Overhead

I've had an Aristo center cab since I started.

Not this particular one, just the unpainted model. I thought I'd bash it into some type of steeple cab, or "outhouse on a raft" but after I built the Ray Webster kit, I had second thoughts.

It's kind of cute, at least the neighborhood kids can recognize it as a locomotive! So it's becoming a scruffy old diesmal, leased from some or another yet-to-be named shortline. It's on hand for when the power plant goes south, the wire falls down, etc.

So, getting out the trusty saw . . . Wait! Where's the screwdriver? There are only 8 million screws under the damn thing. Grunt! Cuss!! I've had it easier taking lugs nuts off of the truck. How do they drive these things in so good?? Ahhh! Success!

	Cruddy marker lights have been removed from hoods. Air horns have had about 5/16" removed and have been relocated to cab roof. Brackets have been added on roof close to entry doors to accommodate caboose-style marker lights. Miscellaneous holes have been puttied shut, sanded and a couple of coats of primer added.
	Base has had the chintzy fake air tanks removed. Drop plates have also bitten the dust. If you look toward left of photo there's a regular size battery box (which goes at the entrance to the cab on each side), and a junior version that'll go on the opposite corners of the cab.

I got a really good price from Wholesale Trains on the smoke generator. In theory I should have one for each hood, but that ain't happenin' I'll use more electricity blowing smoke than making the train move. So, Rube Goldberg engineering comes to the fore. It seems reasonable to split the smoke by running a pipe thru the cab to the back hood. The front stack will probably need some type of flow restrictor to help to divert the smoke to the long way around. Some trial and error work is no doubt going to be in order here. Too bad those things won't burn regular kerosene. If its a diesmal, it should smell like one!

	Left, pins have been soldered to circuit board for smoke unit and marker lights. Right, I took some 3/32 rod and threaded the ends. It holds the smoke unit in the hood. Bottom left shows "funnel" added to sides of unit. Center shows foam moulding that will cradle unit. Pipe at right takes smoke to #2 engine stack. At right unit has been affixed to the hood.

Now then, it works, the marker lights come on with the proper headlight, and it really does blow smoke from both stacks. I still need to do some work around the number boards in the smoke-generator end, as it tried to blow smoke between the body shell and number board plastic.It's had a little bit of weathering applied, but needs to have some more. It's been raining for several days now, and it's 40 degrees, so no exterior picture. Maybe later?

Kind of a fun project. The rivet counters will be aghast. It still doesn't look like anything that ever existed, but hey, it's cute, and best of all, it will pull a cut of cars with minimal effort.


Here's the basic paint job. Handrails needed.	Finished, sort of.