The "Woody" D&H Challenger

[R.K. Maroon]

Here is the latest progress photo from Bob. Rather than drool with superlatives, I will let the photo and work speak for themselves:

[bob turner]

Running boards are .020. I uually work with .064. One went on ok; the other decided to fight me - .020 expands with heat, but is too thin to resist heat expansion. I need to free one end while working my way forward. So it's Margarita time!

[Jay Criswell]

Still need threaded stanchions?

Jay

[bob turner]

Yep. And washout plugs.
Smith made perfect ones, but Lou doesn't seem to have the larger masters.
E-mailed you . . .

[ScaleCraft]

Yeah...I don't think any were threaded enough for a nut. Seemed to be all soldered into the boiler.

[bob turner]

Lobaugh handrail posts were threaded 0-80, as were Pearce. I have found delight in threaded posts. Not sure where I am going with this one yet. If I get the running boards straight I plan to do a few boiler bands for Jim. Easy enough . . .
Then I will do the air tanks and piping. Handrails will be last.

[ScaleCraft]

I was surprised, with the care exhibited in the rest of that build, that the air tanks were held to the running boards with two pieces of wire each. Somehow I thought there would have been cast air tank brackets or something.

[up148]

Wow! This is looking really good.

[bob turner]

Thin diamond tread running boards are now "on."
Air tanks will be replaced with solid brass, held with screws. I agree - the straps were not as well done as the rest of the model. I use Lobaugh-style flat straps, cut from tube.

[bob turner]

Well, on further study, the D&H Challenger tanks were held on by round straps, just like the ones on this model. I may put such straps on. Here are more shots of mine (with Maroon's tender) so I can see where everything goes. My tanks have flat (Lobaugh) straps.

[bob turner]

And the other side:

[R.K. Maroon]

Bob, did your model come with the boiler bands or did you add those after the fact. More to the point, what condition was yours when it arrived?

[bob turner]

No boiler bands. It arrived from Frank Thomson, with badly cut frames and USH gearboxes. And shipping damage. UPS gave me $125 to fix it, and after I fixed it I think Frank either sold it to me or traded it. That was 30 years ago. I re-vitalized the frames to original dimensions, put Lobaugh gearboxes in, made a new cab, and added boiler details.

[Jay Criswell]

I went to the storage unit in an attempt to find the D&H decals...still can't find them. I did find a bunch of Rio Grande, N&W, T&P, etc. Doesn't Pete model T&P?

I'll keep looking for the D&H.

Jay

[De Bruin]

I do model T&P, currently working up a bunch of old 40' stock cars for it. Let me know if you want to unload those decals.
Thanks
Pete