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DetailingDie-CastLocomotivesPart 2Joe GiannovarioIn the last issue (#44) of OST, I began work on convertingan MTH Pennsylvania Railroad H3 2-8-0 into a Norfolk andWestern Class G1. Part One covered the work on a new cab,making and mounting new running boards, an N&W style pilotand boiler details. Part Two wraps up the project with makingchanges to the original die-cast tender. Initially, I planned tojust build up the coal boards, per N&W practice, and changethe tender steps. You’ll see where that led later.New Coal BoardsThe tender on the N&W prototype had a longer, higher coalbunker and I wanted to simulate this so I cut some K&S brass12strip stock (0.25” wide by 0.032” thick) with a rotary tool andcut off wheel. Without plans I “guesstimated” a length thatlooked right to me. I made crosspieces from K&S stock 0.5”wide by 0.032” thick shaped with a file to fit between the sideboards. I clamped these in place on the tender (Photo 1) andsoldered the four pieces together. Next I made some bracketsout of 0.096” wide by 0.032” thick strip and soldered theseto the inside of the new coal boards, front and back on bothsides. I then drilled through the brackets into the tender deckwith a #60 drill. I redrilled the brackets to clear a 00-90 screw,tapped the tender deck holes accordingly and attached theboards (Photo 2).Tender StepsWhile perusing the Precision Scale Co. catalog for enginedetail parts I noticed they had tender steps from their N&WS1a 0-8-0 project, PSC#41069. I compared these parts to thephotos of the G1 and they looked similar so I ordered a set.I removed the cast-on tender steps and filed the castingsclean. I then CA’d the new front steps to the tender body. Theystuck but not well. I kept breaking them off as I tried to doother work on the shell. So, I made a bracket (0.096” x 0.032”),screwed it to the tender and soldered the front steps in place(Photo 3). I made new rear steps from the same material as thebracket. To attach these I drilled 0.031” holes (#68) into thetender side walls and CA’d 0.030” wire into the holes. I then3July/Aug ’09 - O Scale Trains • 23