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In the Oct/Nov Run 301 issue of OGR Magazine, Don McCuaig (Scale Rail) did a nice article on his long journey to produce a Milwaukee Steeplecab Electric Locomotive.  After failed attempts to engage manufacturers in producing one, he designed and 3D printed an excellent Steeplecab body to fit over the chassis of a Williams scale 44-tonner.  If you have read the article, you know this was not an easy endeavor.  The Milwaukee Road used 4 of these little class ES-2 electrics for switching duties in their Rocky Mountain division.  Two of these GE Electrics were built in 1916 and two in 1919.  They were powered by a 3000v DC catenary.  GE built variations of these electrics for other railroads with either Pantographs or trolley poles.   All 4 of the Milwaukee ES-2s were scraped.

Don nicely modeled #10000, the first of 4 Milwaukee Steeplecabs.  As delivered, this was a simpler design. 

(photos removed 8/18/19)

Many "accessories" were added later, and each of the 4 electrics having different variations.  I liked the numerous details on E82 and elected to model it.  Its original paint scheme was all black like #10000 above.  Later it was painted in Hiawatha colors and finally in traditional Milwaukee orange and black.  

(photos removed 8/18/19)

Here are the parts needed.   Don's kit provided the body shell parts, 2 headlight castings, bell, and decals.  The Milwaukee style pantograph came from eBay, the Williams scale 44 tonner from Trainworld, and the ERR Co. Minicommander 2 from ERR Co.   These are currently not available.  Update: 3rd Rail will start producing them. The Minicommander is able to handle the low current draw of the 2 small motors contained in the trucks of the Williams 44 tonner.  I did not add a Sound Commander, though there is plenty of room to add it later.

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Don's 3D printed parts are nicely done, but unlike injection molded styrene parts, some finish work is required.

IMG_2421

Here is the raw printed part:

IMG_2435

After re-working the rivets and hinges with a #11 blade, and smoothing the striations with a sanding stick and one coat of rattle can spray primer/filler:

IMG_2437

I repeated the process of sanding and filling a couple more times and was able to eliminate most of the striations.

The cab side panel came out nice and smooth.  The rivets did not form well enough for a closeup photos, so I sanded them off and applied Archer rivet decals.   These decal strips are easy to apply and look nice.  

IMG_2477

Here is the completed assembled shell.  The rivet detail on the hood was excellent and didn't require much extra work.

IMG_2482

The Williams 44 tonner has a cast-in fuel tank, which is, of course, not present in an electric.  It was a PIA to remove, but 15 Dremel cutoff discs later . . . 

IMG_2507

Notice all the broken Dremel disc fragments 

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There are many details on the E82 that I had to scratchbuild from styrene and brass.  Here is the high voltage tower that gets mounted on one of the hoods.   So, you wonder, how is the TV reception?  

The purpose of the "rabbit ears" is to catch high voltage arcs so the crew members don't have a very bad day.

The white insulators are eyelets from Michaels.

IMG_2551

The radiator piping was more of a challenge.  I had no plans to work from, but after looking at multiple photos, I was able to sketch out a piping diagram.  My preferred tool for bending the brass rod:  a pair of Kadee coupler pliers.  I was able to do a reasonable job of soldering the pipes together and some small files corrected my mistakes.  I flattened some brass rod and used some brass wire and tubing to make the trolley pole keeper. The hatches and the side tank were made from styrene and I added Archer rivet decals.  The railings were brass wire, pieces of wire insulation, and metal eye bolts.

IMG_2531IMG_2798

I drilled and filed in the recessed steps

FullSizeRender

A coat of primer blends it all together.

IMG_2560IMG_2559

After painting the interior a light green color, I masked and airbrushed the maroon and orange.   At this point I realized my rookie mistake.  I should have painted the model before adding the handrails.  It was very difficult to mask with the handrails between these 2 colors.  

Also seen in this photo, I moved the stirrup step from the right end of the frame to middle center as in the prototype.  Cut with a razor saw and glued with JB weld.

IMG_2583

And the 3rd and final color.  Microscope cover slip glass was added to the windows.

IMG_2785

I removed the Williams board and speaker, mounted the minicommander and program/run switch. Kadee short centerset 743s added.  I wish I could mount them more inboard, but the trucks are in the way.

IMG_2558

Almost done.  Assembled and tested. Number boards were cut from stripwood and decals applied.

The body fits perfectly on the Williams frame.

IMG_2631

Toolbox added to the deck.

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Brass strips added to the cab roof with high-voltage warning decals.  White railings added.  Don was nice enough to send me a trolley pole. It was only used to touch the overhead wire long enough to raise the pantograph at the start of the day.

IMG_2647IMG_2646

This was my first kit/scratchbuilt locomotive. It was going to be a simple project, but each time I looked at a photo, more details jumped out at me.  So it kind of morphed into a hundred hour project.  I really appreciate Don's work on developing the design.  We emailed during my build and he was a great encouragement. 

Bob Glorioso

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Last edited by RRDOC
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Will Ebbert posted:

That looks beautiful! If you don't mind me asking, how much were the 3D printed parts? 

Here is Don's post from another recent thread with the cost and his contact info:

     "Kit is ABS plastic parts. $140 with brass and metal detail parts. And yes, they are made to fit on the Williams 44 ton loco. If you mess up a part I will send a free replacement. 

     They don't come with pantographs but I have a few Lionel or brass Japanese pans. $20

     jrnyfilms@comcast.net

     Don"

Mike Slater posted:

Looks like I will need to send an email with questions, the as delivered version looks like the same steeple cab pups that the north shore had and the chassis length is correct

Yes, it's the same GE Model (built 1917) and Don's kit could easily do it.  Remove the muntins in the outboard front and rear cab windows, add 2 trolley poles, headlights and class lights to the roof.  Don's kit includes the headlight and bell castings. The only scratchbuilding you would need to do is the tool box (block of wood), small air tank (styrene tubing) and bend the handrails out of brass wire.  That's such a great paint scheme.  

Bob

Last edited by RRDOC
Adriatic posted:

   There are re-enforced versions of dremel disks. They are a hair thicker, but much safer as they are much less prone to shatter. I cut a couple 1/2" dia.grade 8 bolts to length the other day with ONE and it isn't even half worn.  I only use the plain disks on light plastic and wood since I found them.

Thanks.  I'll definitely have to try them next time I'm asking my Dremel to do the work of a milling machine!

Bob

RRDOC posted:
Will Ebbert posted:

That looks beautiful! If you don't mind me asking, how much were the 3D printed parts? 

Here is Don's post from another recent thread with the cost and his contact info:

     "Kit is ABS plastic parts. $140 with brass and metal detail parts. And yes, they are made to fit on the Williams 44 ton loco. If you mess up a part I will send a free replacement. 

     They don't come with pantographs but I have a few Lionel or brass Japanese pans. $20

     jrnyfilms@comcast.net

     Don"

Can you show us the motors you used ? Who made them ?   You did a fantastic job !!! 

 

Well, yes it would make sanding easier, but there are other surface details that you have to watch out for such as door and window panel lines and hinges.

I like the look of the rivets. If I had to do it over, I probably would have sanded the rivets off the hood sides and used the Archer rivet decals there. This would have taken less time. OTOH, the pattern is complex on the tops of the hoods and they printed very nicely and required very little cleanup. It would have been a PIA to try to figure out and reproduce that pattern with the decals.

BTW, I had read online that you can smooth the surface of ABS plastic 3D printed parts by exposing them to acetone vapor in a sealed jar. Don sent me a couple of extra hood sides, so I tried this.

IMG_2438

The potato chip look was not what I was after.  Apparently this technique works well on solid parts, not so much with panels.

Bob

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Beautiful job.   Very professional. 

I'm always intrigued (and grateful) when someone is so infatuated with a particular prototype that they will put that much time, effort, and money into recreating it.  There are a couple I'd like to do, but I suspect they would end up looking like something done by Homer Simpson.

And re the caption saying "The purpose of the "rabbit ears" is to catch high voltage arcs so the crew members don't have a very bad day" - I wonder if the designers had the foresight to include it originally, or if somebody had to learn the hard way.     

 

FYI, Scott Mann at 3rd Rail has just announced that he has gotten permission to produce the ERR Minicommander II boards.  This is the board that I used to add TMCC control and lighting to the steeple cab.   In my original post, I had mentioned that they are no longer available.  Here is the link.  It is towards the end of the thread.  

Bob

Thanks

I have a Weaver Little Joe and a pair of MTH Bipolar electrics.  All great engines.

Don McCuaig (Scale Rail) is the one that tried to get the manufacturers interested.  As far as I know, the only electric switchers in O scale/O gauge are out of production 2-rail brass models.  There are plenty of railroads and trolley lines that used them.  An MTH 3rail/2 rail convertible model would make sense from a sales/marketing point of view.  They may even be able to share parts from the MTH 44 tonner.

Bob 

@RRDOC posted:

In the Oct/Nov Run 301 issue of OGR Magazine, Don McCuaig (Scale Rail) did a nice article on his long journey to produce a Milwaukee Steeplecab Electric Locomotive.  After failed attempts to engage manufacturers in producing one, he designed and 3D printed an excellent Steeplecab body to fit over the chassis of a Williams scale 44-tonner.  If you have read the article, you know this was not an easy endeavor.  The Milwaukee Road used 4 of these little class ES-2 electrics for switching duties in their Rocky Mountain division.  Two of these GE Electrics were built in 1916 and two in 1919.  They were powered by a 3000v DC catenary.  GE built variations of these electrics for other railroads with either Pantographs or trolley poles.   All 4 of the Milwaukee ES-2s were scraped.

Don nicely modeled #10000, the first of 4 Milwaukee Steeplecabs.  As delivered, this was a simpler design. 

(photos removed 8/18/19)

Many "accessories" were added later, and each of the 4 electrics having different variations.  I liked the numerous details on E82 and elected to model it.  Its original paint scheme was all black like #10000 above.  Later it was painted in Hiawatha colors and finally in traditional Milwaukee orange and black.  

(photos removed 8/18/19)

Here are the parts needed.   Don's kit provided the body shell parts, 2 headlight castings, bell, and decals.  The Milwaukee style pantograph came from eBay, the Williams scale 44 tonner from Trainworld, and the ERR Co. Minicommander 2 from ERR Co.   These are currently not available.  Update: 3rd Rail will start producing them. The Minicommander is able to handle the low current draw of the 2 small motors contained in the trucks of the Williams 44 tonner.  I did not add a Sound Commander, though there is plenty of room to add it later.

IMG_2420

Don's 3D printed parts are nicely done, but unlike injection molded styrene parts, some finish work is required.

IMG_2421

Here is the raw printed part:

IMG_2435

After re-working the rivets and hinges with a #11 blade, and smoothing the striations with a sanding stick and one coat of rattle can spray primer/filler:

IMG_2437

I repeated the process of sanding and filling a couple more times and was able to eliminate most of the striations.

The cab side panel came out nice and smooth.  The rivets did not form well enough for a closeup photos, so I sanded them off and applied Archer rivet decals.   These decal strips are easy to apply and look nice.  

IMG_2477

Here is the completed assembled shell.  The rivet detail on the hood was excellent and didn't require much extra work.

IMG_2482

The Williams 44 tonner has a cast-in fuel tank, which is, of course, not present in an electric.  It was a PIA to remove, but 15 Dremel cutoff discs later . . . 

IMG_2507

Notice all the broken Dremel disc fragments 

IMG_2508IMG_2510

There are many details on the E82 that I had to scratchbuild from styrene and brass.  Here is the high voltage tower that gets mounted on one of the hoods.   So, you wonder, how is the TV reception?  

The purpose of the "rabbit ears" is to catch high voltage arcs so the crew members don't have a very bad day.

The white insulators are eyelets from Michaels.

IMG_2551

The radiator piping was more of a challenge.  I had no plans to work from, but after looking at multiple photos, I was able to sketch out a piping diagram.  My preferred tool for bending the brass rod:  a pair of Kadee coupler pliers.  I was able to do a reasonable job of soldering the pipes together and some small files corrected my mistakes.  I flattened some brass rod and used some brass wire and tubing to make the trolley pole keeper. The hatches and the side tank were made from styrene and I added Archer rivet decals.  The railings were brass wire, pieces of wire insulation, and metal eye bolts.

IMG_2531IMG_2798

I drilled and filed in the recessed steps

FullSizeRender

A coat of primer blends it all together.

IMG_2560IMG_2559

After painting the interior a light green color, I masked and airbrushed the maroon and orange.   At this point I realized my rookie mistake.  I should have painted the model before adding the handrails.  It was very difficult to mask with the handrails between these 2 colors.  

Also seen in this photo, I moved the stirrup step from the right end of the frame to middle center as in the prototype.  Cut with a razor saw and glued with JB weld.

IMG_2583

And the 3rd and final color.  Microscope cover slip glass was added to the windows.

IMG_2785

I removed the Williams board and speaker, mounted the minicommander and program/run switch. Kadee short centerset 743s added.  I wish I could mount them more inboard, but the trucks are in the way.

IMG_2558

Almost done.  Assembled and tested. Number boards were cut from stripwood and decals applied.

The body fits perfectly on the Williams frame.

IMG_2631

Toolbox added to the deck.

IMG_2632

Brass strips added to the cab roof with high-voltage warning decals.  White railings added.  Don was nice enough to send me a trolley pole. It was only used to touch the overhead wire long enough to raise the pantograph at the start of the day.

IMG_2647IMG_2646

This was my first kit/scratchbuilt locomotive. It was going to be a simple project, but each time I looked at a photo, more details jumped out at me.  So it kind of morphed into a hundred hour project.  I really appreciate Don's work on developing the design.  We emailed during my build and he was a great encouragement. 

Bob Glorioso

Lov it i got the overland one had to gut it & empower it 3 times before it ran properly 

Attachments

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Great work on the Steeple Cab.  Beautiful! Well executed!

The major model companies should have made one like this years ago. There were a few of them growing up in the northern suburbs of Chicago serviced by the Chicago North Shore RR.

 I've recently completed a Milw. Rd. transfer caboose from scratch. Hours mean nothing once you're into a project like this.

I hope it runs as well as it looks.

 

@scale rail posted:

Bob, show the award you won with this little steeple cab. First place at that. Don

Image

Here you go.   Even though the convention and magazine are 99% 2-rail scale O, the judges were very open to a 3-rail model.  I really enjoyed the convention since I do scale models as much as possible.  The layout tours were terrific.

Bob

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@AlanRail posted:

Not to be confusing I did  not make the one in the picture I posted. That model is from Overland Models,  Inc.

I posted the photo to show a size comparison to the award winning model that WAS made by Bob that uses the Williams or MTH 44-ton frame.

Overland made an HO brass model as well.  When I detailed the model, I used photos of it on the web to pick up details that I couldn't see in prototype photos.   BTW -  There is a KTM O 2-rail brass model on the big auction site right now for just under $400 shipped.  

Bob

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