Need some help on a brass project

[ebtnut]

As a sidebar, a friend and I built the pilot model for the Westside Q-4b.  We began with an old Akane, which was essentially stripped down to the bare boiler and added all new Cal-Scale or Kemtron detail parts and new piping.  I got one of the production models at cost, which I still have.  I too replaced the skinny little motor with a fatter Sagami can.  Note too that the original run had an incorrectly shaped smokebox front.  A replacement part was produced later.  Don't recall now whether it came from Westside or some other supplier.

When our club went to CTC-16 (yeah, that long ago!) I didn't want to hack up the brass Vandy tender for the receiver.  Instead I got one of the Rivarossi S-1 plastic tenders (they were still readily available back then), cut out the coal load and installed the receiver.  A balsa wood insert covered with crushed real coal covered the hole.  A set of brass Commonwealth six-wheel trucks replaced the Rivarossis with the pizza cutter wheels.  The engine was later re-equipped with a Dynatrol receiver and finally a Digitrax DCC receiver.  If and when the McKeesport club get their DCC system in place I can get it back out of the box. 

[jonathan]

That's some serious modeling my friend.  I saw some of that CTC stuff in old Keller films showing great model railroads of the 70s and early 80s. Actually, I'm surprised the whole wireless receiver idea didn't take a more permanent hold. Instead we got DCC.  Well, that is wireless, too, indirectly.

Anyway, hats off to you for your great modeling work.

Completely off on another tangent... I was playing with my camera this afternoon.  Really want to get rid of the point-and-shoot and get a DSLR. Gotta learn how to compose a shot, though.  Here's some shots, all the same subject, my reworked Q-4.  However, I moved pieces around a bit, as well as moving the camera.  Also in the shots are the Spectrum Heavyweight Dining Car "Molly Pitcher", a baggage cart laser wood kit, and some figures.  The diner has been lit with LEDs and figures put inside.  This is all pure frivolous fun:

[J3a-614]

Nice shots, at least to my eye; somehow they "feel" like Cumberland, Md., near the long gone Queen City station. . .