The "Woody" D&H Challenger

[R.K. Maroon]

Bob sent this low-resolution photo before heading to the airport:



This is, I believe, only a temporary assembly, as evidenced by the Jubilee clamp in the middle holding the front and back halves together. But one can see what this big articulated will look like once whole again.

I should also add to my list of tasks: Find a set of D&H steam decals. I will head to OScaleYardSale unless somebody here has a set they would be willing to part with.

Jim

[bob turner]

Also note that there is a 10-32 threaded rod going from backhead to that block of wood in front of the smokebox.
Two more pins, and then I will disassemble, tin everything, and make the repair permanent.

Then running boards, and we'll see about the rest.

Decals may be problematic. Champ made them. If you find an Alps printer, make the first coat white, then over-print with dulux yellow.

[ScaleCraft]

I have several boxes and several big envelopes of decals. Mostly UP stuff, from Rudinski, but I'll look, maybe tomorrow.

[up148]

I have several boxes and several big envelopes of decals. Mostly UP stuff, from Rudinski, but I'll look, maybe tomorrow.

I'm in the same boat. All UP. Can't imagine someone, somewhere, doesn't have these decals, but finding a D&H hoarded could be interesting. YS is the 1st place I'd look as well, after here.

The repair looks like it's going well.

[E7]

For decals you might try Matt Forsyth, over in NE PA. He does custom work and I'm pretty sure he models The D&H.

I'm thinking he goes by "Forsyth Rail Services".

Rich

[De Bruin]

The appropriate Champ set E-38 is ancient and hard to find.
Actually given the prototype apparently only sported the road name on the tender and the road# on the side of the cab,
you could just to get a bronze lettering set in Railroad Roman and have at it, likely cheaper too.The real tedium to me here would be all the white striped foot boards and tires.

[R.K. Maroon]

Well, at least we have options:

-- OScaleYardSale post for Champ E-38
I will post a WTB ad and see if anybody has a set

-- Contact Matt Forsyth
His website is still up (http://mattforsyth.com/) and there is contact information. I will give him a call.

-- Alps Printer
With any luck at all I will have an Alps printer up and running sometime this fall. Never used one before so there will be a learning curve.

-- Lettering set
This is a last resort -- tedious but viable.

I will report back
Jim

[bob turner]

Wait for the Alps printer.
The learning curve is access to the proper fonts. Some of them you buy. I don't know how Wilhite created such accurate stuff - I guess you can scan it in, then adjust the size and print. Dropping the background is my problem, as you will see.

[bob turner]

Soldered. It ain't never comin' apart!

Shiny areas are brass threaded pins - there are about 15 of them. The solder encapsulates them and I file the heads off. Trip to bead blaster manana.

[bob turner]

Yes, there are exhaust and steam pipes that fill that empty space below the smokebox. Later . . .

[R.K. Maroon]

Looks great, Bob. I was wondering if your repairs would make it difficult to fit the boiler over the chassis, but I guess the answer is no? I say that because I would think you would have to add some doublers across the split, and these would narrow the clearance inside the boiler.

As an aside, here is a great video showing three of the prototypes in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR1TnS8n5FQ&ab_channel=PennDivision1

Did you catch that funky caboose with the cupola shoved all the way to the back? A vain effort to minimize smoke in helper service?

And how about those old hoppers just in front of the helpers? I would be afraid of crushing them with that kind of power behind.

[sleepmac]

Right after viewing the above flick, I watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acYg8zWVmfU. "Steam on the D & H" featuring a number of Challengers and a different looking 4-6-2, #609

Question, did any other RRs this side of the Mississippi run articulateds. I am aware of #1309 and it's coming alive.

Dan Weinhold

[E7]

Dan, A pile of them. The elephant in the room would be the N&W. Western Maryland had Challengers, PRR and Virginian had 2-8-8-2's they got from N&W, pretty sure the NYC had one or two, but I can't recall the nomenclature, B&O EM-1 2-8-8-4 just to name a few. PRR also had "Mr. Big" HC1 2-8-8-0 back in 1919, and it was as it was named.

Mr. Big is upper right (check out the size of the smoke stack)

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1WP ... NRLWEb_ZzM

Rich

[De Bruin]

.....Question, did any other RRs this side of the Mississippi run articulateds. I am aware of #1309 and it's coming alive.
Dan Weinhold

Quite a few roads east of the Mississippi with a variety of different wheel arrangements, however when it comes to Challengers I believe the only others besides D&H were the Clinchfield and WM.

[sleepmac]

Thanks guys.

Dan Weinhold