I too just received my On3 MMI K-37. Like Trainboard member swissboy mine is an impressive model but it arrived with a few dings, unlike any of the other models I've gotten from MMI in the past. (Inside valve K-27, K-28 and K-36) I'll be speaking to MMI about this shortly. For example, the steam supply line for the air compressor was bent into an unprototypical shape, the fireman's side window visor was bent to the point that the window divider put a dent into the visor and the support braces were also crushed. The main piston slides were also not horizontal. My unit also has the backup light wires exiting the coal bin on the top side of the tender deck. My unit #497 has the same issue with the rear board of the coal bin being not in the correct shape like swissboys. I'll have to address that in the future as well. Since my #497 is in herald motif I have the backup light as a full sized Pyle light seated to the left of the doghouse. The electric generator exhaust pipe is also bent to the front of the loco. Many generators have the exhaust pipes exiting the rear of the generator on the right and the pipe is bent to the back over the cab. For some reason, the K-37's had the generator mounted so that the exhaust pipe exited from the front of the left side of the generator. It seems that the assembler just plopped a standard generator on the loco without thinking about bending the pipe to the back. Pretty silly miss if you ask me. See attached photos for details on the bent and incorrect details. The engine runs very smoothly on my 3' test bench. Also, I've been able to correct the bent details so that it looks every bit as good as the rest of the loco. Otherwise, there are a wealth of extra details included. These include the smokebox boxes added to many of the K-37's on the left side, the builders tags for the right side of the smokeboxes, the cab top shroud also seen on some of the K-37's as well as a cast snowplow and mounting hardware. They also have included a card with the specific tender patch/rivet panels that each of these K-37's had. I was not aware of this detail fact so I have yet to learn which are for my unit! So - All in all, this is another wonderful, affordable large scale locomotive for those of us modeling on a budget, when compared to the cost of an all brass offering. Dan
First WELCOME TO TRAINBOARD! Nice to see some new faces in the Narrow Gauge area! Although disappointed with what I am hearing about these new models I am glad to hear that overall you are satisfied. I suspect MMI will fix these problems down the road, which sound like quality control issues to me. It is important that we the consumer do let these folks know when things are not right, otherwise things will continue unabated. Do keep us up to date about this and send more pics!
Very nice locomotive. So you have the K-27 for the branch, the K-28 for the varnish, and both a K-36 and K-37 for the freight. Very nice. If you are interested in the uniqueness of equipment, check out this page on the high side gondolas...http://www.riograndesouthern.com/RGSTechPages/_bdwhite/rgstec3.htm I see that you test track includes some non-On3 track, what else do you dabble in, HOn3? Do you have or plan to build a layout? I'm slowly building a small, generic Colorado layout in On3. My layout will have scenes inspired by the South Park at Morrison, Rainbow Falls on the Rio Grande's Blue River branch, and some canyon trackage. Welcome to Trainboard, Dan! Michael
Hi Michael, My test bench has On3, HOn3 and HO track on it. I used to model in HOn3 but as my eyes have aged the detail I desire is too dificult for me to work with so I jumped to On3. The other tracks on the test bench were to facilitate testing items I helped sell on ebay for the estate of a coworker's father. Yes, I plan on starting a layout soon. I am in the middle of the basement remodel to allow it. So hopefully I'll be laying track this summer! Chama will be the centerpiece with scenes from all of the D&RGW trackage. Unfortunately, small will describe my layout as well since On3 takes up a lot of space! Thanx for the link too. Dan
Hi Dan, Good to see you here on this forum, too! Could you post a picture of the successful correction of the main piston guides? I think I may have to work a bit on those too. Can one simply push or does it require a special trick?
Hi Robert, My fix for the piston slides is not finished, nor perfect, although it is better than before. I don't have a photo of it as such. However, all I did was push the slides upwards with my fingers. I spoke to Mark at MMI and he agreed that the issue is with the support yoke riding low in the frame. As such I'll have to remove the boiler and shim the yoke up to get the slides perfectly horizontal. Mark also indicated he had heard from others regarding the cab visors being bent. he also indicated that he was aware of the generator exhaust pipe issue but caught it after the production run was completed. Regarding the wires coming out of the coal bin he said it was a conscious decision to do so. He said he didn't want to add another two drill steps into the manufacturing process. Dan
So it is a typical result of cost cutting then. Well, I hope my solution to that problem is going to be a functional one at least. So far, I'm still in the process of working on the disassembled tender. The coal load should be done soon. I need to do it in several steps. I have since found out that the air pump has some slanting as well. It sticks out at the bottom. But before I push it in, I want to run the engine in order to test the clearance for those counter-weights.
At age 18 I decided that HOn3 was too small for my eyes! My layout occupies a 15'x8' space. I'll be gaining trackage rights in the future for a 1'x12' shelf or so elsewhere in the loft...to facilitate train storage on the layout. The long term plan is a new house with a massive basement for the Alpine Tunnel district...Gunnison to Hancock...in 1884...with the D&RG interchange at Gunnison to facilitate operating 2-4-0s (so what that they probably never visited Gunnison!). Chama is always a fine choice...as are Gunnison (with the Black Canyon & Crested Butte branch) and early Leadville. Any time frame in mind? 1940s? Have you ever seen Lex Parker's Chama layout? Wow. Michael
Hi Michael, I plan on modeling Chama and the rest of the layout in the 1940's. My K-28 and K-37 are in herald and the K-27 and K-36 in flying logo. That way I can straddle the time period. I also have MMI C-16's #223 in herald and #278 in flying logo on order. I like both motifs so I had no choice. Since that is the time of WW2 I can combine my interest in WW2 armor modeling and put a few Sherman tanks, jeeps and trucks on the 6500 series flat car kits I have. I do not recall seeing Lex Parker's layout. If you have a link or can tell me where to look I'd like to see it. I have the San Juan Eng. coal tower, and Crystal River Chama Tank kits on hand and plan on getting Stone Mills oil house kit soon as well. The Crystal River tank kit is an impressive design. It will be fun to build it. I will have to depart with historical accuracy so I can use my MM Ltd. Durango turntable with Wiseman detail upgrades. I have to have a turntable ya know. I also have the plans for the oil offloading platform so my Grandt Gramps tank cars will have a home. The challenge I face at the moment is the multistall roundhouse. I have the plans but I am not sure how to approach making the brick wall assemblies yet. Oh well, time to take the dogs to the dog park. Dan
Dan, If you are going to scratch the roundhouse you could use foam board to which you glue "brick" styrene sheets. Foam board is what I use almost exclusively for my structures these days. My roundhouse (see my RI stuff) was made by hand carving each stone then using washes of ink, dye, and artists chalk on the stones. I also have a structure that has a brick cornice that is simply sheet styrene "brick" glued to the foam board.
Hi John, I assumed I would be scratchbuilding the roundhouse. I wondered about using some sort of substrate such as foam as you suggest to laminate some sort of brick pattern on top of. However, with the curved window openings and the brickwork associated with it I fear that there is nothing commercially available to do the job. I know of some paper laminates available but they don't have that 3-D appearance I want as well. I figured that at best I was going to have to cast a plaster wall section and painstakingly carve each brick. If this is the case then I can motivate myself with the notion that I could commercially market cast copies of these as I'm sure I'm not the only one looking for the Chama roundhouse. I'm open to any other ideas out there as well. Dan
Here's Lex Parker's layout... Lex Parker's DRGW Railroad His Chama roundhouse is from a Thomas Yorke kit. I will eventually be scratching stone engine houses for Alpine and Gunnison, but that's too far into the future for me to be able to help now. Michael
The styrene laminate is quite thin, cut easily and 3D. If you have a template to work from it should be a breeze. The foam board is a little more tricky to get a clean cut but some experimentation will get you on the right track fast. Of course if you DO decide to make it commercially instead...uh...put me on the list
Thanks for this link. I appreciate it too. Just wish the pictures were a bit larger. There is so much detail that one could feast one's eyes on!
