DalaGStanator's Customs, Mods and Experiments

Progress photos of the improvements to the green Mogul during May-June, before I pushed it aside and focused on trying other ideas.



A new coin cell compartment. It still uses a cut down cap from a tube of two part epoxy putty, albeit from another brand and using nails for the contacts rather than screws. While the old (red cap) one held the battery in place more tightly, the negative terminal being rounded caused the battery to slip and the solder didn't quite "like" the screw contacts.



The conditioner caps originally used for the domes were repurposed for the cylinders after having their paint stripped in case the new coat would be a different shade (or a different livery altogether). Apart from the improved size and shape, it makes them wide enough for the valve rods to go 'behind' the bars without hitting the frontmost drivers. Like the earliest version, the new cylinders and running board were glued to the chassis directly to avoid the stability problem after remounting. The running board previously stretched from the cab to the cylinders without getting thinner at the wheels (which seems more common on UK/European locos), so the sides were cut off and glued closer to the boiler.



Rebuilt the cab with thinner side walls made of one piece each to make it look tidier. Still uses the original roof. With the added impression of front doors, I noticed many of the reference locos I used have ledges under said doors to improve the crew's footing, so I quickly made them and glued them to the sides. The footplate comes off to reveal the coin cell compartment, and has a round bit underneath to hold it and press the battery down. Not sure how the roof will be held since it will have to be removed for access. Could've made the compartment upside down if I wanted to. Supports were eventually added behind the side walls. The firebox light is now held in a round part to represent the backhead.



The old smokebox and boiler were too round and too wide, so I shrunk them and flattened the sides of the boiler. To install the headlamp LED more easily (and a bit higher), I carefully cut off the protective casing that would've forced me to make a hole in the smokestack. The boiler is still hollow and has holes at both ends for the smokebox wires and firebox LED. One glaring omission for me was the iconic spark arrestor, which was going to be made of cardboard or an anti slip mat. However, I had to refresh my memory on how to form a cone (to my embarrassment) and my attempts were incorrectly shaped, so I gave up and used a plastic torch head for the bottom. Only the top is made from an anti slip mat, as well as two bits to fill gaps in the torch head. Despite the boiler being smaller, it can hold all the same wiring as before.



Cab detail. It was largely made up of tiny rolls of paper for valves, with the gauges and other controls being painted on. The throttle is a toothpick, one valve is attached to a skewer and one pipe is an electrical wire. My reference for the backhead detail was Clinchfield Railroad No. 1. Photo by Jeff Terry.



Some unofficial LEGO engines I've seen have the valve rods attached with pegs that slide between the bars (photo by SavaTheAggie), which seems to function OK. Decided to try something similar by adding a small "tab" at the end of each valve rod to restrict its motion. All I'd have to do is add another such tab on the other side so they wouldn't fall out.



The new domes were caps from an old set of glass bottled paints, which had brushes attached like nail polish caps have. Even though I flattened the uppermost part of the boiler and drew a line from its centre, I couldn't position the domes, bell and light button precisely. After gluing the smokebox and boiler in place, I'll make a new drawbar and see if the tender will still derail it.