Under The Hood: Roll Your Own Steeplecab For Only Pennies!

Okay, Mitch: You win! That's the best answer / solution I've seen yet. As you said in the last photo about leaving the coal bunker on, just take the cab off that S2, add a piece of plastic for a flat roof and you'll have it.

Very nice project, Mitch!!

Looking good Mitch.

Looks fantastic so far 🙂

Who has more fun with trains than you.

Looks good, Mitch.

I started mine the same way, using Marx tenders. For the center cab, a cut down Thomas/Annie/Clara-belle did the trick. Never finished it, though.

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

(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) 

Great job Mitch !

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

 

Dang, you're creative!  I'm jealous!  

Part Two:  

Here, the cab is test fit after the cement set on the lower shell.  

The other side of the cab.  Rather rough shape after having been cut free from the shell, but some 220 grit wet-or-dry helped: 

A good source of .010 styrene:  "For Sale" signs from your local big box, farm store et cetera.   Note the "#6 PS" label.  The only difference between this stuff and .010 Evergreen sheet styrene is the printing on it, which needs to be sanded off before cementing.   

A chunk is cemented into place.  

At this point, I scrounged bits together to mount a front coupler.  Wound up cutting down an old Lionel coupler to fit, and holding it together with black hair bands.  Not pretty, but it gets the job done. 

Test fitting the cab end  before trimming to size. 

Square Plastruct tubing forms bosses for the chassis screws. 

The tender ends are trimmed down and styrene ends applied.  

The little beggar will pull quite a consist!  

(to be continued) 

Mitch 

T A & G says he... hee hee 

awesome work! i've been wanting to do something like this with 2 mpc slopebacks i have in my parts drawer. 

Adriatic posted:

T A & G says he... hee hee 

It's amazing how many filthy minds are out there.  What's wrong with the Texas, Alabama and Georgia Railway?   

Signalwoman posted:

awesome work! i've been wanting to do something like this with 2 mpc slopebacks i have in my parts drawer. 

I actually wanna get a couple MPC slopebacks for my next steeplecab.  I used them to build the Crocodile, and it's a snap to add working headlights to 'em! 

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Signalwoman posted:

awesome work! i've been wanting to do something like this with 2 mpc slopebacks i have in my parts drawer. 

I actually wanna get a couple MPC slopebacks for my next steeplecab.  I used them to build the Crocodile, and it's a snap to add working headlights to 'em! 

Mitch 

my thoughts exactly! 

I love this post and I love your steeplecab!  Great job!

Part The Third!  

Fortescue demonstrates the NASCAR approach to boarding the locomotive:

For those less athletically minded, an alternate method is offered: 

Back to the workshop, where the B end cab windows are roughed in: 

In order to appease the naysayers,  side doors and ladders are installed. 

Squadron Green putty covers a multitude of sins. 

@CBS072 kindly donated a headlight/numberboard casting, which is installed at this point. 

Rather than relocate the lamp socket, I fabricated a jumper using the bayonet base of a burned-out bulb:

Time for the trolley pole and roofwalk!  The lines are to locate the dead center of the cab, or near enough. 

A roofwalk is fabricated from strip basswood. 

The pole is fitted. It could, in future, potentially take power from overhead wires. 

Pole hooks are fabricated from brass wire and installed. 

Time to cement the cab to the body!  Note the plastic window insert.  A piece of clear plastic from an old parts drawer was cut to fit the gap in the B end.  

A bit of filing and sanding,  and it's off to the paint shop! 

The chassis sides, steps and endrails are sprayed a light yellow, which is what I had on hand. 

Final assembly!  Razorback logo stickers will have to wait until I get some in stock. 

Off to the layout for a test run!  

You may wonder why "Bessie", as I've dubbed the steeplecab, isn't in Razorback Red?  Well, a) I think steeplecabs look better in black; and b) gloss black paint hides a variety of sins, bodyworkwise. 

Anyhow, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I do plan on revisiting this project using different tender shells and cabs.  Watch this space!  ;-) 

Mitch 

Great work Mitch. Very creative. I would watch the speed around the curves....I'd imagine its a bit top heavy now. I'm quite familiar with the speeds generated by the motors in K-line S-2's

RSJB18 posted:

Great work Mitch. Very creative. I would watch the speed around the curves....I'd imagine its a bit top heavy now. I'm quite familiar with the speeds generated by the motors in K-line S-2's

Indeed!  I may go back and wire the little indefinites in series at some point...   

Mitch

Wow, I love how this looks! It never would have occurred to me to use two tender shells like that, but it really looks great now that it's done!

Great job

Excellent looking and running, Mitch!

That thing FLIES!  What a great job, Mitch.  Thanks for stepping us through the project and as always your sense of humor, too.

Tomlinson Run Railroad

Mitch, that is really nice, you did a terrific job on it and I really like the way you gave a step by step build on it.  I was surprised at how much it will pull.  Great Job,

FANTASTIC !!  

rkswenson1 posted:

 

Great job Mitch !

These three words, "Great job Mitch",  are more than complimentary.  As good as they are,  there was no need to re-post all of Mitch's photos.

Cool project! Love the detailed step-by-step!

Excellent job.  The details of the process are much appreciated.  Gives me some ideas for scrounging through junk boxes at future meets.

Yes, Mitch; You are the master of scrounge and thinking outside of the box.  I never would have seen a steeple cab in those tenders and cab!

Mark Boyce posted:

Yes, Mitch; You are the master of scrounge and thinking outside of the box.  I never would have seen a steeple cab in those tenders and cab!

Interestingly enough, the North Shore Railroad in northern California was way ahead of me (1902 to be precise): 

https://www.laparks.org/travel...lectric-1544-electra

Mitch 

What a great idea, very nice!

You have single-handedly moved the market for orphan slope-back tenders and switcher cabs.  I expect the prices of those "junk" items to skyrocket.

Great story about the Electra prototype, Mitch.  Thanks for the link.

Bessie now sports the colors of The 48 Club! 

https://ogrforum.com/...1#154589723654873711

Great work! Looks terrific.

More of "Bessie"...

Excellent job, Mitch!!

Mitch I remember following this build and wondered if that steeple cab ever got its RBTC markings but it definitely represents the 48 Club very well.

Had I noticed this project sooner (i.e. much sooner) I would have suggested narrowing the tenders by sawing out the steps (they are their very own guides). After all, some full-size steeplecabs have offset hoods to accommodate the entrance doors, correct?

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

Had I noticed this project sooner (i.e. much sooner) I would have suggested narrowing the tenders by sawing out the steps (they are their very own guides). After all, some full-size steeplecabs have offset hoods to accommodate the entrance doors, correct?

Well, there's always Bessie Mk II in the future...

Mitch