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

[popeye the sailor]

started where I left off......with the cross head assemblies.   the shaft inside the brackets needs to move,  if the wheels are to be able to move.  not that this is a big deal.....it's going to be on a straight track base {something I need to get working on}.  they were assembled with success......the valve rods move freely.

care was taken to insure that there is a right and left assembly...it would be a real pain to correct this.   building the model,  this really need to be monitored carefully....both sides are not alike.   there is a picture gap here........the camera would not focus......then again,  you'll have to excuse some of the pictures.   this gold chrome does not take kindly to halogen light.   in my opinion,  this model would have been good not to have any chrome at all.   it distracts from the model quality,  and there are paints out there today that can do the job just as good.   besides,  most pictures I've seen of real trains,  show piping and such,  the same color as the train itself.  I also had a Pffffff moment later on...........you'll see    so,  OK.......Mr. Camera went on the charger for a while.........in that brief {is it done yet?!?!?!?!} bit of time,  the cross heads,  the cylinder drain cocks,  and the lube lines for the valve chests {which go nowhere},  have been added to the model.

the ware inlet from the tender on the left side has already been installed........molded connected to the inlet valve along side the frame body.  the right side water inlet was added at this time.

I looked ahead to how these are connected to the tender.........I'm going to have to stand on my head to do them!  they connect somewhere underneath the tender.......cross that one when I get to it   the drain cock connecting rod was added next.

the plumbing for the right side,  going into the cab,  was added next.  the rod and lever for the sand dome was also added.   I was curious about this,  being under the impression that the sand was used to put the boiler fire out when it was shut down.  there are two tubes that run down to the tracks in front of the drive wheels,  that were added later.......I looked up the use of the sand dome and it's function......

Sand Dome on a Steam Engine

....learn something new every day    

the sand tube can be seen....one on each side.  it made sense to me.........many movies I've seen with locomotives beginning to get under way,  I've noticed the 'wheel slip' when they start turning.   a bit later,  I found out that I had the upper part of the plumbing going into the cab,  in the wrong hole.........I had to make the adjustment and repair.   then a second adjustment and repair had to be made due to the instructions.  a water line on the right side should have been installed before the cross head for that side was installed.  the line runs behind the support for the cross head.  of course, it would not come off freely.......it decided to take the top part of the bracket with it........a right jolly 'ole mess.   but it's much better now   

ending the session,  I thought to put the bell on.  sorry about the fuzzy picture.......I'll get a better one on the 'morrow.

 

[popeye the sailor]

morn'in..........it's another cloudy cool {below average temp} day here in the northeast.  we were lov'in the '70s and '80s........but as they say 'round here, just look out the window    hopefully,  I can get out and mow today.......gett'in to be a jungle out there     here is a better shot of the bell.......I still need to rig it.

this morning,  I got out the parts for the railings that run along the boiler.   I also painted the drive rods for the traction wheels.

I removed half of the sprue connections for the drive wheels......rather clean up two after painting, than four.   the parts are dwindling down........a good indication that the model is almost complete.  there's still the stand and the wood load to finish yet,  as well as some touch ups and minor weathering that I know what to do.   here is the repair on the plumbing too........daylight defeats some of the glare.......it would be better if it were sunny ⛈️

more on the progress soon     thanks for look'in in!

[Old Collingwood]

Some very fine work there denis.

 

OC.

[GrandpaPhil]

Very nicely done!

[popeye the sailor]

thanks OC and Phil    wish I could say I have more to report,  but sadly......all I had time for today was to do the name plates for the sides of the boiler     they came out pretty good...better than I expected.   I've added another bit of detail that the kit didn't supply......I hope I'm in time for folks who might be building this model,  to be able to make the additions that I can't now {for obvious reasons}.   I'll have an update tomorrow....thanks for the good word and look'in in   

[popeye the sailor]

good morn'in.........been a busy bugger this morn........took Gibbs out,  took out the trash for pick up,  remove the jungle from around the front walkway and steps......and put a couple more parts on the General.   you'll never guess what I did first 

 

last night,  I got busy with the General,  so I can give you this update.   this is where I made the second discovery of the short sightedness with this model.   if anyone out there is about to assemble the cab,  this will be important to you.   to pick up where I left off,  I started by painting the background on the name plates.   again,  I'm not too keen on painting chrome,  but unless one feels like painting the entire part,  your forced to do this.       using a toothpick,  the paint was dotted and pulled all around the letters,  trying to be as consistent as I could.   then,  folding up a paper towel and a light jot of thinner,  the plates were wiped over lightly.   the letters are raised enough,  so the background was untouched.

you might have noticed those round things on the towel..........they are the faces of a GPS sensor....three of them.   I was installing a new GPS in one of our trailers at work,  and I noticed them.   in my modeler's mind,  they look reminiscent of a radar dish on a destroyer or battleship.  I was intrigued, so I popped them out and brought them home.........been on my desk for a couple of months now.   if I come across any more,  I'll bring them home too.

      the bell was the next thing I wanted to add to.........looking at the picture in that link I posted,  I came away with something that was missing on the General.   the rope that connects to the bell lever has no sort of bracket,  to keep it from drooping onto the boiler.......so I gave it one  

this is a medium size eye bolt....I could have use a smaller one,  but I think they would be too small.   I let this dry for the time being.   looking at the instructions concerning this,  I noticed that it was suppose to go through a hole in the cabin.  there was no hole........just the hole for the railing on that side........so,  I gave it one too........right between the two windows just below the window brows.

there was no other description of what the installation was for the rope.   then I thought of how the rope would be rigged inside the cab.  my thought was that it would be suspended from the roof by another eye bolt..........ha-rumpf!  I can't do that now........for cry'in out loud!  so.......for all who are at the point of assembling the cab,  add the eye bolt on the sand dome,  drill the hole {I'm sure there isn't one there} in the cab wall,  and add another eye bolt,  in line with the hole you drilled....likely at the first roof beam from the front wall.   you may elect to drill another hole,  or make a plate or bracket in order to drill the hole.   it will suspend nicely from the roof,  rather than the way I'm going to have to install it    I left that thought for the moment......long enough to install the railing brackets,  and then the railings.

the whistle actuator lever on the top of the cab isn't that great either........where it meets the whistle,  it doesn't hook to anything,  it just sits there.  I left it as it is.  touch ups are still required on the railings.   an idea for a pull handle came to light for the bell rope 🔆❕   from the Thermopylae parts box,  I took out one of those belaying pins that came with the kit.   cutting part of the stem off,  a hole was drilled in the base of it.   it ws then super glued to the rope of choice.

I was going to paint it brown,  but I ended up not painting it at all.......it looked fine the way it was.   fed through the hole from inside the cab,  it was run through the eye bolt and tied to the bell lever.  a dot of white glue will hole the knot.  enough rope was left inside the cab,  so it will hang.....a dot of white glue at the hole will keep it that way.

I'll leave it for time and humidity to relax the rope.  as for inside the cab........it looks good,  but is not proper in my mind.  it really needs to be suspended from the roof.   just for the fact that I added this.......looks good enough in my camp   

it's not a great picture of it.....this halogen light is beginning to grate on me.  I'll try and get a better one.

[popeye the sailor]

Friday........the last day of my freedom.   tomorrow,  I will be back in the clutches of work,  wishing I could be at this very table.  well........it's my desk actually.........I still use it as a desk........good to write on and stuff.   that is.......until the pen falls into one of the holes I've drilled into it.......and the glue blotches makes my p's look like 'r's.......still ......it's a fine desk........bet there isn't another one like it   

 

one of the parts I added this morning,  was the name plates.  OK.......there are two of them......if you look at the cross eyed,  there are four of them   

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''sorry..........I found a splotch of glue on my apostrophe key    here is a better picture of the cab interior.    is that rat tart?...........disgusting! 

....and overall........

[popeye the sailor]

nothing spectacular going on at the moment.........one more day of work to go {I almost played hookie today}.   Friday,  although shot to bits with errands being run,  I did manage to get some painting done.  these parts will get multiple coats and colors........mainly just the base coats.  the rails got a coat of primer red

you might see some ghosting......it's alright,  there's more to be done on them.   then the drive wheels....

I still have the rail surface and the decorative ring........             then,  the base.   the ties are painted in a dark brown

there is more to go here as well.  can't wait to get this last day over with                                                                                                                                                                                                          

[Canute]

Looking good, Denis. Nice treatment on the bell rope. Keep up the good work.

 

If you want to creosote the ties, do a gray dry brush. Might show a little black wash on the tie plates (rectangles on the tie tops). Rails were spiked to the ties thru them with the spikes in the holes in the plates. Normally only 2 spikes, one on each side of the rails. If you ballast the ties, almost any gray/tan shade of gravel will do. Although I suspect in the time frame of our Civil War, the spaces around the ties were just dirt.

[bruce d]

35 minutes ago, Canute said:

... I suspect in the time frame of our Civil War, the spaces around the ties were just dirt.

... and the dirt in that part of Georgia is red clay. More red, just what you want!

 

Bruce

[popeye the sailor]

thanks for the good word!    red ain't the word for it Bruce..........rode the bus from Florida to New Hampshire back in the 70's,  and can never forget the terrain going though Georgia.   displays of the model,  I've seen a few variations....none of them were reddish though.  I do plan to use a couple shades of gray,  with a dusting of flat black......the rails are to have a flat steel on the wheel surface.  an earlier idea I had was to paint the gravel part with diluted white glue and sprinkle play sand on it.  the plates for the rails have the two spike detail,  and I will dry brush them with the flat steel.......primer red....dry brush flat black,  then the flat steel.  for a reddish appearance to the gravel,  instead of two shades of gray,  I can just do one,  and then go over it lightly with the primer red....then perhaps a very light pass of flat black.  I'll see how it goes    everything is just a base coat for the moment.

 

was there any special detail to the drive wheels........were the wheel weights a different color?

[lambsbk]

Really cool Denis.

 

Dave

[Canute]

I believe the weights were the same color. They were on newer engines. May have been pin striped around the edges when new, although not kept up during the war.

 

I was just in Chattanooga, TN this past weekend. The dirt color was an orangey brown. I suspect the line out of Chattanooga towards Atlanta, GA was similar. Red clay, like Bruce said.

[michael mott]

I remember that Model Dennis, I wanted to build a live steam version at one time in my earlier crazy modelbuilding habits.

 

Michael

[CDW]

An aspect of working in/around clay that's quite notable is it's tendency to stick to everything that touches it when it's wet.

When I worked around heavy equipment, IE, dozers, track backhoes, etc....we had to clean the clay off the tracks and bogie wheels multiple times a day to keep the clay from causing the tracks to jump off the sprockets. Man, that clay would stick to your workboots and pant legs until your legs would weigh two or three times what they normally did. Miserable stuff to work in/around. It's dusty as heck when it's dry, and it sticks to ya like glue when it rains/wet. 

[popeye the sailor]

...a pre afternoon salute to you folks!   hello Dave  good you popped in    hello as well Michael.........yea,  you were a missing link for a spell,  but good to see you checked in....hope nothing serious with Judy.  I saw you log........loved it.....such a cool layout    .....and I have no doubt that you could build one too...you metal abilities are extraordinary!

 

so.....OK.....I'll try and get some reddish tint in the gravel.   spent the morning masking up all the ties.......what a pain in the tookus!  good thing I'm going to do quite a bit of dry brushing.......it won't look so sloppy    I was trying to recall some of the movies that had trains in them......couldn't remember how the counter weights were painted

[jct]

Looking good Denis

[popeye the sailor]

hello J........thanks for the good word    the base is in the process.........painted the ties........then go though the pain of masking them all up to spray the gray.  I've given the two parts a dry brushing of primer red.   I was undecided if I would go with a lighter gray before the flat black dry brush,  but I said the heck with it........I cemented the two halves together.   I'm thinking now that I should remove all the maskings and add the rails before the flat black work.  I have a couple pictures of the process......but I think the focus is messed up in the camera.  I've had it for a few years now........covered quite a few projects.

[mtaylor]

Here ya' go Denis.  Some light reading relating to your build.  

 

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/civil-war/james-andrews-vs-william-fuller-in-the-great-locomotive-chase/

[CDW]

3 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Here ya' go Denis.  Some light reading relating to your build.  

 

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/civil-war/james-andrews-vs-william-fuller-in-the-great-locomotive-chase/

Good article, Mark. Enjoyed that reading.

[lmagna]

I have to be honest, that is the first time I have read the full story. 

[mtaylor]

I didn't know the whole story either Lou.  I did see the movie from Disney though. Does that count?

[popeye the sailor]

I book marked another article on the Chase.......this one is a lot more descriptive    thanks Mark!  you are correct about Disney making a film about it.

 

The Great Locomotive Chase | Disney Movies

 

Fess Parker also played Daniel Boone

[popeye the sailor]

I finally got the pictures out of the camera.   as mentioned,  after the ties were painted dark brown,  they were masked along with the perimeter,  and given a coat of gray.

then given a dry brush of primer red

they sat for a day or two as I decided what the next step would be.   since the rails were painted in the primer red,  and will be getting the flat black dry brushing too,  I figured that I'd assemble the rest of it and do it all at once.   I'll be doing the ties as well.........the fastenings on the ties will get painted with the primer red before the black dry brushing.  I'll detail the spikes with flat black.  I might do blotches of flat green here and there and perhaps some shrubbery....NI.....NI

good that I've learned to check my feet under the desk........my partner in crime is at his usual post  

for those unfamiliar...... this is my buddy Gibbs.......my shadow   

Edited June 11, 2019 by popeye the sailor

[CDW]

That's a great looking pup, ole Gibbs.

I see you're using Frog tape. That's some good stuff.

[CDW]

1 hour ago, popeye the sailor said:

I book marked another article on the Chase.......this one is a lot more descriptive    thanks Mark!  you are correct about Disney making a film about it.

 

The Great Locomotive Chase | Disney Movies

 

Fess Parker also played Daniel Boone

Them danged old Yanks...done stole our General. Just goes to show old Fess Parker could sing battle hymn of the republic or whistle dixie equally well. Just makes me want to spit tobacco juice on his white sport coat lapel (Josie Wales). 😄

 

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by CDW

[lmagna]

21 hours ago, mtaylor said:

I did see the movie from Disney though. Does that count?

I have to admit that I have done "research" that way also.🙄 After all we all know that Hollywierd never gets it wrong!

[mtaylor]

Yeah.... Lou... never do they get things wrong. <choke><cough>  I didn't know the whole real story until recently.  I ran across the Warfar History site following some links from another site while reading up on some naval history.  I think I was following links on the battle Taffy 3 fought in WWII.   Bad habit... once I follow a link, I look over the site and anyway... I'm buried in the Warfare History site right now. 

[lmagna]

9 hours ago, mtaylor said:

I'm buried in the Warfare History site right now.

I know what you mean. It almost always happens to me as well.

A simple question leads to the information, that in turn leads to more research and the discovery of additional reading, > another point of view,> conflicting information,> personal accounts, > information only available in book form and so on. I almost doubled my WWII library when doing my research on the Providence and later on the Houston. I have read all of the Providence related material, (There is really not that much) but still have a few more to go on the Houston/ early WWII pacific. Did some refreshing up on the Battle of Leyte Gulf et all in the process also and picked up a couple of more books for that era as well.  The USS Johnston and the Taffy 3 story has always been a favorite of mine.

 

Possibly your pain will be smoothed soon though. Maybe they will get this done sometime in our lifetime and we will have another Hollywood shortcut to use kind of like Cliff Notes.

https://deadline.com/2015/10/wwii-biopic-come-hell-or-high-water-to-be-directed-by-john-moore-1201597566/ 

Edited June 11, 2019 by lmagna

[popeye the sailor]

I've always been a big fan of Clint Eastwood  

 

I got more done on the base.   I wanted to work on it Tuesday evening,  but I just didn't have the gusto.  so.....in the morning,  the rails were cemented on the base.

there are these two hideous injection marks on the halves........I have plans for them    icky mae....   once these were dry {I had books on them to hold them down for a spell},  the fish plates were added to the center joints of the rails.  they were also painted with primer red.

the tops of the rails were sanded later to remove the mold lines.  for curiosity,  the tender was place on the rails.

later,  the fastenings on the ties were painted with primer red.

all this will totally dry before the flat black is added.   today was a retest for the car's inspection......I had to go to my brother's shop in Heniker.   I haven't see my younger sister in quite a while.........she lives on the way to his shop.  my brother told me that she had underwent back surgery and wasn't doing too well.   I made it a point to stop by afterwards......never got to see her though...she may have been lying down and didn't hear me pounding on her door.  another time....soon      anyway........the check engine light had been out for almost three weeks.  it passed the test and now I am legal....yeaaaaaa!  but alas........just as I left Heniker,  the light came back on!   it's raining at the moment,  so I will wait till next week to check it out.  I have more pictures in the camera.......I'll dig them out and post them as soon as I can