PRR Atlantic (converting from B&O markings)

2 pictures of #460 are available at: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/prr_steam3.html

Suggest instead of decals to use dry transfers from Clover House - set 7784-03-DT-O looks right.

mwb posted:

2 pictures of #460 are available at: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/uggest instead of decals to use dry transfers from Clover House - set 7784-03-DT-O looks right.

Agreed. Thank you. I ordered them. 

Will they mold around the rivets if done correctly?

Do I dull coat over them? 

"Will they mold around the rivets if done correctly?
Keep us posted on how that turns out.

As for the Micro-Scale decals, use their decal setting solutions only! Micro-Set first and Micro-Sol second (If needed). And by all means don't touch after applying the solution. The decal may seem to shrivel a bit but leave it alone until it dries, it will level out on its own.

Do I dull coat over them? 
Yes, or whatever clear coat that you prefer.

I received the boiler fronts from Lionel parts (very quickly I will add). 

I decided to go with the round plate, #460.  I could not find any pictures of the 460 or any other Atlantic with the round plate and non-pinstriped tender. But I did find a few pictures of PRR passenger locomotives with such a combination:

And an Atlas version of a PRR Atlantic with such a combination:

Loose precedent, but it's good enough for me. 

I removed the B&O face and installed the PRR face.  While I had the locomotive opened I added weight to the front.  This engine really finely balanced on the rear drivers and the slightest bumps or draw bar strain causes the front end to bounce up and down very easily. If I put the slightest pressure on the cab roof with my finger the front end and front drivers lift.

I made a pack of a few of these weights:

Wrapped in black masking tape and hot glued right on the back of the newly installed boiler front.  Couldn't get a great pic, but here's a shot:

So here's where I am so far:

I got the microscale decals, and they look great, and include a lot of decals, including the tender pinstriping pieces.  But I am not really wanting that style tender, and it would be quite a task to do all the striping.  But I am impressed with the product.  However I am going to try the dry transfers when they arrive. 

pennsy484 posted:

mwb posted:

2 pictures of #460 are available at: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/uggest instead of decals to use dry transfers from Clover House - set 7784-03-DT-O looks right.

Agreed. Thank you. I ordered them. 

Will they mold around the rivets if done correctly?

With care, yes. A good embossing tool makes this more possible.

Do I dull coat over them? 

Dull coat can react with these sometimes; I use Rustoleum Clear Matte.

This reefer was done with Clover House dry transfers sealing between layers and finally with Rustoleum Clear Matte.

pennsy484 posted:

I received the boiler fronts from Lionel parts (very quickly I will add). 

I decided to go with the round plate, #460.  

So here's where I am so far:

 

I got the microscale defals, and they look great, and include a lot of decals, including the tender pinstriping pieces.  But I am not really wanting that style tender, and it would be quite a task to do all the striping.  But I am impressed with the product.  However I am going to try the dry transfers when they arrive. 

That WAS quick!

I prefer the round plate; so far your engine looks great.

Mark in Oregon

Originally posted by Big Jim

Will they mold around the rivets if done correctly?
Keep us posted on how that turns out.

As for the Micro-Scale decals, use their decal setting solutions only! Micro-Set first and Micro-Sol second (If needed).
And by all means don't touch after applying the solution.

Wait a Minute... Doesn't one use Micro SOL First? That's the stuff that Softens the liquid... Then Micro SET... which is the setting solution.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/184452.aspx

For me Micro Set never worked. I went with Pledge with Future Floor Shine as a setting solution. Works great and in a lot less time than micro set!  http://www.finescale.com/how-t...gloss-has-a-new-name

My older version with err Lionel 460 is one of my favorite engines.

I received the dry transfers from Clover House today, which was quick, along with with a nice thank you note.  

Sure enough, as MWB mentioned above, there is apparently a potential issue with using Testors Dullcoat over the transfers.  They mentioned specific examples of clear coats they tested and I ended up using the Krylon Matte Finish, which I had on hand. 

Here's the note they sent with the dry transfers:

I sprayed the surfaces (whole tender, and just the part below the cab window) with the matte finish, let it cure for around a half hour (I can be impatient), applied the transfers using end of a small paint brush and a small spatula as burnishing tools, and overcoated with the matte finish.

The can side numbers are a bit small but I was surprised by the small size of the numbers on the prototype, so it's not too far off actually.

I painted the front truck wheels and the rims of the drivers black (flat rattle can on truck wheels, and Collector Color 675 semigloss black on drivers).  For the drivers I hooked leads to the locomotive held it in my hand and ran the drivers at a slowish rate while applying the paint with a small brush just to the rims. 

I also made an air compressor steam exhaust pipe from 14 gage solid copper wire with straps made from thinner wire, painted and expoxied in place (Gorilla clear epoxy).  It's strange that it's absent on the model to begin with.  The 14 gage is a bit thick, but it matches well with the molded in steam line running into the air compressor  16 probably would have been perfect but this is what I had on hand and I think it looks fine. 

The pilot is pretty spartan so I have ordered air brake hoses and coupler cut bar assembly parts from Precision Scale which I will add at some point when I get them, and perhaps remover the superfluous classification lights from the pilot per the prototype.

Pictures:

And the transition sequence 🙂:

This was an easy and highly enjoyable and rewarding project.

Great project and fantastic result.  Congrats on a nice engine!

As for the lights on the tender, I believe they are marker lights as opposed to classification lights.  On the front of your engine you have marker lights on the pilot beam (red and yellow lenses) and classification lights on the smokebox (green and white lenses). This was standard pre-war Pennsy practice.  Eventually the Pennsy stopped using classification lights altogether  (I'm not sure of the transition date, but I believe it was prior to WW2).  After that point the front end marker lights could either be mounted on the pilot beam or the smokebox.  As for the tender markers, I believe the Pennsy always used them, but in later years they moved them from the tender deck to platforms on the rear of the tender.  I believe that is why you don't see them in the prototype photo.  But your tender markers in their current location are appropriate for the time period of your engine based on the front end marker/class light configuration.  Recommend you do some web searches to verify this information.  There are plenty of Pennsy experts on the forum who could chime in on this too

Regardless, you did wonderful job on your engine.  She's a beauty.  Thanks for sharing your project!

Looks great, Jeff. Thanks for the step by step, too!

Scott R posted:

Great project and fantastic result.  Congrats on a nice engine!

Eventually the Pennsy stopped using classification lights altogether  (I'm not sure of the transition date, but I believe it was prior to WW2).  After that point the front end marker lights could either be mounted on the pilot beam or the smokebox.  

 

Thank you!

I didn't know about the classification lights being discontinued. This explains the red marker lights on some models rather than green. 

Yes, you did a really good job on that; she's a beauty.

Makes me want to take out and re-read my copy of "Apex of the Atlantics"... 

Mark in Oregon

I hadn't heard of that book, Apex of the Atlantics, before, but I just ordered it! Thanks! 

Very nice job.     A comment about the weight you added.    The best balance for the loco should be between the drivers.    In other words set the loco on a 1/2 inch diameter dowel or pipe crossways between the drivers.    The perfect situation would be a balance but that is also almost impossible to achieve.    but you can get close and get a feel for whether it is nose heavy or tail heavy.   

I have a 4-4-0 that was very nose heavy when I got it.    It was so bad,  you could slide a piece of paper between the rear drivers and the rail.    I had to take weight out of the nose and find places to  put it in the cab.

A loco that is close to balanced on the drivers will pull the best it can.

So I am now thinking of painting the roof between the rain guards and the tender deck "red"  What paint should I use in my paint brush?  If there isn't a best match available, I don't mind mixing paint but what red or freight car color do I start with? 

Very nice work Jeff.  What brand passenger cars are in your video?  They have a nice color and finish?  I run 18 inch K-Line versions that are OK but not as nicely finished.  

pennsynut posted:

Very nice work Jeff.  What brand passenger cars are in your video?  They have a nice color and finish?  I run 18 inch K-Line versions that are OK but not as nicely finished.  

Thank you!

The cars are the old MTH Premier 18 inch heavy weights, which don't have passengers.  You used to be to get them pretty cheap at York.  I am in the process of replacing the lights with LED tape strip lights since some of the bulbs are out and/or light fixtures are broken.  It's very easy to do on these cars.  Also doing a little painting in the interiors and adding people.

After (left)  before (right) :

I got the warm white leds but still a bit too white but I think I will leave them as is without using any yellow nail polish or whatever.  Or they might just look too white in comparison with the dimmer old half lit car.