I have a little update on my CSS. I keep getting into the weeds with this engine. I need to stop and enjoy it. But I just cant help myself.
I did purchase the linkage that C&O Allie suggesting I use. I followed his way of mounting it...Sort of... Instead of lopping off the parts indicated in his post above, I kept everything but the main rod and the upper 2 rods. I put a brass pin in the steam chest to support the vertical link. You can see it in the second picture. This is removable if needed. Then I had to figure out how I was going to support the valve gear rod going to the right. (Forgive me as I don't know all the nomenclatures for the parts on a steam engine). I made a slip link that goes over the pin boss for reverse link. The arrow is pointing to it. This allows the linkage to move without any binding. I painted the end black to hide it. Also in the second and third picture I added the support plate for a Nathan DV-4 Lubricator, since I ground off the lump that was on the boiler. Precision Scale sent me the wrong part, so now I'm having to wait on that. I hand formed the lower brace out of a pair of brass angles soldered together. Yes, it clears the drive linkage. I'm using old photos of the 2100 and 2101 for these mods.
Next I finished the boiler for the time being. I'm still up in the air on painting the B&O blue under the cab. I'm afraid I'll screw up the lettering. So until that time comes it'll stay black. I added some plumbing for the "air tanks" on the side of the engine. I copied this off of a brass O gauge engine I found on line. (Wish I had $1250, I'd buy it). I repainted the smoke box since I got blue paint on it. Then I put the finishing touches on the top of the boiler like adding the steam whistle and cord, and painting the steam pipe to the Pyle dyno. Pay no attention to the scratch in the blue paint, I ooops there.
Also, can anyone tell me if the boiler relief valves were painted the main boiler color or some other color. Its hard to tell in the photos.
As I said above, I'm starting to get into the weeds on this project. I'm going to put the Nathan DV-4 and DV-7 on the chassis and call it quits for the time being. Once I get the right side linkage installed I'll do a quick test run to ensure everything is working before I reassemble the engine.
Until next time...
