I've thought about this conversion in HO many times. One problem though, a ton of projects ahead of this one.

Here's something I don't think I documented clearly the first time around: the filing down of the top of the firebox to make the wrapper sheet lie even with the top of the rest of the boiler:



Maybe this time I'll remember to build up the backhead width before I glue the new windows in.

One over the trickiest parts is the curve at the front of the firebox. This area will take the most filling, shaping, and sanding.



Firebox widened inside the cab. This was a lot easier to do before I glued the new windows in. Always learning.

Putty everywhere! I feel more like a sculptor than a modeler at this point. But it's starting to come together.

Adding the banding to the jacketing. The front one is easy because it follows the joint at the front of the firebox, and the rear one is easy because it follows the front of the cab and straight down, but I had to measure out the center band to get it just right.



It's the little details that get me jazzed. The "radiator" line from the air tank ran all the way back to the cab. Well... there's a firebox there now. So I grafted on a half-circle of brass rod to keep the pipe connected. On my personal E5 I ditched all the piping and half of the running boards to make them all correct, but that wasn't part of this contract, but if the pipe layout isn't going to be prototypical, I at least want it to be feasible.


The only "big" work left is the ash pan, the cab window frames, and the cab back wall. Then it's just details.

I expect to have the actual construction done in the next few days, and hopefully next week I'll have a day with weather amenable to getting a coat of primer on them.


It's a little tricky cutting a piece of styrene to fit the curve of the cab roof. Obviously I'll be cutting out an opening in this!

I spent a few hours last night making another "hooter" whistle out of brass bits, mostly using my dremel as a lathe. I really wish someone would make a nice casting of this style whistle.


I finally gave up and ordered a slew of bells direct from Precision Scale Co. on the 26th. Lets see how long those will take to get here.