It's not tough to make a bunker over the top of a coal tender area. I did it with styrene on an old 2-6-0 tender to make a 'water' car out of the thing (with a couple of extra castings from various sources):

On the new On30 2-6-2T 'trench' engine, there's supposed to be an option for a firebox glow. I followed the DCC guide that came with it, and I think I hit the right buttons but nothing.
Has anyone got theirs to glow? How'd you do it?

Quote from: Terry Toenges on January 02, 2020, 05:43:46 PM
Did you elevate the front or is that the way it came? It looks like the boiler is jacked up compared to the real one.

It came that way and I think that's intentional. Note that in the model and this davenport copy, the drains are to the rear, so the front end would have to be just a higher than then front, right?

Yesterday, I did the weathering on my Army 2-6-2T and put a couple of GI figures into the cab of my Baldwin 1917 'trench' locomotive.
Notice the number plate, I created that myself on my computer.


If you look along the forward part of side water tank, you can see where I tried to re-create the look of recently added H2O to the tank, spilling over the side somewhat.
So, why a road number of 5069? Well, I just turned 50 and was born in 1969. This was a delayed birthday present to myself, and 5069 was a road number carried by one of these engines as-delivered from Baldwin, so why not? If not that, it would have been 5044, for my Jeep's deliver year of 1944...
The decals were one character at a time. That took a while with magnifying tools to get that right (keep in mind, this engine was just about the size of a GMC 2.5-ton truck, so even in O scale it's very small).
A few days before, returning to Atlanta airport from visiting my parents in Florida for Christmas, I swung through Fort Benning to take several photos of their Davenport locomotive. These were made as copies of the Baldwin design and most stayed here in the states. This is one of the few left:

I just wish they hadn't painted it in OD green (to include the running gear!), as none were painted like this in service.

I've had time to break in my 2-6-2T 'trench' loco and I'm very happy with it.

I've written a review of it for O Gauge Railroading magazine, so we'll see when they run that.
It needs some breaking in out of the box, so don't think you got a lemon when you first run it. Even 10-20 minutes later of running, I noticed it ran much smoother. I saw someone else saying they through it on test rollers for half an hour and it was fine after that.
The sound is amazing. When you cut the throttle, you're hearing the clanking of the rods, then the engine picks back up after a few seconds, just like a real steam loco. And when you accelerate, the volume increases, as it does on grades.
Mine is the black version, as I wanna make it into a WW2 era one (the OD green and 'Mash' style stencil one is inaccurate, based on the wrong-painted davenport engine on display at Ft Benning) with white "USA" and engine number down the sides.
She also pulls like a beast. Ten cars and not a bit of slipping.
My only complaint is only apparently the 6 drivers have electrical pickup, so it's unforgiving of dirty track. But at least they mounted a 'keep alive' inside to counter that for the most part.
The builder's plate looks great. That was the one thing about Bachmann engines that drove me nuts before this; the builders plates were the opposite of how they were in real life (black lettering on a bronze background on the model, the real backgrounds were black with bronze characters).
Anyway, they did a great job and I'm very happy with this!
https://youtu.be/oPs1xkBu0zo

Another peek at #9 (previously a ET&WNC sound-equipped 12) shows how much of a change the new number plates are over the stock ones out of the box:

The 4X4 inch negatives were marked for July 1943 in the old, dusty box.
Sid Richardson, photographer/artist for the Elizabethton Star, was taking shots of the ET&WNC Stoney Creek branch, a rare doubleheader passing through Winner, Tennessee.
Exact date is unknown:

Quote from: the Bach-man on November 06, 2019, 08:39:50 PM
The Trench Locos should arrive in the next week or so-

Thanks for the update. I already pre-ordered mine.
If I can ask, though, why did they come in a OD green version? That Army didn't paint steam engines OD green during WW1 or WW2. They apparently based it on the incorrectly-painted Davenport on display at the Infantry Museum at Benning?

I created sets of scale builder plates, each with the right serial numbers and dates for ET&WNC ten-wheelers 9, 11, 12, and 14. I also used photos of the real number plates to make scale versions of them.
Bachmann did a great job on most of the engines but they always do their plates are opposite images of what they should be (black lettering on bronze which of course is opposite of how they looked in real life).
I converted a #12 to 9, rather easily, but the number plate had my stymied until I managed to find a good photo of the real one, then I added a light color background to the number as period photos (and movie film) of #9 during WW2 clearly show it wasn't red like 11 and 12's were.
So, you just print these on photo paper, 4X6 and they should be scaled right. I also included some 'no trespassing ET&WNC" signs as well and some period RR crossing signs I used on my own layout.
Click here for the images of the plates: https://flic.kr/p/2hwAdi5
I then punched them out using a "Maxi Punch Set" stock #473660 from Hobby Lobby. It's largest die was EXACTLY the right size needed for the front number plate.

From there, once you have it punched right (you'll need to punch a couple to get the right position), I suggest running a dark yellow marker around the edges so it doesn't look like a paper disk when viewed from the side. I then glued them to the existing number plates using white glue. The finished product, I think, doesn't look bad:

I did the builder plates much earlier and did them with an exacto knife, which is why I had to use a punch for the number plates. With this, I think you can improve the look at the front end of these, as well as making a #9 if you want one (Woodland Scenic dry transfers makes a set that is a perfect match for the cab and dome numbers)... If you try it, let me know how it worked out!
Just keep in mind, the number plates are from photos provided by the ET&WNC historical society and I created the builder plates myself, and they're copyrighted by me. Please don't print and sell them...

I know, I was badly hoping I would have mine already for an op session event over a week ago...  
Here we are over a month later than originally promised with no delivery date in sight.

Quote from: Terry Toenges on October 16, 2019, 03:27:09 PM
Thanks for that. I did not know that.

Not did I, you really can learn something new every day!

Quote from: WoundedBear on September 18, 2019, 03:09:14 PM
Ok.....that question is answered. The guy did a nice job with the lighting.

I agree, but look at the paint, which is peeling. You'd think he could have gotten more with a 'normal' decent paint job on it. Anyone who really would appreciate the markers and drumhead (to pay as much as the seller wants) would likely want it in another paint than this...

Wow, I've never seen a lighted drumhead or markers on any Bachmann stuff, was this after market?

While we're on this subject, can Bachmann please release cars in the ET&WNC road name? Bachmann makes four locomotives in that road name (12 and 14 in green/gold, and 11 and 12 in wartime black) yet makes no cars to go along with them...
The flat car and the tank car (both pretty close to the real cars) and boxcars could easily be made with that road name!
Coaches in that road name would look great behind those ten-wheelers, too...
I brought this up twice with a nice gentleman who comes with Bachmann to big train shows, sending photos of my own conversions and he said he'd bring it up.

I'll be looking to get some decals for one of them (I've already pre-ordered with Trainworld), does anyone know the dimensions of the sides of the water tank?