Oh, ok…..I thought he said that was the wrong one……I was hoping it’d be green,…not only for accuracy, but the added color will bring more depth,……green it is….I can do that …..THANKS COACH!!……
Pat
@harmonyards posted:Dave, Coach, ….thanks for looking! …we’ll figure it out somehow, ……somebody on this forum has to leave near, or recently been to the museum, …..in the meantime, …the icing on the cake,….I made a new deck plate this evening for our star,….
Pat
Pat, where did you get the diamond plate brass?
@Jayhawk500 posted:Pat, where did you get the diamond plate brass?
PSC sells it by the sheet in .030 or might be a little thinner,….but it works perfect for making tread plates…I’ll see if I can hunt down PSC’s part number….
Pat
Nice upgrade Pat, that's a worthwhile addition! How about details of how you're supporting it? It that hinged?
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@RSJB18 posted:No worries Pat. Hard to tell from the pix how deep it was but you are right about holding your breath when drilling. That's a long way to go on a model.
I once routed out about 3/4" of solid diecast on the original Lionel Reading T1 rear apron to install a connector for a tether. It took me more than an hour with a Dremel and several carbide burrs, NEVER AGAIN!
John, just think of all the work this thread will make for you. Class paints, painting the cab interior, and who knows what else Pat will come up with.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Nice upgrade Pat, that's a worthwhile addition! How about details of how you're supporting it? It that hinged?
Sure, ….I’ll share the details on that upgrade, …..today I’m helping George do his custom monstrosity,…….he’s been bitten by the customizing bug, …..So we’re sorting out his brass N&W J build …..I’ve corrupted yet another mind…..
Pat
@harmonyards posted:Sure, ….I’ll share the details on that upgrade, …..today I’m helping George do his custom monstrosity,…….he’s been bitten by the customizing bug, …..So we’re sorting out his brass N&W J build …..I’ve corrupted yet another mind…..
Just talked to George, we'll get him in the Lionel camp yet. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Just talked to George, we'll get him in the Lionel camp yet.
He used to think I was nuts doing these chassis swaps until I showed him how cool it is….now he’s hooked …….if we get him into kadees, it’s boom, boom, out goes the lights …..😁
Pat
Go Pat!
For all the good George does for everyone else 
Bravo!
@harmonyards posted:Dave, Coach, ….thanks for looking! …we’ll figure it out somehow, ……somebody on this forum has to leave near, or recently been to the museum, …..in the meantime, …the icing on the cake,….I made a new deck plate this evening for our star,….
Pat
On the plate and deck, how much play is involved on that whole assembly? The deck is brass you said, what is the other bits and will they affect the turning or play of the engine and the tender? I forgot to take a closer look on the laptop when you had it running before Pat. Just curious.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:On the plate and deck, how much play is involved on that whole assembly? The deck is brass you said, what is the other bits and will they affect the turning or play of the engine and the tender? I forgot to take a closer look on the laptop when you had it running before Pat. Just curious.
Dave, the deck plate is specifically designed for O72 or larger track. Hence the curvature in the corners. However, I’ve built the locomotive with smaller layouts in mind O54 minimum. For O54, one would simply leave the deck plate in the down position, beings the tender has to be further away for O54 operations…….
we got busy last night, so after work today I’ll give the run down on the deck plate install…..hopefully I’ll have time this evening to paint the cab interior green…with the help of George & John, we also have a solid plan for driver lights, which will add another touch of class….
Pat
Pat, is there a lucky customer behind all these upgrades or have you just given in to the allure of all that yellow make-up smeared on that big blunt face?
That sounds pretty awesome Pat. I had thought there would be something to the way the plate would be out of the way for smaller curves, but was curious how the "tabs" play into it. Guess we'll find out later on tonight. Can't wait.
Like Coach stated above - my little Railking Yellowbelly is now "lacking"! 
Would love to have this model in my roundhouse!
Coach, this one’s for you!….thanks for the research! ….it was a bit of a pain to mask and spray the cab interior green, but well worth the effort,…..about an hour of masking, for 30 seconds of spraying!
Pat 
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That looks awesome Pat. Now I'll have to paint my Williams "Blue Goose" interior. Tom, Number 90, let me know the Santa Fe used green on steam cab interiors. Maybe I'll try a brush.
Another awesome job Pat! A massive improvement to that locomotive.
@harmonyards posted:Coach, this one’s for you!….thanks for the research! ….it was a bit of a pain to mask and spray the cab interior green, but well worth the effort,…..about an hour of masking, for 30 seconds of spraying!
Pat
You know what is really great too besides the nice green interior? The crew. It looks like Pat found some New York Central crew members to head this C&O beauty in the making. Not sure where those other guys went off to, but these new guys enjoy hearty meals, that's why they look so bulky and not sickly.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:You know what is really great too besides the nice green interior? The crew. It looks like Pat found some New York Central crew members to head this C&O beauty in the making. Not sure where those other guys went off to, but these new guys enjoy hearty meals, that's why they look so bulky and not sickly.
On these yellow belly’s Dave, there’s no crew, no floor, no backhead, no nothing,…..everything has to be made from scratch!….when you look into the back of a stock Yellow Belly, all you’d see is a big ugly Pulmor!……
Pat
@harmonyards posted:On these yellow belly’s Dave, there’s no crew, no floor, no backhead, no nothing,…..everything has to be made from scratch!….when you look into the back of a stock Yellow Belly, all you’d see is a big ugly Pulmor!……
Pat
Dang Pat, so the former crew were ghosts and took some of the equipment with them. Oh boy.
Beautiful work here Pat. Was never even tempted by these when Lionel first produced them as to me they seemed slightly too short and even too tall although they did call them semi-scale. In reading through the link that Coach Joe posted above, one post mentioned that the Yellowbellies 'were originally Pacifics that were converted into Hudsons'. Is a real Pacific shorter than a traditional NYC Hudson perchance? Is the 490 the same size as No. 5344 for instance?
@c.sam posted:Beautiful work here Pat. Was never even tempted by these when Lionel first produced them as to me they seemed slightly too short and even too tall although they did call them semi-scale. In reading through the link that Coach Joe posted above, one post mentioned that the Yellowbellies 'were originally Pacifics that were converted into Hudsons'. Is a real Pacific shorter than a Hudson perchance?
The L1 Hudson was actual a rebuild from an F19 Pacific. Surely ( although I haven’t actually measured a F19 ) the Pacific would’ve been a bit shorter than a Hudson. The idea being the Hudson had a larger firebox area, thus, the need for a 4 wheel trailing truck supporting the firebox. I have no idea why Lionel called this engine a semi scale. From measurements, the Lionel model falls within inches of scale, I’d consider it very close to scale and a far cry from semi- scale ……I wouldn’t have bothered building it if it wasn’t very close…..
Pat
The C&O Historical Society published a short paperback on the L1 Hudsons. In it there is a drawing overlaying the L1 with a NYC Hudson. They are very close in size with the L1 being a bit shorter than the NYC Hudson. The difference being the L1 has smaller drivers than the NYC so the L1 wheelbase is shorter. Overall height is the same.
I had one of the Lionel's until 3rd Rail released their L1 model. It's very accurate and blows the Lionel version away in terms of detail (at a price of course). What struck me was 3rd Rail got the nose contour correct. It's not as flat as Lionel modeled it or the especially flat faced Rail King version.
Ken
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Thanks to John & George for the help with the rest of the lighting chores, we have driver lights that go out after 10 mph, cab light that goes out in motion, & firebox glow,….this engine is 100% LED, …..that cab looks real good lit up!….the green makes for a nice touch!…
Pat 
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The icing on tonight’s cake, …..addressing the mundane tender coal pile,…..simple thing to do since the coal pile is a removable piece, …I’m not a fan of cast in coal loads, ….and this one was especially drab,…..using Brennan’s real anthracite #5 & some 5 minute epoxy, and the tender really pops now!….details are beginning to pile up nicely, …..and we’re nowhere’s near done!……hint, hint, hint,….
Pat 
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@harmonyards posted:The icing on tonight’s cake, …..addressing the mundane tender coal pile,…..simple thing to do since the coal pile is a removable piece, …I’m not a fan of cast in coal loads, ….and this one was especially drab,…..using Brennan’s real anthracite #5 & some 5 minute epoxy, and the tender really pops now!….details are beginning to pile up nicely, …..and we’re nowhere’s near done!……hint, hint, hint,….
Pat
I popped an eye with dinner and was going to ask this very question Pat, but you answered before I could reply. Much better now.
Pat, What resistor did you settle on for the ground lights and did you mount up high or lower them? It has a nice effect. G
Such sophisticated lighting, different lights going on or off on cue. You're electrical (electronics) helpers are just as incredible as you.
One quick question about the coal load. Since the load was removable what was the reason for masking the sides?
@GGG posted:Pat, What resistor did you settle on for the ground lights and did you mount up high or lower them? It has a nice effect. G
George, I used the 470 just as you had set it up on the bench test. I mounted them on that ledge we looked at, I figured the brightness with the 470 would be enough to do the effect that high up in the shell,…..I tested it before I settled, and was plenty happy with the result….
Pat
@coach joe posted:Such sophisticated lighting, different lights going on or off on cue. You're electrical (electronics) helpers are just as incredible as you.
One quick question about the coal load. Since the load was removable what was the reason for masking the sides?
Coach, the coal pile is friction fit on the sides, with two clips fore & aft. I masked the sides to keep the epoxy off the friction fit sides. This way, when I was done, I wouldn’t compromise the fit into the tender’s coal bunker….
Pat
@harmonyards posted:The icing on tonight’s cake, …..addressing the mundane tender coal pile,…..simple thing to do since the coal pile is a removable piece, …I’m not a fan of cast in coal loads, ….and this one was especially drab,…..using Brennan’s real anthracite #5 & some 5 minute epoxy, and the tender really pops now!….details are beginning to pile up nicely, …..and we’re nowhere’s near done!……hint, hint, hint,….
Pat
Pat, I want to send mine back down to you for all the enhancements! This project is going to be a real head-turner! 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Pat, I want to send mine back down to you for all the enhancements!
Haha, I sort of thought that yours would be making it's way down there John. I'm envious with all this. It will definitely be a beauty once all is said and done.
Another neat add-on, …..I noticed in every picture & video of the 490 I’ve seen has the flexible water hose connection between the engine & tender, ….I’ll follow suit with this connection…..3.0mm expansion spring works great here. Bulk head connectors are made from brass stock, and fitted with 3-48 studs. A little crook in the first hoop on each spring end makes a great friction fit so it can be easily pulled apart if need be ….
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@coach joe posted:Yours looks so much better than mine. I don't know if my spring is too short or if I have too much stud sticking out of the auxiliary tender not allowing a natural looking droop.
It looks great coach, ….nothing wrong with that,…
Pat
Is it live or is it Memorex? Awesome.
Test run, …..almost ready to pull the Croton local on a solo run, …..can’t wait to get this thing up to 60-65 mph and watch her cruise,……😀
Pat
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those driver lights are so D**N cool Pat!
Beautiful
@coach joe posted:Pat, is there a lucky customer behind all these upgrades or have you just given in to the allure of all that yellow make-up smeared on that big blunt face?
<-------
Give you a guess Coach? Arrow is pointing at me.
