[placitassteam]

Hi Tim, Glad to hear you are getting started on you Connie. I look forward to seeing your build log. I used 1/32 electronic rosin core solder with some rosin paste on both parts. I used a small butane to heat the joint, that way you can heat quickly and get off before things get too hot. Some of the later pieces I tinned both parts and then clamped them together with spring clamps and reheated the joint. That seemed to work best. I did have a couple of disasters where parts melted. You will notice on some upcoming posts that some of the links on one side are modified originals, on the other side they are scratch made. Some parts are scratch made on both sides as it just seemed easier than trying to modify something.
My Connie is coming along slowly with numerous interruptions, however I will be posting some progress in the next couple of days. The valve gear is almost done. The cylinder and pilot mods are in progress.

 

[placitassteam]

I finally have some progress to post. The cylinders, valves and valve gear are mostly done and installed. Here is the process I used on the cylinder assembly. The piston valve construction is show in some of the previous views. The guide tracks in the rear extensions are made from square tubing the I milled off one side and then soldered in place. After gluing the valves in place I used styrene pieces and Squadron putty form the shape and then covered them with .010 styrene.

Well crap! Not sure what is happening but all of a sudden I can't make photos from the gallery appear, only little black boxes with an X in the middle. What gives?

 

[Greg Elmassian]

 

[placitassteam]

Thanks Greg, What did do wrong? I clicked on the photo and clicked "copy" and then tried to "paste" it in the box that comes up when I click the mountain icon. That didn't have a "paste" option anymore. Then I copied the address from the address bar and entered that but that is when I got the black box. For some reason things changed since I last posted a photo.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

You ALWAYS want to get the web address of the file, and then use the picture icon in the editor and paste the web address.

All these other shortcuts (that may be easier) seem to come and go.

1. Go to the gallery
2. click on the picture (now you are still seeing the picture on the forum page, a picture within a picture.)
3. Now, right click on the picture and select "View image" (you should only see the picture, no web page around it)
4. now right click again and say "copy image location"..

You now have the web address of that picture that you can paste...

5. copy this web address when you select the "insert picture" icon.

You can debug things too, by putting that address in a browser, if the picture comes up, then you are pretty well assured that using that address will work.

Greg

 

[placitassteam]

I tried both of these.

"http://forums.mylargescale.com/memb...ve-picture15737-cylinder-valve-buildup-2.html"

(without the asterisks)

The first one does come up with a link, the second one still comes up with the box.

Thanks for your help. I must still be doing something wrong.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Yep, you have not got to the image yet... you have copied the address of the page. Sounds like you missed step 3.

Try re-reading my directions and follow step by step... keep trying.

Greg

 

[Totalwrecker]

I clicked on your link and copied it's location from the opened pic. ...
What OS are you using?

 

[placitassteam]

Thanks John. I have Windows 10 latest version and am using Microsoft Edge. I can get the photo location but when I copy it into the pop-up box it just gives a link instead of a photo. It worked fine before I had the latest version of Windows installed. After that all kinds of things changed. Maybe you guys will just have to put up with links to see my photos. Sorry!

 

[Greg Elmassian]

May be adding to the confusion...

You can have many types of links, but you want the one to a picture (normally ending in .jpg) as opposed to a web "page" which contains a picture (normally ending in .htm or .html).

Your link ended in .html, meaning that you did not "get" a link to the picture, but a link to a page "containing" a picture.

So when you tried to post a picture, you posted a web page... and it did not work.

Again, the bulletproof method is to get to a point where all you see is the picture on the screen (step 3)... then copying the address gives you what you want.

I believe if you get the "concept" down, you will continue to succeed. Trying to memorize a method without understanding what is happening usually works for a while and then fails and you don't know why... (and this is where we are, apparently)

Greg

 

[placitassteam]

OK Greg, I seem to have found the magic formula although my photos are GIF rather than JPG. Thanks ever so much for all your patience with me. I will now finish posting what I am up to now.

 

[placitassteam]

OK, I have the cylinder/valve assemblies formed with styrene and Squadron putty and continue by wrapping them with .010 styrene sheet as shown it the next 2 photos.

I also added the access port covers on the sides. Some more smoothing of the front and back of the assemblies and they will be ready for paint. The cylinders assembled with the pilot deck extensions.

I thought I had the valve linkage pretty much done and but I was not happy with some of the parts so am considering redoing some of it. Here is what it looks like now.

Sorry about the washed out photo.

 

[placitassteam]

Here are some of the new and added parts sitting in place. In addition to the new valves and valve gear, widened pilot deck, there is the lengthened smoke box, shortened stack and 2 domes and the boiler moved back 5/8 inch. Also the running boards are raised to the center of the boiler and a second air pump added. The generator is rotated 90 deg. so that the exhaust is toward the cab.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

That is nice looking valve gear... going to be a helluva model.

Greg

 

[placitassteam]

The chassis is now mostly done including the oilers and linkage.

Some of the pivots I was able to peen the ends, others I used a dab of J-B Weld. Everything seems to be working smoothly.Here is a closer view.

I am now moving on to the cosmetic stuff. The domes have been shortened and the bases reshaped. A second air pump has been located for mounting. . Here is the left side.

The headlight bracket was huge and ugly so I narrowed it from its original size. The bell has been moved to the front of the smoke box. Here is the right side.

Now I am bending pieces of wire to make all the plumbing. Figuring out the order of assembly is pretty much a trial and error processes requiring numerous assembly's and disassembly's.
It has been said before but I will repeat it, "Take lots of photos of the donor model before disassembly, you will be glad you did when it comes time to reassemble."

 

[placitassteam]

I now have most of the piping bent to shape ready to paint and install. Here is the right side.

And the left side.

We have a show at the Botanical Gardens this week end, both sparkies and steamers on separate layouts. I will try to get some photos worth posting on the events forum. Next week I hope to start putting the boiler and its appliances together.

 

[placitassteam]

I was asked today about all the lines that appear white. Actually the only ones that are white are the 2 steam lines that feed the air pumps and the line that feeds the generator. the rest are copper and the camera made them look white. All the new lines that I made are #14 or #12 electrical wire. The three white ones have the insulation left on the simulate the insulated steam feed lines. The rest had the insulation removed and have now been painted black.

 

[placitassteam]

A couple of the last parts I needed to make were the steps from the pilot deck to the catwalk. I made a small jig of wood to hold the parts in place while soldering them together. A torch set the jig on fire so I reverted to a small soldering iron. It barely had enough heat to tack parts together but that was enough to hold them while taking them out of the jig and clamping together for heating with the torch.
Here is one in the jig and one after final soldering.

After painting they were attached to the catwalks with Kwik J-B weld. I used that to attach most of the detail parts. I was careful to fasten all the details only to the boiler and cab so that they can be separated from the chassis as with the stock model.

The locomotive is now done including the vinyl lettering which Dell Tappro "G Scale Graphics" made for me. Here are several views of the finished locomotive.

I also redid the cars with lettering from Dell. If the weather cooperates, tomorrow I will post photos of them and of the entire finished train on the railroad.

 

[Totalwrecker]

Wow!
Amazing job, been fun to follow along.

 

[placitassteam]

Thanks John, I appreciate the complement. It has been a fun and sometimes frustrating trip.
Here are the finished cars. The baggage car.

The second class car.

The first class Pullman car.

You can see the build logs of these cars and lots more photos in Mexican Train Parts 1 through 3.