This Model Loco locomotive kit heralded my return to serious kit building after an absence of ten years or so. It was finished in it's US Army guise to run on my American layout 'Colton Junction', which was on the exhibition circuit at the time.
The kit was built, soldered where praticable, using the instructions as a loose guide. In my enthusiasm I fully compensated (uh ha) the chassis and articulated (aargh) the connecting rods. The latter exercise will not be repeated when I get around to building a CSD 456.1; the Czechoslovakian version of the S160. Details will (of course) appear within these pages in the future.
R. Tourret's publication 'Allied Military Locomotives of the Second World War' was invaluable when building the USATC version as was the assistance of the US Army archives.
Since the locomotive was constructed as an American version additional brass detail parts from the Precision Scale Co. and Cal Scale ranges were used. The Westinghouse air pump, Ragonnet steam reverser, turbo steam generator, bell, headlight and the front pilot being the most noticable. I also took the opportunity to replace the front truck. The pipework was then fitted along with the other minor details. The photographs show the loco as first built, with Precision Scale tender trucks. These have since been replaced as decribed below.
I dispensed with the tender truck parts supplied in the kit and instead used a pair of finely detailed Kadee Andrews trucks with Proto 2000 wheels. The inside of the axleboxes were polished with toothpaste to remove the blackened finish and cleaned. This resulting in an improved electrical connection to aid current collection.
The finished locomotive and tender were spray painted with a red oxide primer and finished with Polly Scale oily black, lightly weathered of course. Kadee #58 couplers are fitted. Since building the model I have installed a Zimo DCC decoder in the body as I was unable to place this in the tender - my preferred option. The reason, ah, I built it too well.....
At some point in the near future I shall replace the existing drive with a new motor and flywheel and swap a couple of gears to suit.
...to be continued.