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Updating Older MTH Steam

I have become a fan of MTH steam engines. They were definitely ahead of the curve when it came to details and features but some things always bugged me, in particular the tether loop. MTH's wireless tether is a big improvement in appearance but as anyone knows who has an engine with one they are a PITA to couple up. MTH has also added more detail to their current releases. This prompted me to start upgrading my older MTH engines.

First on the block was this NYC ESE from 1996. I had added PS2 a few years ago. They still hold their own with the newest releases in terms of detail and features IMO.

Here is how it looked before I started:

ESE_Before

Here is how it looks today:

ESE_After2

Besides the tether change cab curtains were added and a deck apron. The cab curtains were cast using a set from a PS3 Hudson. The deck was fabbed using PSC diamond plate brass sheet.

Here are some pics of casting the curtains:

Mold_Before

Mold_after

One of the concerns with eliminating the tether loop is it will want to pull out or break on curves. By adding some play in the engine connector and opening up the tunnel in the tender the tether has plenty of room to move around.

Connector holes were oval-ed and screws changed to allow free movement. The channel below the connector was also widened.

Tether_Mod1

Tether_Mod2

Tender mod before:

ESE_Tender_Before

After machining.

ESE_Tender_After

Here is the source of the cab curtains.

MTH_J1_5330

Finally a NYC Niagara I did a while back. This one will get cab curtains now.

MTH_Niagara

Pete

 

 

 

 

 

Attachments

Images (10)
  • ESE_Before
  • Mold_Before
  • Mold_after
  • Tether_Mod1
  • Tether_Mod2
  • ESE_Tender_Before
  • ESE_Tender_After
  • MTH_J1_5330
  • MTH_Niagara
  • ESE_After2
Original Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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