A champion is born.

boomerralph · Post by **boomerralph** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:40 pm

Beautiful Paul! Just beautiful.

pkeiser · Post by **pkeiser** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 12:00 pm

Thanks brother Ralph. Yesterday I fabricated the front tender sill from a bar of 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" CRS. The 1/8" brass pipes goes through the sill. Connections are for air ,water vacuum and electrical. View of the bottom show 10/32" set screws that secure the pipes to the sill to get rid of the giggle and making everything tight from movement.

Highiron · Post by **Highiron** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:10 am

Great job buddy...see ya in a couple weeks

Highiron · Post by **Highiron** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:29 pm

Okay....I need to clear up a couple things here for those who keep asking questions and emailing me

Both Paul's 1690 and my 1637 Northern being covered in this build thread are built from the ALCO (formerly Little engines Old Northern) Castings...these are not the light or what was the "new Northern. they are both as is Hudson Honey's Hudson from castings from all the new patterns.

These are the first Engines built from all the new tooling and drawing changes and are the first completed of these Northern's in more than 25+ years

HOWEVER as asked ..the tenders ARE NOT to the Little Engines drawings as I wanted tender that resembled that used on the Lackawanna Railroad
Paul, did modify the coal boards on his tender for 1690

The tender drawings supplied with the drawing set are those for the original ride in straight sided coal board version and the tank is about 4" shorter than the iones we are using here

I hope this clears up the questions on which engines these are

Thanks for all the interest

Mike Venezia

pkeiser · Post by **pkeiser** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 6:17 pm

Well since my wife let me out of the house yesterday and today I headed directly to the man cave [ the shop ]. I always thought when I first go in this hobby 11 years ago why somebody hadn't come up with a slick tender foot peg system. I saw motor cycle foot rests and 1/2" carriage bolts threaded into the tender sill and I though uuuughh. So Mr. Paulie here has come up with the slick idea. The pictures tell the story. This is me third locomotive and this system was used on the first two. It works. Also, in the trailer I fasten steel loops and turnbuckles to the pegs and turnbuckles on the safety chain loops in the rear of the tender and pull the whole thing tight down to the floor. That way you are pulling the tender from either end so it can't dance around off the tracks. The locomotive is connected to the tender, naturally, and the drivers are pulled down to the floor with clamps like we use on our Bridgeport mills.

NP5002 · Post by **NP5002** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 9:07 pm

Great idea Paul. I love your work. I also do a similar thing with the Yellowstone. It works great. Your amazing.

pkeiser · Post by **pkeiser** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:26 pm

The rear tender sill is fabricated rather than a casting. So the pole pockets were an issue. I had to think about this because I didn't want to make something not believable and stupid.
I got a piece of 1" dia. brass and stuck it the lathe and 7/8" ball end mill and plunged it .312" deep into the brass rod. Next an industrial die grinder and polished it till it looked good. Cut it off .375" long.
Next, a boring bar and made a hole on each end of the sill .250" deep a couple of thousands over the dia. of my little brass piece. J B WELD to fasten the brass piece into the hole and waited over night. Lastly, polished once more around the edges ..... well I think it's believable and not stupid. Paint it all black and then only the rivet counters will have something to say about it.

dwilloughby · Post by **dwilloughby** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:36 pm

How to keep a rivet counter quiet. 'Where's yours.'

pkeiser · Post by **pkeiser** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:44 pm

Well, that's what I think also Dean !

pkeiser · Post by **pkeiser** » Thu Dec 10, 2015 3:07 pm

This is one job I hate. Half round brass on hot roll steel is a mess and tedious and time consuming. Also, you have to use high temp silver solder. I have heard suggestions of other way to attach the half round brass but I follow what works however difficult it may be. It does polish out nicely though and when its painted it looks great.

pkeiser · Post by **pkeiser** » Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:43 pm

This has nothing to do with anything but I had to share this Christmas gift to myself this year with ya'll. An extravagance for sure and I could really not justify ...but I've been a good boy . Santa brung it anyway. I completed my Mitutoyo Holtest gauges from .8" to 5". WaaHoooo ! This last set was from 2"-4" and it just arrived today. And since my wife does not know,,, I'm safe.