Broadway has put up the second preproduction photos of their Class A which should be here by April/May. Getting better, but the firbox and injection jets still need some work. The firebox looks to be riding to high above the trailing truck? It will look real nice next to Big AL, Big Boy, Y3, and Challenger. Here are some photos:
BNSF, Thats sweeeeeeet! But I can say why the firebox looks to ride high above the trailing trucks, I bet the articulation is more then the real thing so they needed the clearances for it to articulate properly..... You could ass something between the truck to get rid of the "air" under that location and paint it black! Just a piece of plastic .020: thick painted black would do the trick, that would take away all the "air" and light under it...... And look good as for the firebox being high for the articulation clearance.....All depends on what raduis they recommend to run it on for the articulation..... I imagine they say 18, or 22 inch radius but, it can be remedied to look better then it does in any case. Its a metal model, a piece of shim brass mounted in their .020" painted black will also do the trick, but would need drilled an taped for a small screw to hold it in place.... centered between the wheels of the trailing truck as would a piece of the .020 plastic as well. EDIT: I forgot to say, this would work to hide the open air under the firebox, YES but then they might redo the tooling to acomadate that too.... So only time will tell. [ 01. February 2003, 08:36: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
You're right about the articulation being the main concern. There have been plenty of models released lately that have the same 'airy' problem under the firebox. Your excellent suggestion of a strip of styrene painted black can fix them all, as it is reminiscent of the ashpans, and would not affect the operation of the model.
Black Cloud, I've done this to a many loco's for the airy reason of sight seen under the firebox. I have even used a thing flexi type material in the same location if it harpered the preformance too, as well if any one loco had the same "airy" effect up on the pilot truck i'd use something that was plyable to move if the wheels or something touched so it would get rid of the "daylight" above the trucks. With all materials painted black no matter what type materails used, plastic, brass, or something movable thats not stiff like the materials used for the "working" passenger car diaphrams thats black glued in place being if the wheels contact it, its not going to derail them and will move not to mention still get rid of the "airy" effect......But when possible, I use something stiff an rigid, being stronger and all an will take a bump or something an not hurt anything. Thats if I have the clearances in using plastic or even brass without harpering the preformance of the loco.
