Doorstop Diesels

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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:56 am

rogruth wrote:This may sound like a silly question but I am serious.
Do you guys actually run your trains after you build them?
Other than just a test run.


Some of us just find our part of the hobby to be the creative process and derive most, if not all of our satisfaction through the building of models.
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rogruth
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby rogruth » Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:08 am

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:
rogruth wrote:This may sound like a silly question but I am serious.
Do you guys actually run your trains after you build them?
Other than just a test run.


Some of us just find our part of the hobby to be the creative process and derive most, if not all of our satisfaction through the building of models.

I thought that and it makes sense.
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R.K. Maroon
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby R.K. Maroon » Mon Jan 25, 2021 1:32 pm

I am late to this thread. I will start by noting that I am in the "you build them to run them" camp. I have an informal "catch and release" policy, that goes something like this: If I have a model that is "ready to run" that has been doing nothing but sitting in a box for a long time, then I find a new home for it where it might get some run time -- or at least put on display. It's not a rigid policy but I have sold quite a few number of operational locomotives simply because I had lost interest in running them. Part of the motivation is to slow the growth of the pile. It's helped, but I still have too many models.

As it is, most of my doorstops diesels are not ready to run. Since Bob posted a lot of E7s, I will add this one:

Image

As has been noted, the all-cast E7 was made by Exacta (after, I believe, their purchase by Central Lines). There were two versions. The first has a notable flaw: The slanted front vent, as seen in this B&O versions, posted previously by Bob:

Image

As an aside, I agree with Bob and Pete that there is some charm to this model. I am not so sure the finish can be cleaned up to the point of reasonable satisfaction, but it's worth taking a look at to see what we're up against.

At any rate, Exacta eventually fixed the flaw, as seen in the first photo. These are my favorite doorstop E7s. I imagine the castings are Adams and Son, but only the truck sideframes are so marked, and the roof and sides are not found on any other A&S based E7, specifically the Siebers Bros. or Fernando Valley versions. My guess is that Exacta provided their own patterns and had an exclusive, which Lindsey Adams honored.

Jim
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Dennis Holler
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby Dennis Holler » Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:41 pm

Carey just sent me most of a pair of Baldwin/ Walthers E7/8 locos. The A is all cast in one piece except for the rear end, and good grief is that thing heavy lol. I hope to make something out of them lol
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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:44 pm

Dennis Holler wrote: I hope to make something out of them


Suggestion -- make a doorstop, :mrgreen:
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bob turner
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby bob turner » Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:05 pm

Soldered this one up this AM for Maroon - 30 minutes to heat the thing up to solder flow temperature. Next time using MAPP gas. This one is one of the straightest I have ever done - you learn a lot when the solder cools and you see your mistakes.

Mechanism is modern CLW gearboxes, but side frames are the older sand-cast, as befit a model of this pedigree. All six axles powered.

Image

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rogruth
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby rogruth » Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:57 am

Very nice.
How did you heat it?
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De Bruin
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby De Bruin » Tue Feb 02, 2021 1:15 pm

My that's a good looking cast PA, I believe I will get to see it in person as I understand I will be painting it once your done with your ministrations.
Seconding Roger's question; just what did you use to heat something like this up to "solder-flow" temperature?
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rogruth
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby rogruth » Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:38 pm

De Bruin wrote:My that's a good looking cast PA, I believe I will get to see it in person as I understand I will be painting it once your done with your ministrations.
Seconding Roger's question; just what did you use to heat something like this up to "solder-flow" temperature?

I'm glad to see i'm not the only non knower ( :? ). :)
roger

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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Tue Feb 02, 2021 5:40 pm

rogruth wrote:
De Bruin wrote:My that's a good looking cast PA, I believe I will get to see it in person as I understand I will be painting it once your done with your ministrations.
Seconding Roger's question; just what did you use to heat something like this up to "solder-flow" temperature?

I'm glad to see i'm not the only non knower ( :? ). :)


I was thinking he might have an x-ray pumper laser to heat it up with to "solder-flow" temperature, :wink: :wink:
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bob turner
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby bob turner » Tue Feb 02, 2021 7:27 pm

That one I used a propane cylinder with pencil tip. Today I did one with MAPP gas - took only 12 minutes. When I first started assembling these things I used oxy-acetylene, but that is overkill, unless you are silver soldering with the 1100 degree stuff.

Clean, flux, bolt it together exactly the way you want it to turn out, then heat from back to front, going side to side so the solder flows an inch at a time. Nothing happens for the first three minutes or so, then it starts to move.

Propane and MAPP allow for more even temperature gradients.

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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby bob turner » Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:48 pm

So an eventful couple of weeks, in a very small sense. Both of us seem to have gotten a small dose of the Covid, although we did not test for it. Mine morphed into a cold. Then we got the first Pfizer dose, and had a bad next day. In between all that I assembled two CLW PAs, and started to consider this E7, sent to me by Maroon.

At first glance it looked very well done as far as it got. The right side seemed a lot straighter than the left, so I have embarked on a straightening operation on the left side. I can see two places where a slight further adjustment is required, but am going to post a "before" photo, even though the worst of the waves are now pretty much straight. Windshields always worry me a bit, because as you go, the tendency is to go too far. But most Adams castings are the other way, so I always have a lot of material to work with.

And I am going to solder some uprights along the front and back of all side openings. Just found enough N scale rail to do the upper vents. Lower windows get round rod. Handrails are crooked, but that is an easy fix, and I think the number boards come off tonight or tomorrow for straightening. More, of course, later. Herewith:

Image

Image

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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby bob turner » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:00 pm

By the way, I thought I had mentioned it, but cannot find it above - I am planning on the same paint scheme as shown on the B&O above. I have a few with black stripes, and consider that an elegant scheme, but this one has simplicity and charm. I have never seen the prototype, but note that the Central of Georgia had variations on the B&O scheme, so my plan is C of G, with an otherwise similar scheme. Top stripe will be horizontal under the headlight; bottom stripe will be a vee.

The trick will be to get that bright orange that C of G used for stripes, and then to locate decals. I would rather go with vinyl die cut, because they do not fade, but Callie tells me that individual letters that small are not possible. She did do some orange SP stick-ons for me, and they really did the trick! I am going to do a tiger stripe SD9 with her vinyl.

Oh - paint: This one will be done with Dupli-Color rattle cans. Stripes will be masked, but may be reinforced with Pilot pens.

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rogruth
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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby rogruth » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:52 pm

The B & O and C of G schemes have always been favorites of many and considered to be among the most beautiful.
Will be watching for this.
roger

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Re: Doorstop Diesels

Postby bob turner » Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:31 pm

Carey sent me PA pieces in return for some soldering work. Here is how that turned out - almost as straight as Jim's PA above. This one may get nickel plated someday.

Image

Image

No, I didn't work on the E7 last night. But soon . . .


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