DalaGStanator's Customs, Mods and Experiments

The US outline Mogul has been in development limbo for two months, but three major steps have been completed and it should be finished sometime before May.



First off, the boiler is finally here and was made to match the size and shape of the smokebox (rather than being a narrow "arch topped semicylinder" with flat sides). One end is a full circle with a hole for the headlamp LED wires in the middle, while the other end has a cut at the bottom to align the firebox LED with its hole in the cab. The boiler is hollow throughout the bottom to fit all the wiring for both lights, the on/off button and the coin cell compartment (now under the footplate). All that just for two optional light effects powered by a separate battery.



On the topic of the LEDs, the original prewired lights were fitted in a way that the headlamp was at the proper height (level with the bottom of the smokestack) but facing upwards. If I added a lamp in front of the LED in that position, it would've illuminated the back, top or inside rather than going through the lens. Trying to reposition the light facing forwards pulled the firebox light out of the cab because the wires weren't long enough. None of my other lights were compatible with the OG ones (incl. incandescent), so both had to be replaced with separate orange-yellow lights (of the same type as each other). While the new colour looks good for the firebox, it looks too yellow for the headlamp and the old yellowish white was more fitting. I couldn't mount the lamp any higher because the lights themselves have a long protective "sleeve" that individual LEDs don't have.



Second, the boiler, cab and cylinders have been primed white before assembly to make them easier to paint. Two domes were added in the form of four conditioner caps (the same type the orange 0-4-0ST uses) and a hole was prepared for the light button, which will be disguised as the whistle. Black paint was added in areas that couldn't be finished with markers, such as behind the cowcatcher. The bell is an old glue cap painted gold and glued through the D-ring of the metal hanger I used as a coupling for the diesel electric. It will only be glued after the boiler is painted, like all the other separately fitted details. The cowcatcher and cylinder assembly was reglued to the chassis, in a way that the pony truck can still move under the cylinders (though it will hit them most of the time). The coupling rods will have to be shortened because the cylinders are now closer.



Lastly, the tender body and frame have been added to the motorised chassis. I thought it was going to make the battery pack too low and difficult to access, but comparing the height of the walls to the cab sides revealed it was actually correct. Only the switch had to be removed from the battery pack since it was too low and the wires were too short to reach. Couldn't find a good way to extend the old switch since it's not hinged like Plarail/TrackMaster ones. In true Union Express fashion, it uses fake bogies to cover the actual wheelbase. Just wick sustainers glued over cardboard strips with additional cardboard strips on the outer sides. The only problem is the rear ones can't be pushed further in due to the axle's length. I'm not going to trim it again since that was why the loco drive version couldn't move. Traction tyres made the flanges too big, so I only applied the rubber adhesive instead. The planned wooden clerestory coaches would (of course) have real bogies like I've made before.