Looking great as always.

Got rivets done today, not too much of a look shift but time consuming. Moved pictures to the spray booth because my camera was refusing to focus, it did better but not perfect.

Was going for getting a bunch done this weekend and got more then I thought I would done. With structures done and rivets on its time for final details.

I started with the tender which mostly handrails. Water hatch handles, back handrail and cut lever were placed.



Front is just the railings to get up.



Next the engine front got done. The smokebox step, cut lever, boiler struts, front hand rail and a bit of an extension for the air hose was placed. Also grab irons for the sand dome were put on visible in the picture.



Sanders were next.



This is to show that an extension to the bottom of the cab is needed for the injector lifters.



Then the injector pipe went to the check valve, also the power reverse linkage was fleshed out which needed to be done at this point before being pretty covered by air lines.



Now there is the air lines. The top of the 3 under the firebox goes to the back of the air tank under the power reverse. The middle and bottom lines go up and over the power reverse one goes to the air hose the other I'm not sure what it does but for the model they get stuffed behind the air tank and end. The 4 step on the front air tank comes from the fireman's side front air tank and starts at the top of the section the bottom part goes to the front of the air tank. The back of that font air tank goes behind the valve gear hanger then loops on the air tank to go in to the front of the tank under the power reverse.

Dome throttle linkage and whistle were installed too.



Then the side hand rails were put on, they are always last to not have to stuff things under them.

The fireman's side starts the same ways as the engineers. The sanders are placed and the injector line goes over top the sanders down to the injector lifter. The line ducks behind the air compressor on the way. The line is actually 2 pieces with the cut hidden there to make it easier to install in smaller pieces. The linkage for the blowdown rom the cab is placed too. The placement of the blowdown opening is really consistently in that spot on a lot of the end cab Reading engines. It is a piece that comes with cal scale washer plugs.



This step is the steam in and out of the air compressor. In being top right, out being top left. The in come from the steam turret on top of the boiler and has the governor taken from the original proto details placed on the way. The steam out comes out and duck behind the air tank and basically ends there for the model.

A lot of real steam engines the exhaust is piped into the smoke box which sort of acts as a big muffler. A somewhat common and easily found on youtube that does not have this set up is a Chinese SY where the compressor exhaust pipe is set just behind the smoke stack and is very apparent when the compressor is pumping.



Heres a little side tip/explination: how I do 4 high, or more, air cooling lines. I make brackets in .010 and do it in 2 parts. I do the first 180 degree turn and put the brackets on loose and push them to the bend and then ben back the brass to make the second turn. I then trim the line to just fit into the bracket or as close to half as I can get, then make the third turn out of another piece and slip on to the assembly.



The complete piece to fit the engine. It when on and off the engine dozens of times to tweak and fit.



Then the piece went on the engine, it goes from air out (bottom left) of the compressor to the back of the air tank. The front of the air tank gets a small brass line that comes out and goes to under the boiler "meeting up" with the line on the engineer's side mentioned in the last post.



The Reading signature across the boiler pipe was put on over the injector lines from the steam turret, which is one piece and complex to bend right. Still not quite sure what it does, if I had to guess it would be something for blower controls which works the draft in the firebox. The had rails were installed last, hard to see in most pictures there does seem to be a bend in the hand rail around the awkward placement of the injector line. It comes strait and at most angles just looks like a strait line. Junction box and line to the headlight were also placed.





Now there is painting and a couple finishing things like the bell and whistle ropes. (and maybe a couple more details like the electric junction box on the cab that goes to handrail powering the headlight I just saw I forgot) To see this you will have to wait until October when I post it, or go to the Reading Modeler Meet II!

It's beautiful, Casey. I can't wait to see it when it's painted. You're truly a ferro equine (iron horse) artist! I wish that the Reading Modeler Meet didn't coincide with our vacation (again!).

Outstanding work Casey...I applaud your efforts...keep them coming.