it gets firebox netting.  This thing is getting close to maroon and orange paint.

Please, please, pretty please, glaze the windows...

I have a pair of dome cars that get glazing first.  Glazing scares me - everything has to fit perfectly, and then you cannot spill any glue.  That may be what stops my Skytop project,  I have no doubt that I can do the mullions, but fitting all that glass?  Yuk!  

But you are right - this thing would be relatively easy.