More 225E and such

[ScaleCraft]

Been working in the basement...have two double tunnel portals built, stuck in place. Retaining wall assembled, plantlife on top....gonna install that tonight.
But I have been continuing my 225E upgrades. I have a fleet of these, 225E boilers less feedwater heater, mounted up on 675 chassis, with functional front couplers. When I get done with this, I should put 6 or 7 of them in front of a freight just for a photo shoot.

Lionel only did three stanchions per side on boiler handrails. I never changed that on mine, but my buddy did (I have one of his, complete), and this partial unit.
Came with 12 new bolt-in stanchions, none on boiler, so I marked, drilled, bolted them in with 222 LockTite.

Probably by Christmas, or at least New Years, I'll have it in black.

Valve gear was missing...not sure why.
It will be here this week, so assembly is imminent.

[ScaleCraft]

Got parts. Loco painted two days ago.
This is our first iteration...using a stock 675 and "NP"-ing it. The smokebox front is a junker, as the center light opening door was re-used:


Another view:

[ScaleCraft]

This is the new one, as yet unlettered, coming up #2 behind an older conversion;


This shows the "functional" front coupler mated to the tender coupler of lead engine:


Front view with new engine behind:


Side view...painted, needs cab windows red, roof oxide, then a satin clear:


Front view, showing the slot in the pilot for the coupler arm to swing. It'll do 031, never tried 027.
Almost a "radial" coupler:

[ScaleCraft]

I dunno. I always liked the wagon top on the 225E boiler...never cared for the Belpaire. Wanted something "different", so ground off the feedwater heater, last several front mounted bell, and the functional coupler.
Been doing these for....35 years? This is the last one.

No room for any more!

[rogruth]

Dave,
That front coupler looks great to me. I'm sure the Kadee guys would hate it but I have always like the standard Lionel claw. It works for me.
You have probably shown a how to in the past but a new one might be helpful to some on how to do the front coupler.
What ever the process is, I guess, would be adaptable to other models. Not necessarily other brands.
Are some models easier to adapt than others?

[ScaleCraft]

Dave,
That front coupler looks great to me. I'm sure the Kadee guys would hate it but I have always like the standard Lionel claw. It works for me.
You have probably shown a how to in the past but a new one might be helpful to some on how to do the front coupler.
What ever the process is, I guess, would be adaptable to other models. Not necessarily other brands.
Are some models easier to adapt than others?

Some are, some are not. This one...you have to cut a slot in the casting....fabricate a shouldered screw, new coupler bar (I use old 1110 or so main rods). My buddy used brass, they bent far too easily.
The best coupler is a wire-wound, cut off the tower that the wire is spooled on, leaves a perfect hole to epoxy the coupler head onto.
Hours and hours of work.

I wanted to get this one done this year so all the parts were hovering in the same general location.

The NP GP-9's I have..one original, the other two most likely repro shells on postwar chassis.
One was fixed couplers. Easy to fix that, just ordered the parts!
Those two have prototypical numbers, QSI reversers, wired to run long hood to long hood, but will run totally independently.
I have a..oh, 665/ 2065? Baby Hudson, I picked up from a dealer for ten or fifteen because it had been "messed with". Cowcatcher cut off, brass one installed, add-on air pump, whistle, dynamo.....i just mounted a coupler, sort of like this, in the slot provided in the brass cowcatcher. Run it double-headed with a (fairly) stock similar unit, hauling my heavyweights.

Then I was given another, it just sits beside the branch line engine house....someday I'll mess with it!

This is to show some actual modeling work is occurring.

I also realized I need to put the cab back into this one. Filed it to fit better tonight. I'll get to it!