Boiler stays for 622

The front boiler stays on a steam locomotive are tricky. They need to connect the boiler to the frame, but at least one end can’t be permanent or else you’ll never be able to disassemble the engine. What’s more, they are right there on the front of the engine, front and centre for most photographs; […]

A bell for 622

As a guy who at one time would have talked to a girl rather than solder two wires together, I’m pretty proud of these seven shards of brass and nickel silver that I soldered together to make a bell. Even if it isn’t quite perfectly symmetrical.

Steam dome details for 622

I continue to peck away at the details for 622. Once I figured out how to drill tiny holes again, my lathe made quick work of the whistle and safety valves. The latter sit on a removable brass plate, which fits into a hole in the top of the steam dome casing. This removable subassembly […]

Pilot details for #622

Like most Canada Atlantic locomotives, #622’s pilot was decorated with three hoses. Sure one is for brakes, but I have no idea what the others were for. Even some (but not all) of the switchers had at least one extra hose. More modern locomotives might have a signal and a steam line; usually the signal […]

Rear end details for 622

It may look like #622 is all but finished, but I just put together a to-do list with 28 items on it before the engine is ready for paint. Many of those items need to be fabricated, which means each will take at least an evening. Here are the first three from the list.

Mud drum for 622

Somehow my fixation on mud drums feels a little deviant. Like “foot fetish” or “nasophilia,” “mud drum” is the sort of thing you Google for only after double-checking that your Safe Search filter is on. That the one group I wrote to when researching mud drums during the design phase never wrote back only cements […]

622’s air pump and the end of detail castings

It strikes me that 622’s air pump will likely be one of the last detail castings I ever buy. Certainly, it will be the last brass air pump I buy. The next one will be printed, likely here at home. It’s worth pausing here to enjoy the skill that went into the pattern for this […]

Display shots for 622

I finally decided to shoot the photos for the Railway Modellers’ Meet virtual display room this week. I’ll be presenting it during the Meet the Modeller evening this Thursday. If you haven’t already, you should register and submit a model to join in. We’ve never taken this approach before, but I’m hoping it will be […]

More chassis details for 622

The weather this weekend was definitely conducive to model railroading. This was fortunate because the Virtual Display Room at the Railway Modellers’ Meet is already starting to fill up. I’m planning to get 622 assembled for some photos so I can present her next Thursday. The major engineering and electrical work is hopefully complete, and […]

Handrails for 622

All I can say is at least it is straight across the front. Most North American steamers that I’m familiar with keep their handrails chastely separate on either side of the boiler. If there was a handrail across the front of the smoke box, it was another piece, disjoint from the side rails. Sadly, 622 […]