I've finally started on my SP berkshire. The SP purchased 10 of these from the Boston & Maine with some pretty unique features for a berk. They had a coffin feedwater heater on the smoke box as well as a unique articulated trailing truck. The N scale berk on market has 69" drivers and the prototype has 63" drivers. I chose to use the shell from the Life-Like version and the chassis from a Kato Mikado with 63" drivers (plus it has traction tires). Here is a peak of the model partially assembled. I have to work the trailing truck, feedwater heater, and valve gear, but it is a start. More to follow.
Espee, that sounds like a GREAT project...glad you're using the smaller drivers, the NKP berks are too long legged for this.... About thirtyyars ago I did a Santa Fe rebuilt ex-B&M berk using a cut down MRC shell over an Atlas mike mechanism, same idea...here's some pics. Sold it on ebay some time ago (couldn't stand to look at the Rivarosi drivers anymore... The new KATO mikado is the way to go on this project! Keep us posted. I'm especially interested in the Coffin feedwater heaters: very distinctive. Good luck and have fun! Regards, Otto
The trailing truck you are talking about has the ash pan mounted to it, instead of it hanging off the locomotive. http://www.trainmaster.ch/X-248.htm
Chris333, I took a look at your Z scale version. I'm going to use laminated styrene for the trailing truck sides much like you did on yours. I'm debating on if I should mess with the sand dome or not.
Following a few weeks of scratch building. Here is the valve gear, I swapped some parts between the LL berk and the kato Mike running gear.
It took me a while to figure out how to do the whaleback tender. I used a Bmann long tender and a bit of styrene over the cut down tender body.
Here is the tender and locomotive. I added walkways for the tender and used some wood planking for the walkway on the top. For the locomotive, I've added air flasks along the walkways as well as the scratchbuilt trailing truck. I've got to redo the trailing truck, I don't like the way it turned out. Thanks to chris333 for supplying me with some drawings for the redo. Next move....Clean the workbench.
I am using one of these also as a starting point for an SP Berk. Mine will be slightly different, it will be a class B-2... Anyone have a scrap CC GS-4? I could use? I need a skyline casing...
That would work as well. What about the tenders? I was thinking of using one of them as well... PM me with details please...
After a long delay, mostly due to my job, I've been able to make some progress on the SP B-1. I finished up the tender and proceeded to the rest of the locomotive. I changed out the valve gear on the Mike chassis with that of the LL Berk to make it prototypical. To make the feedwater heater, I used a piece of 1/2" styrene tube and laminated another sheet of .020 styrene sheet on top to make it the appropriate thickness. Here is the left and right sides in an unfinished state.
Here is a closeup of the trailing truck in the finished state. I finally used a MT 2 axle passenger truck and added the lower portion of the kato trailing truck to the top to get a trailing truck that approximated the length of the B-1. I used a 36" wheel set from FVM for the front trailing truck wheel and the stock axle from the LL Berk for the rear wheel, with a bit of modification. The piping is brass wire that I soldered together, this one took a few tries to try and get it right.
Here are a few finished pictures. I painted the smoke box in aluminum for the post 46 paint scheme. All I have to do is decal and finish the weathering. I hope you all enjoy, there are more pictures in my rail images gallery. All I need to do is find a set of traction tires for it (since they are sold out). Also, if anyone needs the LL Berk tender I don't need it anymore.
That is fantastic!!!! One of my favorite SP steam locomotives and you did an incredible job of modeling it! Love the way the throttle looks through the cab window too!
