Here is the 1st casting of N scale Southern Pacific MT-4 that Phillip Johnson and I are working on. Our plan is to adapt the boiler to a Kato GS-4. We plane on changing out the drivers to spoked drivers and change out the rear trailing truck. Yes the drivers will still be oversized but it will be a very good running mech with with a MT-4 boiler and correct tender. The boiler casting was done at the same time as the 4-12-2 tender. I will catch up on the UP project very soon.
I'm sure that this is a stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyways: Why convert a Kato GS-4 (drivers and trailing truck) to a MT? Why not start with a Bachmann mountain? Also, what tender will you then be using (since the GS-4 tender was only used on the GS series)? Since I model the SP and have wanted a MT-4 I'm just wondering and interested in your plans and ideas...
That looks very nice! Can I ask, do you do/could you do a conversion to a GS-3? You'd need a new smokebox front, tender shell and cab, and the "littler" details (blanking out the steam generators, moving the number boards, etc) could be left to the modeler. I'm in the middle of a conversion and a proper smokebox front is giving me fits.
JMaurer1, I'm the one working with Jason on this project. We originally had planned to use the Spectrum 4-8-2 chassis, which still would require a trailing truck change as the MT's had Delta trailing trucks unlike the Spectrum 4-8-2s. Once we test fit the boiler on the mechanism the small drivers on the Spectrum mechanism really stood out. The overall wheelbase was several feet too short and just did not look right. When measuring them the Spectrum 4-8-2's have drivers somewhere around 64" while the Sp MT-4 had 73.5" drivers. While the kato GS4 drivers are oversized just a bit, its less than the Spectrum model is undersized, which brings the overall wheelbase length much more into a "proper look." On top of the fact the Kato GS4 is a superb runner compared to the Spectrum 4-8-2, it didn't take much to convince us to rethink our path, despite having to figure out spoke driver inserts for the wheels. As for the tenders, I'm working on them and will send them to Jason for casting soon. I'm getting three ready, the first being the 160-C-2 bachmann you mentioned. I'm cleaning up the back end of the tank though and getting rid of the clunky handrails. We're still debating on whether to use the existing floor or build a new one so we can incorporate the power pick up trucks from the Spectrum long vandy. On my SP&S E-1 I found it easier to just build a whole new chassis for the shell to sit on. The second tender I'm building is requiring a lot more kitbashing and scratchwork, but its the 120-C-3 which is the same tender used behind many of the MT 4-8-2's and the P-8 4-6-2s. I'm using a Spectrum long vandy frame with 1/2" cut out of the middle of it. The shell started out as the old Rivarossi vandy with the coal bunker completely removed and a new oil bunker built from scratch using drawings from the Robert Church book on the 4300 class. The third tender in the works is the 120-C-8, another tender that was commonly put behind the MT's and also the P-10 4-6-2s. I'm doing this one because its a baldwin built tender that is identical to the one spectrum puts behind the C&O H4 2-6-6-2, but with a oil bunker instead of a coal bin. I just have to build the oil bunker and modify the chassis to accept the 6-wheel trucks. Having these three tenders available will make it easy to model just about any SP mainline steamer. The 120-C-2 found behind the 2-10-2's dimensionally is the same as the 120-C-3, but has 4 wheel trucks instead of the 6 wheel ones we're putting on the tenders Jason and I are making. Phillip
Superturbine, I think that I could use some of those parts. I have been looking at an old magazine article about converting an HO Bachmann GS-4 to either a GS-2 or -3 but just couldn't bring myself to cutting up a Kato unit. How much is it to get a set?
Ok I'm sold too. $20.00 is only a little more than parts and supplies to do it myself! Same question, paypal ok? and where and how to contact you?
Have you thought of using a Model Power pacific as the base chassis and adding a 4th driver, the wheels are the correct diameter, I've compared them to my Key MTs and they will work. There is the issue of adding a motor to the chassis, this can be done by either using a coreless or using the factory motor and grinding down the boiler to fit inside the MT shell since the motor mount is integral to the shell.
Its a good ideal but, I pretty much want to avoid doing another complete mech with drivers added. Here is a picture of another engine I am currently working on. The UP 4-12-2 is from a kato mikado with 2 drivers added, custom etched rods by Loren Perry, front cylinder pushed forward, new cross head and custom cast boiler. Jason Smith Tomball Locomotive Works
The Tenders! So here are some photos of the tenders I'm working on for this project. The first two shots are of the 120-C-3, which is an old rivarossi shell that has had the bottom frame and coal bunker cut out and shortened from the front. Much to my surprise the distance from the back of the oil tank to the end sill of the tender is almost exactly where it should be according to blueprints of the tenders. The tender frame is from the Spectrum long vandy that has had slightly over 1/2" removed from the center. As you can see I still have a lot of work to do but the hard part is over, now its on to the water deck, hatches, foot board and oil tank details. Two of these tenders have survived behind P-8 pacifics 2467 and 2472. The 3rd photo shows the 120-C-8 which appeared behind some MT class engines as well as the P-Class pacifics, survivor 2479 has this tender behind it. As you can see I haven't done as much to it, but all it will require is changing the water hatches, headlight and building an oil bunker to slide into the coal box and minor rework of the face where the coal doors are, they will be covered with tool boxes per the blueprints. This tender started out as the Spectrum vandy that comes behind the H4 2-6-6-2 and has been upgraded with the 6-wheel trucks from the Spectrum long vandy. The fourth photo shows the more familiar 160-C-2 tender that is most commonly associated with the MT-4s. Luckily for us bachmann did a decent job on this tender so the only modifications required is to clean up the railings and ladders, then trim the bolsters and frame to accept the 6-wheel trucks from the Spectrum long vandy so that it will have all wheel pickup. I plan to clean up the end sill and smooth out the seams prior to sending it to Jason for casting. Only one of these tenders has survived and it is behind SP 4-10-2 5021. All tenders will be refitted with brass wire for handrails and photo-etched ladders.
Superturbine: Got the parts. A HUGE thanks! They are beautiful! What are you used to do the casting with? I usually use the stuff from Smmoth-On, but it looks like you use something else? Norway2112: Where did you find the tender data. I know I have it in one of my books, but I haven't been able to remember which one (I know that Churches Cab Forward book has some pretty good data but only on tenders that were behind the cab forwards). Beautiful work though. Along with what I've gotten from Superturbine, it's given me the motivation to dust off some of my old incomplete SP steam projects.
The tender data is from the Robert Church book on the 4300's, just like in the cab forward book and the GS class book, it too has an awesome chapter on tenders that were used behind the MTs.
Do you have some photos of your mods to fit the spectrum trucks to the 160-C-2 tender? I've been looking to do this for one of my 2-10-2 builds but haven't yet. Next question, I have seen some of your castings and I have my P-10 that I built a while back, do you think you could do a casting of the shell, I would like a few more in my stable.
