(Disclaimer: It will be quite a few pennies. The base materials here ran me about 3,000 pennies. Still, that's not bad!)
I've been wanting a steeplecab loco for some time now. My previous attempt, the "Crocodile", was interesting, but not really a true shorty steeplecab...
This current project started with a $15 K-line S2 switcher from the last NW Arkansas train show...
...and a couple of slopeback tenders, one Marx and one Lionel. (The hopper car markings stand for "Those Adorable Gi-raffes". That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
A cab was sourced from an old MPC U-boat shell, and the lot was taped together for test fitting.
A gi-raffe fits just fine in the window opening!
Someone noted that the pantograph really should have been held down with electrical tape instead of masking tape. Well, the customer is always right...
The two tender ends were held together by .030" plates cut from Evergreen sheet styrene.
I decided to reinstall the sides from one of the tenders in order to add strength...
In future builds, I'll probably leave the coal bunker on one of the slopeback tenders and just remove the coal.
(to be continued)