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I have this tendency to pick up an ATSF steam locomotive, really like it, and then end up with multiples of the same locomotive. The MTH Premier model of the Santa Fe 2900 class was no exception. Last year I picked up a pilot version of a PS3 model and made it fully functional:

MTH Premier Santa Fe 2900 class Northern, or lets build a 3rd steam locomotive from junk | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum (ogaugerr.com)

I really liked the model and decided I had to have another one. Being that I'm "frugal" I didn't want to hunt down a factory PS3 model, plus I had a PS3 steam kit, detail parts, and the know how to upgrade a locomotive. I started looking for a Premier PS1 version. It took awhile, as current market prices on PS1 Premier steam is kinda wonky (i.e. way higher than 2 years ago) but I found a PS1 2900 class at an actual decent price.

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As a bonus it even ran.

The model had several short comings that needed to be addressed to bring it up to the standards of my PS3 model. First, and foremost, was PS1. I run all TMCC/Legacy/DCS locomotives so PS1 had to go. Secondly was detail. MTH added a lot of detail between when this PS1 model came out in 1995 and the PS3 version they produced in 2017. Some things I had to address were:

Shiny driver tires

Shiny handrails

A fixed (non moveable) stack extension

The smokebox door that was black instead of tarpon gray

Cab interior black instead of green, and not back head details painted

No whistle or bell cords

No fireman figure

No cab glass

I decided to tackle the stack first. I happened to have a moveable stack extension from a Premier Santa Fe 3460 class Hudson. While not an exact match for the 2900 class stack it was close enough, and it moved. I had to slightly enlarge the opening in the boiler for the stack to fit, and chop the stack motor off the non-moving stack, but it went together pretty easily.

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Next I redid the smokebox front. I painted the smokebox, added the correct bell bracket with an air ringer, and also a bell mount with an arm for the bell pull cord. 

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At the same time I made a bracket out of sheet brass to mount a PS2/PS3 smoke unit in place of the factory Seuthe smoke unit.

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I also installed cab glass, a fireman figure, and painted the cab interior green.

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Turning back to the exterior those shiny metal handrails had to go. I removed them, sanded the hand rails with some 120 grit sandpaper, and chemically blackened them. I also added bell and whistle pull cords on top of the boiler.

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I then tackled to the chassis. Pat @harmonyards, has a process he perfected to blacken the driver tires on PS1 steam locomotive chassis. It involves using Caswell black oxide. He's explained it on the forum before. It turns the shiny metal driver tires and axle ends a nice satin black which won't rub off and conducts electricity. The chassis turned out extremely well following his process.

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Once the chassis was done it was just a simple matter of reassembling everything, installing the PS3 wiring harness, and adding all LED lighting.

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The final step was the tender. Pretty simple. PS3 kit boards, wire harness, nice large bassy speaker, and a LED light. Nothing fancy here.

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The finished product.

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With a little bit of effort it's pretty simple to take an older scale model and upgrade it to modern standards. This whole project cost less than half of what buying a PS3 2900 class new would have cost. It was even easier to do something like this before prices went crazy, but if you shop around you can turn these older locomotives into real gems.

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That's a great looking custom piece! Literally one of a kind. I need to learn a bit about the blackening process, might have some engines that could use it. Does the blackening of the shiny handrails use the same prices as the wheels and axles?

By the way, where do your PS1 boards go? I still have lots of conventional Kline or Williams things from my dad's collection that I've been slowly putting PS1 guts into. I'll be happy to take it off your hands if it's in working shape.

@Ron_S posted:

Will the Caswell oxide paste work on Williams Crown Edition J-11 drivers as well?   I have 2 of the PS1 2900's converting to ERR and CG SC but also have a Williams J11 upgraded to PS3 that the shiny drivers bug me when run it.

Ron, yes it will, ….to do the job correctly, break down the engine completely, …..I believe that model has axles that will drop out , ….when you get them out, start by degreasing the parts with hot soapy water. While they’re in the soapy water, scuff the shiny parts of the wheels with 800 or 1000 grit paper. Rinse, and while wet, apply the Caswell paste,……using a paper towel or rag, wipe away the cream for the reveal. If the parts have not been fully attacked by the oxide agent, repeat until it’s “bitten” or the desired affect you want. After results are achieved, rinse, and dry with a hair dryer, heat gun etc. hot, but not burn your fingers hot, ….while hot, apply penetrating oil to the entire wheel sets, allow this to evaporate off, leaving a nice blackened sheen……reassemble, & enjoy, ….😉

Pat

Pat......Got it, won't do that again. Thanks for telling me. Yes lots of good data in this thread since I am working on the same engine as Lou. It has been a real help to me. Next task after leds is blacking that shiny undercarrage. If anyone has ideas on that tender light please post. The PS1 MTH Northern tender light is red on while powered up. Could anyone tell me what the Lionel later versions have?

Richard

@Rppoind posted:

Pat......Got it, won't do that again. Thanks for telling me. Yes lots of good data in this thread since I am working on the same engine as Lou. It has been a real help to me. Next task after leds is blacking that shiny undercarrage. If anyone has ideas on that tender light please post. The PS1 MTH Northern tender light is red on while powered up. Could anyone tell me what the Lionel later versions have?

Richard

It should be red.

http://old.atsfrr.org/resource...ndifer/FT/RedLit.htm

@Ron_S posted:

@Lou1985  So the one you use is the regular black oxide concentrate and not the stainless steel?

I will have 3 chassis to darken, plus possibly a few of the clubs if we upgrade them.

Yup. Regular black oxide that I mix with water. The driver tires aren't stainless steel, so the regular kit works fine. Just be sure to scuff the tires and axle ends with 800 grit sandpaper before dunking them in the black oxide mix.

@Rppoind posted:

Lou......Now I know, many thanks....again. "Santa Fe had red lights on the rear of all of their locomotives. This included being on both ends of booster units. These lights were only illuminated when the engines were running light". OGR is the best!

Richard

That’s not just a Santa Fe thing, ….any red light on the back of a locomotive, whether it be markers, or single lamp housing. Red indicates the end of the train WHEN MOVING FORWARD …….so the red light or lights would only be illuminated when running light, ie; no train behind it …..a trick I’ve done is to use a timer board relay to activate a rear red light on a tender when the coupler fires, thus turning on the red light when a train is released……set the timer to the desired time to keep the red light illuminated…..usually long enough to get to the engine servicing facility, or onto a siding for a hold,…

Pat

@Ron_S posted:

@Lou1985  So the one you use is the regular black oxide concentrate and not the stainless steel?

I will have 3 chassis to darken, plus possibly a few of the clubs if we upgrade them.

Lou is correct Ron, and I’ll add, the blackener for the stainless will work on die cast zinc, pot metals, stainless, scuffed chrome, & mild steel,….you can use either or, the trick with anything stubborn is to scuff the surface to allow the acid to leach,……I keep both products on hand, as it’s handy for a variety of tasks, …..Caswell just recently offered a Mega Black Oxide concentrate that’s really good, ….although I have not tried it on drivers yet, it’s made really short work of a lot of postwar Lionel blackened parts,…

Pat

@Rppoind posted:

Pat....Thanks for the info on rear red lights. Timer idea sounds good driven by coupler output or how about a small latching relay fired by front coupler output since this engine only uses a rear. Rear would be automatic at uncoupling rear,front would allow operator on/off.

Richard

Sure, …I like using the rear coupler, …it makes it thoughtless,……😉

Pat

Just found this discussion.  Doing a modification of the 2-rail version of this generation of the engine...to convert to battery + Blunami.  LOVE the cosmetic changes...especially the drivers, rods, handrails...the blackening.   Surely would love to do the same during this redo.

Clarification, please...

Blackening the drivers...May I assume the driver/axles were removed from the chassis for this step?  Further, were just the driver tires exposed to the blackening agent, or the axles, the worm gear, bearings, the entire driver sets?

Blackening the handrails...Do I infer that these were blackened in place (advantage expressed for the use of the gel medium)?!?!  How did you keep the gel from the painted parts (e.g., adjacent boiler).

So many questions...  Really want to do this, but I'm not sure I can fathom the actual process details as re this engine.

KD

@dkdkrd posted:

Just found this discussion.  Doing a modification of the 2-rail version of this generation of the engine...to convert to battery + Blunami.  LOVE the cosmetic changes...especially the drivers, rods, handrails...the blackening.   Surely would love to do the same during this redo.

Clarification, please...

Blackening the drivers...May I assume the driver/axles were removed from the chassis for this step?  Further, were just the driver tires exposed to the blackening agent, or the axles, the worm gear, bearings, the entire driver sets?

Blackening the handrails...Do I infer that these were blackened in place (advantage expressed for the use of the gel medium)?!?!  How did you keep the gel from the painted parts (e.g., adjacent boiler).

So many questions...  Really want to do this, but I'm not sure I can fathom the actual process details as re this engine.

KD

You do not have to pull the drivers from a captured axle frame, ….you do have to remove every part from the frame however…..

you could do the handrails in place, but, a far better finish, & quality will result if you work them out, darken them, and then reinstall them. The oxide cream will leave white residue that can be a PITA to get out of every nook & cranny …..

Pat

@Ron_S posted:

@harmonyards  Pat, can the caswell sealer be applied with a spray bottle or just a drenching bath in a tub?

I’ve never tried it that way Ron, but I try to only get the acid on the parts I want blackened, ….when the oxidation process occurs, the resulting fluid can dry and leave white spots on stuff you might not want white spots on…….easy enough to clean up, but they seem to get in the dangdest of places…..



Do you approach all things in life thoughtlessly?

As often as possible…..😝

Pat

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