Author: renegourley

Finally, I finished the caboose. It was down to the wire to finish it before the big train show this weekend, but here you have it. Overally, I’m pretty happy with it.

Next up? Well, I’ve got a couple of non-P87 models under way, and I reckon I’d better finish them. Then, I’m hoping to start the big basement reno sometime this winter, which will pave the way for (drum roll please) the layout!

Stay tuned.

Here you go, the roof is just about finished; there’s a little weathering to do, and perhaps a little patina on the smoke jack.

I thought for a long time about the covering. I think this was likely canvas, although I don’t have any proof. Once I’d decided it was canvas, I spent weeks looking for real evidence as to what a well-maintained canvas roof should look like. I’ve seen loads of models with tissue paper on the roof to represent canvas texture, as well as seams between sheets. I found a number of references and pictures on the web to restoration efforts involving canvas roofs, and found that these were universally made in one big piece of canvas. Once the canvas was stretched over the roof, it was then painted. So, are the seams on other models bogus? If you paint canvas, I wouldn’t expect much texture to remain, especially in HO scale.

The boards leading from the ladder to the running board are another supposition. If the roof was indeed canvas, they would have wanted to protect it from brakemen’s feet. However, in the good side view we have, I can’t see any evidence of a normal platform here.

The running boards are plastic, of course. You don’t paint running boards because it makes them slick. So, they are finished in my recipe for well-maintained wood: Humbrol matt 63 (sand colour) base coat followed by some dry-brushed matt 170 (dark brown) then some dry-brushed light grey, and finally a wash of dark grey. Like the underframe, I may start doing these in wood.

When the inevitable aerial photograph shows up shortly after the model is completed, I’ll probably wind up redoing much of the roof. But here it is for now.

Next step: I need to cut the bottom out of the cupola now that it’s glued down, and create an interior for the cupola at least. I hadn’t planned to make an interior for this model, but there are so many windows in the cupola, I don’t think I can get away with that.

I hemmed and hawed for a while before finally getting down to making the steps. My initial thought was I would etch the steps as one of my origami etchings. Then, when the etchings didn’t work out, I figured it might be easiest to bend the two stringers from a single length of brass strip.

Finally, I settled on a more typical approach. After bending up the stringers on a simple jig, I placed them in two holes the correct distance apart. I soldered the top step on first flat against the block into which the two holes had been drilled. Then, I put the other ends of the stringers in the block and soldered the bottom step on, soldering them perpendicular to the block.

After all that pondering, it turned out to be a good deal easier to solder the steps up precisely. They wound up taking only about a few minutes each, and so, I made an extra.

To install, I had the most success when I blu-tacked a spacer strip to the side sill, and then held the steps against the spacer. The stringers are glued to the back of the sills, and I’m still pondering whether I should reinforce them with some sort of pinning.