MPC steam locomotive "The General" 1:25 scale by Popeye the Sailor - finished

[thibaultron]

Cab is the right term, for the "House" over the back of the boiler. White gauge faces, brass knobs, piping black, as brass pipe will leach out the zinc and fall apart over time, when constantly exposed to water.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Ron for reiterating what Ken said....I must have missed it.   brass knobs...........well that's bland     thanks good sirs.....brass they shall be  

[Canute]

Yes, they'd hang a canvas screen to keep some of the weather out of the cab. Good idea for an added detail.

 

I guess they may have used some red knobs, but I don't know too much about wood burning steam engines. One detail you should show is the water sight glass. It'd be a vertical clear glass tube, with brass fittings holding it to the firebox face showing the water level of the boiler. Would be about mid boiler face , both vertical and horizontal. It was critical that the water level was monitored. If the crown sheet (between the firebox and the actual boiler) inside the boiler was exposed and then fresh water pumped in, the water would flash over to steam and could cause an explosion. If that happened the crew would be killed or badly scalded. Railroading was pretty dangerous in the 1800s.

[marktiedens]

Wonderful job on the General! Just happened to think - I have a locomotive kit in the closet which I may start someday.........................

 

 

Mark 

[CDW]

Just now, marktiedens said:

Wonderful job on the General! Just happened to think - I have a locomotive kit in the closet which I may start someday.........................

 

 

Mark 

I sure would love to see the contents of this kit. Could you post a picture it them, please?

[marktiedens]

Here you go -  with the kit being 1/87 scale(HO scale I believe), it`s not very big.  Many of the details are molded on - hand rails & so forth - so a bit of work needs to be done to make it more realistic.  With so many details molded on,there isn`t a lot of parts.

 

 

 

Mark

[Canute]

There are a lot of aftermarket goodies for these, although finding them can be a long process. Part of it is knowing what each piece is called. And these part manufactures are mostly mom & pop kinds of makers, so can go out of business unexpectedly.  If one is lucky, the company assets are bought up by another person or company. The model railroad hobby, like many, has morphed into a "ready to run" one. I admire the zeal to do this up, but be prepared for a long haul if you plan to really doll this up.

[popeye2sea]

On 3/31/2019 at 9:09 PM, Canute said:

Yes, they'd hang a canvas screen to keep some of the weather out of the cab. Good idea for an added detail.

 

I guess they may have used some red knobs, but I don't know too much about wood burning steam engines. One detail you should show is the water sight glass. It'd be a vertical clear glass tube, with brass fittings holding it to the firebox face showing the water level of the boiler. Would be about mid boiler face , both vertical and horizontal. It was critical that the water level was monitored. If the crown sheet (between the firebox and the actual boiler) inside the boiler was exposed and then fresh water pumped in, the water would flash over to steam and could cause an explosion. If that happened the crew would be killed or badly scalded. Railroading was pretty dangerous in the 1800s.

On many locomotive boilers there was not a sight glass, but a set of three valves aligned vertically.  If you open the top one and got water the boiler was full.  If you got air or steam them you had to add water.  You could roughly check the level of water by cracking open one or another valve.

 

Regards,

 

 

[CDW]

58 minutes ago, popeye2sea said:

On many locomotive boilers there was not a sight glass, but a set of three valves aligned vertically. 

My German steam locomotive kit features those three vertical valves in the cab.

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

hi folks    thought I'd get further along.....but it was not the case yesterday.   I believe there is the three valve system on this one......have to check the instructions.   I've seen that model around Mark....I think that I will put that one on my 'future' list   

 

I may do something with this.......I just think that it would be an interesting bit of detail   

[popeye the sailor]

I haven't forgotten about the General folks........I would have had an update,  but things kinda went wrong and the walkways came off the boiler in a rather horrible way  .    I have them back on now........there is still a bit of touch up to go,  but I will wait till I have the floor cemented in place {correctly this time}.   maybe then,  I can proceed without any more brain pharts 

[Richmond]

Dennis

 

This may be of interest

 

https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=15819&p=albums&album=48489

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Richmond for the link    I've got some pictures to go on from the net........this is a different take on the colors.   then again.......other folks had their own ideas as well.  it looks darn good.......I'll say that !!!!    I finally got the floor of the cab in the correct place now.....haven't had a chance to do much more.......darn nice weather keeps getting in the way!

[popeye the sailor]

hidie ho there neighbor!     I think I have enough here to give you a fairly decent update on the affairs of this fine loco {and I'm not talk'in 'bout the modeler either.......>even if it's true  }   at the beginning of the month,  I painted the floor of the cab with a flat brown.   I used a brush,  so that allowed some ghosting to occur.  looking at the brown and black contrast....I kinda liked it.  so I mottled the rest of it too.

touch up needed.....I know...but it does give the appearance of a beaten floor.   I finally took the valve chest assemblies out of the spray booth {I had forgotten them there}.

not much of a picture of them,  but it also shows that I've been working on the seats and the steam dome.  I need to get back to finishing the paint on it,  as well as the sand dome..........I have an idea of a paint scheme for these two parts     this was also when I cemented the walkways on the boiler.   by the time I tried to cement the floor in place,  they had plenty of time to dry.   it looked like the locators on the floor cemented into holes in the underside of the walkways.........bad assumption!  the stress of getting them in the holes pulled the walkways off the boiler..........can anyone say "square one"    this also left a right jolly 'ole mess to clean up.........good thing it's on the underside.   the floor is in place now,  but I'll wait a bit longer to get back to it.  as I had mentioned earlier......I should get back to working on the tender.

   just painting the trucks for the tender flat black is kinda bland....I wanted to spruce them up some.   I'm rather hesitant about weathering......it just never seems to look right to me.   I look at it the next day and clean it all back up    I got my courage up last evening and took some flat steel,  dry brushing both trucks.  this might not be the best picture of them....I'll have a better one when I get the wheels in place.

the outer bands on the wheels were also done in flat steel......I think I should give the sides the same weathering.

here are a couple pictures of the boiler,  with the walkways and floor installed.......I haven't touched it up yet.

the admiral has been after me to clean up my desk.   my table doesn't look much better    I bought a stool so I can sit,  but it too tall and I feel like I'm over my work........I plan on cutting a couple of inches off the legs to make it more comfortable to use.   usually,  I like to stand.   I hope to have an update for you folks soon  

[Canute]

Denis, coming along nicely. Doing a great job.

 

A few weathering tips for ya, too. Grease and oil would  spill out of the journal box covers (the square looking things on the trucks) from the crew slopping lubricants into them to oil the bearings for the axles, so trickle some black and brown  around them. The leaf springs should be a little rusted so appropriate dark reds and a little black grease. The steam dome will have some light colors from the water collecting below the steam pop valves. Dust from the area they traveled in would collect on the whole shebang, more so on the wheels.

[popeye the sailor]

I was gonna add a little red primer here and there too.......already got the black,  but I do have the soot I had mixed up earlier,  for another build.   I have some other pictures......I'll post 'em later.  I've been working on the General most of the day.........little here,  a little there.......while trying to get caught up here on the site.  there are so many logs I haven't read.........I feel like such a chode.

 

another example of the vagueness of the instructions..........there are these two parts that locate just above the rear trucks on the tender.   there is supposed to be a tab there,  but on the model,  the tab isn't there!  I will have to wait till I get the trucks in place,  before I can fit them.......somehow?!?!

 

thanks for the info Ken  

[popeye the sailor]

I had a 'both spectrum' day today.......still beats work'in    the session was slow,  since I was browsing the site here,  but I think I got a lot done.  as mentioned......I had a bout of happiness,  with a dash of utter frustration.  here.......I'll walk ya through it.   after I cemented the axles in the trucks,  I devised a way to put pressure on the frame to remedy the warpage they had.  for the most part,  it was successful.   I haven't added any other wash colors to them yet,  but I did promise a better view of them.

I got those valve chests off the table too.........I added them to the loco.   I was going to paint the gray parts flat red.......I still can....that is,  if I had some handy.   I ran out.........opened the bottle and found that it had dried up........oh bother  

I did a dry fit to see how the trucks would look under the tender.   I like it    I also need to do the pony truck on the loco too........maybe even the under carriage.  

next was to finish painting the sand dome......it had been painted yellow.   I gave it some gold banding.

I decided to give the wood load the base coat.......there are other colors that will be added,  once the two parts are fully dry.

the steam dome {I found that there is a typo in the instructions  }  got a continuation with it's paint job,  deciding to accent top and bottom in flat black.   actually,  it seems like a semi gloss black.......I'm using the Billing's paint.   I gotta try and use it up.......I still have too much to just toss out  

    come to find out,  the rattle can I've been using,  has pretty much the same sheen.

I added the rear coupler to the tender........it's not painted yet.  also added the two caps...

that is the pre civil war coupler.   now comes the frustration part of the show....the decals.   I truly pity the person that has the original kit........those decals are likely going to be worthless.   they are very thin,  with absolutely no give at all.   the fact that they are long makes them even more prone to breakage.   my only recommendation to you would be to spray them with a decal bonder {whichever you use},  or try lacquer.   these are a reissue by Round 2 models and I had a devil of a time.   the first one wasn't bad.....

the other side broke in four places.........others broke in a number of places.  I did the best I could to salvage them.......I managed to use them all.

{damn stomach...........}

I'll have to see what they have for the front coupler.......I know there's chain.........which will be substituted with metal chain.  I may have to make a pair of eye bolts for it......hooks too most likely.   the steam dome is done....here it is next to the sand dome.  there are other part to be added to them both.   thanks for look'in in  

[Canute]

Denis, looking good. I like your pin striping, a very typical way of prettying up a loco in steam days. Passenger engines in those days got a lot of TLC, with flashy paint on the domes and a bit of an overall shine. A hard working freight engine would be pretty dusty/dirty, so more matte paint.

 

And yes those chains would have hooks. Think of it like the safety chains around a trailer hitch with the link and pin coupling.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Ken.......there are two chains.  I am acquiring quite an array of plastic chains........I don't use them.....simply terrible 👎   the coupler that connects the tender to the loco,  isn't till the final assembly,  so I have time to fab out some eye bolts and hooks.  add a few more parts to the tender now that the decals are in place,  and I can get heavy with the loco.......I've been assembling the valves and stuff.   some of these parts are a two piece deal,  and trimming the flash lines around them is scarring them badly.   they are gold chrome parts    I may have to drop them in the dip and paint them.

 

would the cab be done in flat paint?  the reason I ask,  is that I am out of flat red.  I do have gloss........I was going to run out and get some {Lou didn't send me any      }    thinking back in these times,  I wouldn't think gloss paint was invented yet.

[lmagna]

18 minutes ago, popeye the sailor said:

{Lou didn't send me any      }    thinking back in these times,  I wouldn't think gloss paint was invented yet.

I'm not THAT old! Besides you didn't ASK for gloss red!!

[popeye the sailor]

flat red.........that's what I meant     ....and I didn't say you were old {even though your older than me}.   I don't want to get into any of that White ensign paint,  until I get going with the New Jersey....I have no idea what it's gonna take to get it off the ground {an' no smart azz jokes about it not being a plane either!}   so in the meantime,  I'm trying to use up the monogram and Humbrol paints.  

 

I've added a couple more parts to the tender folks..........and assembled some of the chromed parts.   there are some parts that are made up of two halves.   more on him soon   

[lmagna]

1 hour ago, popeye the sailor said:

I have no idea what it's gonna take to get it off the ground

Silly boy. Everyone knows, battleships don't fly they float! UNLESS it is the Yamato!

It not only flies, it goes into space!

Edited April 25, 2019 by lmagna

[Canute]

Denis, I'm not sure about gloss red. I'm sure red was applied to various handles and whatnot in the cab, but I suspect they got dirty pretty quick and took on that dull, oily look. The engine crew "oiled around" the loco every chance they got, to lubricate all the moving parts. Grabbing handles with oily gloves did the rest. Brass fittings would get a nice cleaning to enhance the "flash" in the cab and anywhere else on the engine. Number plates and mounting brackets were favorite shiny spots.

[popeye the sailor]

I know that if I were to paint any of the handles another color,  I would have to grime them up to show use.  like.....when I get to the cap detail,  I will need to apply a dry brush of that dead pan black that I made to show soot around the boiler door.  if I were to paint the knobs,  they would need the same treatment......whatever color I painted them.   I'll be runn'in out for some flat red.........the more I think of trying the gloss,  the more I feel I'll be ruining the model  

 

oh Lou........a what if by any other name,  is still a what if     I haven't visited the site in quite a while,  but there is a 'what if' community that dabbles in these futuristic models.  some are quite good.......aircraft and ships that are armed to the teeth!

[src]

What a neat project Dennis. You are one of the most prolific builders I have seen. Watching you build this reminded me of the train museum at the Pomona Fair grounds in So Cal. The last time I was there the fire boxes were open and you could climb right in some of the larger ones. A bit dirty but kind of cool walking around on all the dampers(?) and liners on the floor.

Sam

[popeye the sailor]

thanks Sam..........I have many interests.   it has it's mistakes......I'm no expert,  but I try to do a good job.   in fact,  a recent purchase just arrived.....a 1:16 scale Lindberg Concord Stagecoach.  it's a bit different than what I've read about it,  but it still looks good    I've even got a couple of mods I want to do to it    more on it soon.  the thing that really staggering about this kit,  is the box it came in.   I had it repacked to reduce the shipping cost {the owner suggested it}.......and I'm glad I agreed.   the box was huge.......probably the largest I've ever seen!  saved me over $20.00!  thanks for look'in in and the kind comment........and thank every one for the likes.

 

I know I'm approaching  this one a bit slow........I do want to thank you folks for the suggestions....they are a big help   

[JohnLea]

If this link has been posted, I missed it.

 

https://www.southernmuseum.org/

 

I have no idea how accurately the restore was done.

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for posting the link.   sadly,  I already have this one

The 4-4-0 General

 

it has pretty much the same picture,  without the flag banner.  thanks for look'in in........hope ya follow along  

[popeye the sailor]

brief report........there is some progress.........last night I tried to derail it though.   I had the tender on my desk........I was play'in a computer game,  and in the boredom of chaotic mayhem,  I dozed off ........I'll leave the rest to the imagination    then add the goings on that I outlined in the China Girl build,  and life has been a bit disrupted....to say the least.   rain keeps me from doing things outside,  so I'm quite sure that there will be an update.....perhaps later.    as always........thanks for look'in in and follow'in along  

[popeye the sailor]

the update is small,  but it is significant.......the tender is pretty much done.  I do have a little more paint to do on it,  the wood load,  and the front coupler.   the trucks are in place now.......I tried to figure out a way to make them movable,  but I couldn't.   the display is a straight section of track,  so it's really not a big deal.   as I mentioned....I almost caused a lot of problems.   while the cement was setting {and it had been done quite a while in advance} on the trucks,  I dozed off and my head hit the tender,  breaking the bond on both trucks.  there's been a few times that I've scraped the bridge of my nose,  as a result of dozing off.   I guess you could say that I'm not a fan of sleep.......been like this most of my life.   no medical problem,  I just don't sleep a lot <shrug>.  back in the day,  it was not uncommon for me to pull all nighters on a model build......I had many when I built the United States {Revell}........even some home improvements {painting}.  it's just me.......probably explains a lot when it comes to my model building  .

    so........I managed to get the trucks back on,  as well as the handles and foot steps.

not the best picture.........the rest of them were worse.   I dumped them and took this one of the tender,  as it sits now.   the foot steps are painted,  but I still need to do the touch ups and suggestions from Ken.   I was thinking of doing it Ken,  but I wasn't sure of how they should look.......glad that you cleared it up for me    I have also finished the painting on the sand and steam domes......just need to add the other parts to them.

I also have a picture of some of the plumbing that needed to be assembled......

time to touch up the loco and get working on it     I have the flat red!