Okay, where were we? Having completed a ton of other projects, it's time to get back to this. Hit the running gear and parts of the wheels with some NeoLube to blacken them (as I've never seen a CNJ Mike with shiny running gear). Worked great, but I wish they sold it in smaller bottles! I don't think I'll ever come close to using up what I've got. Something the size of a Testor's paint bottle would have been fine. Once I figure out where I've put my brass rods, I'll get back to the plumbing.
And since it won't be enough of a challenge, I've decided to go with the large tender with 6 wheel trucks, which, AFAIK, isn't made anywhere in O scale. Even the $1300 Lionel BTO heavy Mike comes with the USRA tender. The MTH C&O Kanawha tender is close, but you can't exactly pick one up without dropping the cash for the engine as well, and it comes with the wrong trucks.
So, having picked up the RIGHT trucks from the Lionel 50% off sale, we're rollin'! This thing was huge. Near as I can figure, it was about 50' long (that's 12.5" in O scale). I've got an MTH tender shell that's 9" long, so it's going to get cut and I'm going to add another 3.5" in, as well as correct some of the details, and add an actual coal load. A Lionel legacy scale berkshire tender frame will form the basis of the build, as that should take the Lionel 6 wheel tender trucks without any problem.
