Hi everyone, I was looking though my kit shelf looking for upcoming fall and winter projects and I came upon a roundhouse harriman 2-8-0 kit. Does anyone have a link or some advice on converting this engine to a reasonable model for a frisco 2-8-0? I’m sure a trip into the precision scale catalog will be in order! Thanks Craig |-|
I started such a conversion 25-30 years ago based upon an article in RMC using valve gear from the Bowser NYC Pacific. The pieces are in the basement somewhere, including that high-current, open-frame motor that would need replacing for DCC. I did have the doghouse built and installed on the tender. Want me to find/photograph it? I had a great prototype photo of 1271 or 1272 I was copying.
Based on an old RMC article from the '80s I was told the valve gear from a Bowser Pennsy H-9 Consolidation would work on MDC Harriman kit. I managed to get the valve gear right before Bowser stopped selling Steam Kits and Parts. Unfortunately, I need the crossheads and rods, too, and I can't get them, so the project is stalled. At the least, get a Frisco Coonskin Lamp bracket, a pyle headlamp, and a real compressor to replace whatever MDC has in their kit.
As an update, I went to a flea market today, and thought I would look for an old Bowser H-9 to steal parts from. Right by the door, someone was selling an H-9 kit that was missing the tender and cab, so he made me a deal of $15. It has the valve gear, rods, rivet tool, and detail parts, so I'm on my way.
Zombie Thread Update: On and (mostly) off, for the past 7 years, I've tried to add the Bowser Valve gear to this kit. I had to use the Bowser cylinders and side rods, and try to attach the valve gear to the third driver. I think I may have finally figured it out, by CA'ing some .40 styrene to the backside of the driver, and drilling and tapping it for 0-80 screws. It works! It lives! Now for the detailing!
OK, I started grinding off the cast on details: I have a Cal-Scale MDC Harriman Superdetail set 190-2021 that has many parts, and I found a top feed check valve at my LHS. I didn't find any pilot steps/ladders, though. I'm still looking for another picture of the other side of 1303. Does anyone have one?
