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 | Well trainfans, thought I'd try a new look for this installment. Looks betterand should be a little easier downloading for those with slower connections. Yes the pictures are smaller , but just one little click of the mouseover the picture should take ya to a larger one! When last we left the Mickey, she looked like this, noticethe joint of PVC sticking up out of the pitifully bare smokebox? Thatsour first target! |
| Did I say pitifullybare? OK lets take care of that first! I decded to use my oldreliable standby for smokebox rivets. 1/2 X 18 brass escutcheon pins! Ilaid the pins out in 1/4 intervals starting in a place wher a little devieancewouldn't be noted in the end, the bottom! I did the same for both forand aft rings of rivets, an just staggered the spacing for the third one. Now with that done, lets go to work on the stack. |  |
 | Take yer basicpiece of half inch PVC, and round out the bottom so it sits flush with thecurve of the smokebox. Once done, trace the outline onto a piece of sheetstyrene and cut 1/16 of an inch outside the oultine (just like on the domes). With this glued in place wrap a piece of half round styrene aroundthe cab stack, cut to length, and glue in place. |
| A little Squadron green putty around the base of the stackfor a soft taper, and a tad at the top to cover up the few imperfections. Then using a few bits of styrene rod, tubing, and sheet I cobbled upsome convincing bolts to hold the stack on! |  |
 | Now we got a stack all nice and tidy, lets give the gal a facelift! I started by tracint the diameter onto a sheet of .080 styrene thensanding it smooth around the diameter. |
| I have long looked for an easy way to make a rounded, convex smokebox door. I finally found it in the plumbing sectionwhile shopping for the domes. The answer was a 2" PVC plumbing capwith a rounded end. I sanded off the molded on lettering, then a quicktrip through the bandsaw gave me a really cool smokebox door. |  |
 | I made the smokebox flange by tracing the outside of thedoor onto .040 styrene and then cutting to the outside. I thenglued it to the blank smokebox front, and slapped the rounded door on top! |
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| From here the fun begins! Detailing!!! I started with squares of .040 styrene at 1/2 inchintervals around the perimeter. These were then drilled out to accepta piece of styrene rod to represent the bolt itself. I added the boltplate for the headlight bracket and the flag holders at this time too. | After fabricating the hingeand the smokebox dogs, there was a sort of a questiona bout securing thefront but allowing access to the inside of the boiler later. I solvedthis by taking five of the bolts around the perimeter and drilling all theway through the piece into the boiler itself. I then inserted a pieceof styrene rod in and secured it with CA. |
 | After everything was in placeI snapped the completed smoke box front onto the boiler. I think you'llagree it looks pretty snazzy!!Until Next time............... |
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