3/4" Scale J1e

[Greg_Lewis]

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To my eye the 1/8" tube just looked too small.
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This is an interesting point. A perfectly scaled model may just not look right. Somehow things just don't always scale down visually. I've made similar compromises for better looks.

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The Lionel Hudson (which influenced my decision to build this model) had stainless handrails and I always liked that. The prototype most likely had steel handrails painted black . I have thought about using stainless and leaving them bright. What are your thoughts on this? Your opinions are most welcome.
Jack

Well, I'd try the stainless first. You can always paint them later if they look out of place.

[Bill Shields]

anything that doesn't look like it needs to be polished looks good to me.

If you are going to get a wire up through the handrail....

Even though it might not be 'realistic', stainless cladding on the boiler has become quite attractive to me...no need to paint, worry about rust or polish.

Fred Bouffard's locos (all that I have seen), are that way and realistic or not, they REALLY JUMP OUT at you

[NP317]

It's your locomotive model, and your artwork. Do as you please!

When we restored the #91 Heisler at the Mt. Rainier Scenic RR in 1980, we installed a stainless steel jacket for longevity.
We also chose to keep it SS, and not painted. Some people complained, but we just invited them to paint it.
Silence.
And that jacket remains in excellent condition today.

I think you will like SS hand rails...
~RN

[Asteamhead]

Hello NP317,
Great work with your Heisler!
There is on more severe advantage using stainless steel for the jacketing: Thermal losses by radiation will be reduced a great deal due to the reflecting inner side of the jacket Experience with both my locos which are equipped with boilers and jackets made of ss are showing this effect
Jack,
Please think once more regarding plans to use the tiny handrail tubes for electric wires. Even using teflon insulated wires won't make it an easy job to insert them in case there are any bends in those handrails. It might be almost impossible to change those wires In case of troubles!
With my DB class 44 I inserted wires into such tiny ss tubes (2.5 mm) to meet the prototype. Wires broke at (leaded) connections after some time and needed replacement . Impossible to draw or shift them through (bended) tubes!
Please watch the photo which is showing such connection in repair.
I would recommend to hide the wires under the running board ore else (next time).
Best regards
Asteamhead

[Bill Shields]

Asteamhead:

you mean you did not pull the wire through with dental floss????

[NP317]

Asteamhead:

you mean you did not pull the wire through with dental floss????

Or use thin flexible "piano wire?"
~RN

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Thanks again for the suggestions and comments. I have done some experimenting with 3/32" thin wall tube and #26 Ga. insulated wire. It will slide right in. With junction boxes at the front end near where the hand rail bends I don't think it will be a problem. And I can also pull it through with dental floss.
Jack

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Here is a bit of an update. The smoke box front has been mostly made. The large ring was made from a 5" diameter 1/2" thick brass disc from our old friend McMaster. The smaller disc was made from a 3" diameter bit of aluminum bronze that was laying around. Next will be trimming the outer disc to fit the air compressor cut outs. Then the Okadee hinges, the marker lamps, and flag holders. This must be done before the studs and nuts around the perimeter as they have uneven spacing where they fit around the hinges, markers and such. There is also a raised area where the hinges for the inner door mount. I haven't figured out how to do this yet, but I think it will involve silver solder. I have been working on the railway a lot lately as the weather has been nice and almost have the steaming bay area finished, pictures coming soon.
Happy Model Building
Jack

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
As stated before the stack that came with the engine was an ugly lump, so a master for investment casting a new one was started today. A length of two inch brass was chucked up in the lathe and bored and turned to shape. The taper is one in twelve and the wall thickness is 3/32". Scale thickness would have been 1/32" but that's too thin as I see it and may not have cast that well. The bottom 7/16" of the stack is not tapered and allowance was made to fit a threaded petticoat. The petticoat will not be a casting. Then the base was made from 1/16" brass. This was cut out and had the mounting holes drilled, then annealed and fitted to the curve of the smoke box. The bottom photo shows the whole mess mocked up. The stack and base have been joined with some Gorilla Glue epoxy. A fillet will be formed between the stack and base with bondo. This fillet is of constantly changing radius and will be massaged with files and sandpaper, and checked with some cardboard radius templates. Once the fillet is fully formed the bolt holes in the base will be used to locate a cutter to cut the recesses for the mounting bolt bosses. Then the bosses will be stuck on. The bossed have to be stuck on after the fillet is formed as they would prevent shaping of the fillet. I will make the cutter with a pilot that will be guided by the bolt holes in the base. The mounting bolts will be #0-80. Remember this is just a master for a rubber mould, so epoxy and Bodo will be just fine. Fortunately I have drawings for this little trinket.
Too much fun.
Jack

[Greg_Lewis]

Jack:
Just curious.... why not just fabricate the stack and skip the casting process?

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Greg asks a good question, why would I make a casting instead of a fabrication. Well, there are a couple reasons. The first can be answered by looking at the top photo here. In that photo we can see our little smoke stack with Bondo blobbed around the area between the base and the stack cylinder. How would you do this with metal? If you could add metal it would be difficult to shape and finish. This is easy with Bondo and the second photo shows the first go round with a couple different wooden dowels wrapped with eighty grit sand paper. Bondo was re applied and this was done two more times to get things looking good. The last time #120 grit paper was used. Then it had a couple squirts of sandable primer and was sanded with #220 and then #400 grit. It also had the holes poked through the bottom. These holes will locate and guide the little 1/8" diameter cutter that will make the recesses for the bosses that the bolts will go through.
Now for the second reason. Over the years I have made many things and later said to myself, why didn't I pull a mold off of that? Until fairly recently I didn't have a clue how to do that. But now I do know how, and it costs almost nothing, a little time and a few dollars of material. Then I can make more if needed. I will be making a lot of castings for the J1e, and many will be useful for other 3/4" scale engines. If builders want them they are available. Anything to encourage more building in 3/4" scale.
See you in the funny pages...
Jack

[Greg_Lewis]

Thanks, Jack. We hope you'll share with us the mold making process for that stack. Undercuts and a big fat core.