Was able to add a fairly hard to come by Max Gray PRR D16sb Class 4-4-0 to my roster. Built by Toby, and only done one time, not the usual KTM builder as other Max Gray models. Of course the 1223 was a common site for many years at Strasburg Railroad and is now stashed away in the museum across the street. The 50+ year old model still looks great. One thing stands out, and in a good way. This thing is hand lettered, and STRIPED! How the heck do people do that. Those lines are straight. The letters are evenly spaced and on a horizontal plane. The stripes on the spokes would be fairly easy to do since its applied to straight spokes. But the circle around the driver tires and pony truck wheel faces? now come on. That's just sick! 😂
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Wow that is beautiful. My first ride on the Strasburg was behind 1223. I was 3 I think. Glad you could add that to your collection. Definitely a wonderful locomotive in an era of bigger is better models.
That is a sweet looking loco! I wonder if they would have had a jig that let them spin the wheels to paint the circle stripe? Still would have required a deft touch.
Fred Dole did a story on a RR club...New Jersey or New York maybe, and he did a follow up on one of the members that had lettered all his scratch built cars, and the gentleman was in his 70s or maybe 80s.
That's a beautiful locomotive.
Yes. Thank you for the photo essay. I am about a year away from painting mine, but will use your photos as a guide.
Hand lettering takes serious skill, but doing the stripes requires only moderate skill if you use a straightedge and circle templates.
Steamer posted:Fred Dole did a story on a RR club...New Jersey or New York maybe, and he did a follow up on one of the members that had lettered all his scratch built cars, and the gentleman was in his 70s or maybe 80s.
Dave, The gentlemen may have been Robert Wagoner(sp?) of whatever that long time NY two rail club is. Many of his cars inspired K-Line and Atlas billboard reefers. John in Lansing, ILL
I think you are correct John. And IIRC...he didn't even wear glasses.
rattler21 posted:Steamer posted:Fred Dole did a story on a RR club...New Jersey or New York maybe, and he did a follow up on one of the members that had lettered all his scratch built cars, and the gentleman was in his 70s or maybe 80s.
Dave, The gentlemen may have been Robert Wagoner(sp?) of whatever that long time NY two rail club is. Many of his cars inspired K-Line and Atlas billboard reefers. John in Lansing, ILL
The Club is the New York Society of Model Engineers. It was Bob Lavezzi [Then President] that that introduced Fred Dole to the late Bob Wagner and the now infamous reefer Cars that Atlas O recreated!
PRRK4s posted:Was able to add a fairly hard to come by Max Gray PRR D16sb Class 4-4-0 to my roster. Built by Toby, and only done one time, not the usual KTM builder as other Max Gray models. Of course the 1223 was a common site for many years at Strasburg Railroad and is now stashed away in the museum across the street. The 50+ year old model still looks great. One thing stands out, and in a good way. This thing is hand lettered, and STRIPED! How the heck do people do that. Those lines are straight. The letters are evenly spaced and on a horizontal plane. The stripes on the spokes would be fairly easy to do since its applied to straight spokes. But the circle around the driver tires and pony truck wheel faces? now come on. That's just sick! 😂
WOW ! That is a Beauty! I wish I had an opportunity to purchase one in 3 Rail.
Re: Hand lettering - You get a lot of "Hand Lining" in the UK. There is quite a good book on it from Wild Swan:
http://titfield.co.uk/Wild-Swan/Model-Techniques.htm
Scroll down to " A Modellers Handbook of Painting and Lining" by Ian Rathbone.
They also due those great books on modelling trees.
I have had one for years. I traded a Westside 2-8-0 for it. Both of us were happy with the trade. I told the other guy that the 2-8-0 would not stay on the track and he told me that the 4-4--0 would not pull anything.
After I had it awhile I got to looking and someone, either the guy I got it from or someone before him, had filled the smokebox with lead wool to try to weight it I guess. However the smokebox rides over the lead truck, well in front of the first pair of drivers. I took a business card and ran it along the rail under the rear drivers and it went right through. They were not setting on the rails! So essentially it was a 4-2-0!
I cleaned the lead wool out or the front. Then I turned the loco over and poured cerro-bend (lo melt heavy stuff) into the cab roof. The loco was unpainted at the time. This really improved the pulling power. I can't remember whether it has any other weight to not.
With Wlathers passenger cars, it could pull one up my 1 1/2 % grade, or about 10-12 freight cars with easy rolling trucks. Since I acquired the GGD P70s, the loco will pull one P70 and 2 express cars up the grade with ease. That is its current assignment.
I did not do so fancy a paint job. I did do the striping on the cab and tender useing the Champ "Blue Ribbon" K4 decal set for teh striping and lettering.
PRRJIM, Pics? I'm not sure what weight is in mine. I know it weighs quite a bit. I don't have a layout, just some test track. One day I'll do a test and try to pull something.
That loco is beautiful, whoever did the lining on it should have signed that masterpiece!!
A great addition to your roster!!
Dave Funk posted:That loco is beautiful, whoever did the lining on it should have signed that masterpiece!!
A great addition to your roster!!
Ditto !
Here are a couple of photos of my D16. It has been in service for quite a few years. As I mentioned above, my paint job was much simpler, using what I could get off the Champ decal set. It is not nearly so nice as the one above.
As for weight, it is not how much weight that counts, but the distribution of the weight. It needs to be over the drivers to keep them on the rails, not in the nose. I don't think mine weighs more than a pound or 2. I could check it I guess
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That does look good. Now you made me think about notching my running boards.
I do not enjoy working with lead, so mine has a huge slug of brass in the back end of the firebox. The idea is to have it sit on the drivers without the lead truck installed. Mine will be tender drive, which leaves room for a huge weight.
By the way, there were 3 still in service near the end of steam. 1223 and 1046, the number I used, and a third I don't have the number for offhand. 1046 was working north of Pittsburgh up to Derry I think.
Nice looking locomotive Jim. If mine wasn't painted like it is I would finish it just the way you acheived the look. Used but not abused. Bob, what do you mean notched running boards?
PRRK4s posted:Nice looking locomotive Jim. If mine wasn't painted like it is I would finish it just the way you acheived the look. Used but not abused. Bob, what do you mean notched running boards?
Notched Boards... look at the Offset boards from the cab