Model Train Journal

This will be my attempt to master "Shutterfly" - I have all my Lobaugh photos stored, now it is time to see if I can get them posted here. My first attempt will be the MoPac Berk - it is really blue.

I know I have posted all of my models before, either directly or through Photobucket. But all have either disappeared or been obliterated. So you get to see them again. Maybe.

Okay, this is going to be painful:
Let me find the newest SP Berk for Jay - I can see it needs some paint and number boards:

It works. It takes a few seconds for the forum software to find the photos, but they are definitely "there."

Congrats Bob, that Mopac Berk is a beauty!

Getting easier - SP - first attempt:





You guys will be sorry you taught me this . . .

Driving me nuts. Accepts photos into my first album, but rejects them in the second. Organization sucks. What do I want for free, right?

bob turner wrote:Driving me nuts. Accepts photos into my first album, but rejects them in the second. Organization sucks. What do I want for free, right?

Even if it's free, you always buy it cheaper.

I have had an interesting couple of days of e-mails with Flickr. Suddenly they don't like my older browsers, the ones the add-ons actually still work in, the ones that are the latest available for my OS.
Get the Green Screen Of Death...."the grass is greener..." if you update your browser to the latest.
Tried to explain to them the choice is ours, not theirs, that if their latest BS doesn't parse correctly, it's our problem, no theirs.
user-agent-switcher finally allowed me in, same computer, same OS, just sent back to their query that I wasn't what I am.

I know there is a way to shield OS and browser from website queries, just haven't quite come to a full understanding of the process.

G-mail did that a while ago...."your browser is outdated, so we're only going to give you basic gmail"

The XP groups had a different URL to use for gmail, went right in to normal gmail, same computer, same OS, same browser.

By gum, they're gonna fix us right up!

ScaleCraft wrote:I have had an interesting couple of days of e-mails with Flickr. Suddenly they don't like my older browsers, the ones the add-ons actually still work in, the ones that are the latest available for my OS.

Interesting. Flickr is owned by Smugmug with which I have an account.

Had a similar(?) problem with Smugmug - very seriously did not like IE on my Gov't office computer. Worked just fine using Chrome or Firefox on the same computer. Run into a few other sites with similar issues but I doubt that I will ever use that computer again.......well, maybe next year.

Here are some more or less stock Lobaugh Berks:

I like all of these Bob, thanks.
Glad you sussed out your photo hosting too.
I like the Lobaugh berks, both the model for it's proportions which to me are ideal size wise, as well as the mechanism as the few I've seen run were real smooth and monster pullers which I assume is as much due to the builder as the kit?

The Berk kit is well designed. Each driver is quartered carefully with Woodruff keys and crankpins were drilled on a jig at the factory, resulting in equal crankpin throws. Gearbox is ball bearing with steel worm on phenolic worm gear. The gear is on the #2 axle with a long shaft, meaning any torque wrap-up is absorbed in the short rubber tube at the motor. And the series wound motors were full of inertia, giving smooth operation with lots of power.

But yeah, poorly assembled could mean not-so-good running. The builder must fit the rods properly, or it won't work. Dennis and I did rods for this thing, and I think Bob Stevenson has the masters - both for the Berk and for any Mikado one might wish to convert it to.

My original Berk went to Frank Thomson with a note inside saying it reverts to me. A BFP bought it from the estate, and was nice enough to give me a call. I now have only two stock Berks - the rest are mods - two SP/B&M, one fantasy SP (above) and two MoPacs. Here is the latest MoPac - really an IGN - and yes, it needs a new photo if not some paint.

Bob, did you paint the three finished examples here? They are all very nicely done, for me the C&NW J in particular really pops with that large herald on the tender and the two tone boiler.

Not yet. I ultimately paint stuff, and have access to a beautiful bead blaster for prep, but somehow it seems to take around five years between final handrail installation and paint.

I have a can of ACL purple ready to shoot on that nice GP7 - all I have to do is apply striping tapes that Maroon sent me and spray. Somehow I manage to put such things off.

Actually right now I am spending far too much time on MTJ, at the expense of my ongoing projects.

I have a Lobaugh Berkshire nicely finished in the C&NW scheme, but I don't have photos (yet). I have another that was specifically purchased to convert to Missouri Pacific. As Bob's posts have indicated, there were two different Mopac variants. There were five purchased by IGN, the MP in Texas. The rest were MP native. Though basically the same design as each other and the same as the CNW Berks, there are some differences. I put together this comparison shot showing the three types. Bob's MP on top, my "stock" version in the middle, and Bob's IGN at the bottom:



I used mine to represent the CNW variant instead of Bob's (nicely finished) version to make clear to myself what I was up against if I wanted to convert mine to either MP or IGN.

To me, the IGN version looks closer to the original than the MP version, which seems to have more differences, especially along the top of the boiler.
As a minimum, to convert to IGN, my model would need changes in these areas:

-- cab
-- whistle and poppet valves
-- stacks (why are there two?)
-- piping all along boiler
-- air tank
-- power reverse

Other things to note:

-- my model has an inboard-bearing pilot truck when it should have the outside-bearing style.
-- The IGN models were delivered for coal, so I could keep the original tender and the ash-pan. They were converted to oil before too long, so making those changes would be more representative of the loco over its lifetime. Not sure what the top of oil tender looked like (need to research).
-- The IGN also added the top-of-boiler, behind stack number boards like the MP version has. Again, probably best to add.
-- The IGN version had a trailing truck booster. Best to find one if I can.

I am sure that further research would reveal more differences, but I think this frames the project pretty well. Not too tough, but more changes to a steam locomotive model than I have made to date. You will know I am serious when I get the boiler dipped. Probably not this year, as I need to finish the current projects before starting another.

Jim