Lanes Trains Current Projects

K4 # 5495

I am detailing my as built Omnicon K4 as #5495

as it was in the end of PRR steam.

This K4 project has been in my mind for about 15 years now. I actually painted my first K4 as 5495 until I learned more about K4s and the PRR. I then traded it away for an unpainted K4 which has remained unpainted until May 2006 when I finally started it. 5495 was in the last batch of K4 made which was unique in that they had a cast frame. The cast frame is visible mostly from the front because of diagonal braces that ran from the pilot to the cylinders. It ran late into the steam era since it was newer then other K4s. Another unique feature was that is was never fully modernized as it kept its original pilot, but got the modernized boiler front and headlight position change. 5495 became a small obsession of mine because it ran on the New York and Long Branch, and more importantly the PRSL. It was the subject of Builder’s Photos when it was new. All of these factors played into my decision to model it as close as I possibly could. It is good that I waited until now to do this since my modeling skills have improved to tackle such an involved project.

This project was started in May 2006

The decision to actually start my model happened because

of one of life's occasional strange occurrences.

I have often wondered who owned the number plate to 5495, and if I may actually own it some day. In an unbelievable set of circumstances I got to hold the REAL 5495 number plate for about 2 minutes at a Phila. Chapter meeting of the PRR T&HS as it was being donated to the national PRR T&HS. This strange but true!

I have been collecting photos and data for years. It was just time to start it.

The Model

I knew that f I was going to make a viable 5495 simulating the cast frame diagonal braces was an absolute MUST. My machining skills are fair, but my Unimat mill leaves much to be desired in accuracy. Changing machining directions can be hazardous to the piece being made because of the table slop. By the time you see you are in trouble the piece is scrap.

These are Builders photos of the K4 cast frame

The first piece I made was a larger under boiler cylinder sheet. It

came out almost to the boiler front as on the real 5495.

This is the progression of making the back cylinder braces since they were going to be easier to make. I was only making them in silhouette because they are going to be mostly hidden by the cylinders.

The next piece I made was the signature front cast frame diagonal brace. I did NOT want to make them twice so I thought about how I was going to machine them. I decided that everything must be machined in one direction only so I had to relocate the item a LOT. I roughed out the profile with 2 of them soldered together. I then soldered them to a base holder piece of stock for all the detail machining. It took me about 50 hours to machine and fit them to the frame and pilot.

It was SO worth it though!

I had to modify the fireman’s side walkway near the cylinder so it would clear the lubricator I added to the top of the cylinder. Since Omnicon K4 walkway material is a little scarce these days, I carefully measured, and recycled all the walkway that was originally on the model. I measured the K4 at Strasburg for the profile. It turned out surprisingly well.

Here it is installed on the boiler. I also installed my previously mentioned custom

handrail stanchions that day for the first time.

With my Solidworks training, I have made MANY parts for this project.

I started back on 5495 in January 2009 now that I have all the parts I need to finish it.

The lubricator has working linkage.

February 2009

I am progressing along adding some new parts like the unique Tombstone marker lights.

I should not put parts on at 11:00 PM because I put them in the wrong place!

More new parts were added and I finally started to have something to look at.

On February 18, 2009 I installed a Medium Tsunami and give 5495 its first test run.

The Locomotive detailing is DONE!

These current 5495 model photos were taken on 2-26-09

Click on these 3 photos to make them larger.

On the left is my first K4 I painted in 1995 to represent 5495 as built. It is completely without any modifications from Omnicon. I soon realized that I liked the more modern era better and this loco had to go. I traded it at some point for a bare brass K4 which lead me to this modernization project. Hopefully when the K4 at left is compared the prototype and my current model, the many modifications I made with new parts added are obvious. I don’t know how many hours I have in this so far, but it is by far my most involved project to date. There are only a few castings that have NOT been moved or replaced. It is absolutely the only S Scale PRR K4 locomotive with the unique “Tombstone Marker Lights”. 1 of my L1 1788 also has the tombstone marker lights.

Note the water injector feeder “hose” on the left. I have filled the holes for the marker lights on the deck on the right. I have to move the tender marker lights to the rear wall to complete the locomotive modernization.

1-30-10 Update

I found and fixed the intermittent shorts. It runs very well now.

Next stop is the paint shop!

Click the below photo for a short video of 5495

running on my modular test loop.

I will get back to this project – some day!

PRSL Baldwin AS16 # 6007

A One Of A Kind S Scale Model

Click on the photos to make them larger.

I may be the only person that models the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines in S Scale.

I won about 20 PRSL Builders Photo copy negatives on eBay. Builders Photos are my driving inspiration. It is all there to be seen and modeled. Since I model the 1956-57 era my model would have to be completed as shown in the Builders Photos.

My AS16 with the shell as I bought it.

As noted on the Diesels Page I got this locomotive as a shell only. I acquired it in a “no holds barred” buy and trade deal about 15 years ago. It was scratchbuilt by a contract builder whose name escapes me at this point. It took him 5 years to finish it and the intended customer died waiting for it! It wound up in the hands of a friend who completely and totally taunted me for 2 years and said I would NEVER own it. I offered to buy the shell only on the spot for $500.00. It was not for sale, not ever, especially to me. It drove me absolutely NUTS which was the intention. Well, never actually did come one day when I found something for sale that HE wanted, an Overland SD40-2 with Anti-Climbers (Production was about 20 models). I fully returned the abuse in spades and was so ruthless that I actually got the shell for free by the time the trading and buying was done! I am not overly proud of it, but I got the shell and the story is one of my all time favorites.

I knew the completion time would be extensive but so worth it. It had been about 8 years since I last worked on it. I took it then from a shell only to a running locomotive with a very reworked Brass GP30 drive I won on eBay as shown above. I started making items then like the air tanks and long sign boards. I started installing all wheel electric pickup when I discovered phosphor bronze wire. That is very time consuming but necessary especially now with DCC. It was probably the intimidation of how to get the sign boards around the carbody hump on the fireman’s side that sent it back to the box for an 8 year nap. Decisions like that have proven to be good for me. When I get the itch to work on it again, the results are significantly better because I have improved as a modeler and now own tools I did not back then. The internet was not available to me then as well. I can now blast out a question and hopefully get an answer. That was the case here for a few details. I bought a Baldwin PRSL Lettering drawing that was a great find. The original signboards were discarded in favor of brass channel.

4-17-07 Update

My resurrection of the PRSLHS has caused me to work on my AS16 steadily for about the past month now. I just might get it done this time. I have the fuel tank made. I mounted air tanks I made years ago from the last time I was working on it. I now have the long sign boards installed. I was eyeing how to make the cab interior. None of it is dead perfect but it will due over what is in second place which is nothing.

6-28-07 Update

The fuel tank is made and painted. The new MU stands are almost done. I ran it for a night on DCC. It ran VERY well! I was surprised in early May with the fact that Loksound makes a Baldwin sound unit. I now have to go back and rewire everything for sound.

7-20-07 Update

After another 1 month side project of reworking an Overland PRR FA FB Set, I am now back and more focused then ever. There will be NO distractions now until it is done! (:->) The sound unit is in. Wiring DCC and sound can be a challenge in the narrow hood units like the AS16 and GP9. I try to fit in the biggest speaker possible. While the sound is not going not straight out of the top of the shell because there are no fan openings etc. as I usually prefer, I am taking advantage of the large screened openings on the sides. Since I am currently using Loksound units, their 100 Ohm speakers really limit the available speaker variety. I really wanted lit numberboards, but after a very close call with slightly melting and almost ruining my GP9 I decided against it. I have put a lot of additional time in making sure the model stays together. Major brass detail parts like the signboards are getting bolted on with 00-90 screws being used as studs. Other parts are being pinned with wire when they are glued together. After all of this time and effort I do not want to have to repair it and do touch up. This is the very reason why I model almost exclusively in brass. A good solder joint is forever.

I co-opted a Train Control box from a parts K4 pilot. As shown in the Builders Photos, there is an up and over walkway. I made the walkway part pretty easily. The biggest anxiety attack was when I was drilling the holes through the deck to mount the parts. I got pretty close but still had to make a little wiggle room to get them lined up perfectly

On 7-24-07 I took the biggest leap of faith so far when I stripped the paint. After working on the shell for a few months now I was pretty sure it was made from Evergreen styrene. In spite of getting $45.00 of Chameleon Stripper, I actually had visions (no make that nightmares) of pulling a sagging goopy blob of plastic from the soup when I dunked it. I can now attest that the Chameleon Stripper was safe for at least this shell and another one I stripped yesterday. I did a little test on the inside before going for the big dunk. The paint did not fly off but there were no signs of damage or crazing. 2 hours later after some pretty steady scrubbing with a small stiff paint brush it was pretty good. A few steps got knocked out in the fray but they will be repaired.

I have made some good progress. The handrails are pretty much done. I have an OBSCENE amount of time in making them. I remade the pilot steps from Plano etched material. The steps were redone with HO roofwalks for the rectangular grid material.

2-2-08 Update

So much for getting it done! I am very fickle when i comes to projects. My interest and drive fades at about 1-2 months. I will get back to this project at some point.

I switched to finishing my 2 PRR I1 in the beginning of 2008. I am close enough to finishing them now that it will probably happen.

Look for photos of them on the Steam Locomotives page about 3-1-08

I am forever dreadfully fickle! I am 3 projects down the road now!

It is a project just to keep this page up to date!

The AS16 will get completed some day.

Updated 2-8-10