After sitting in the box for six months today I finally pulled this little gem out of the box. Mine is a sound equipted GM&O. The tender is a problem I'll have to deal with, but I have a couple of more basic questions. I'll have to add a coonskin on the boiler front and decals of course, no problem there. What is anybody using for the graphite on the front of the boiler? I intend to have it fairly heavily weathered. I see no other way to do this then try to hand paint it given all the detail already in place. Which brings my next question. Does anybody have suggestions to get the black less of a shiny plastic look. Repainting the already assembled boiler appears impossible. My first steamer, sorry for such basic questions. John
You'll want to decide whether your engine will be an oil or coal burner. The Frisco painted the oil burners' smokebox and firebox a lighter graphite color, almost a silver or an aluminum. The coal burners' firebox and smokeboxes were more of a charcoal color. You don't automatically think about this until you refer to photos. Then you'll find it to be true in almost all cases. Also, an oil burner wouldn't have an ash pan. The oil tender will have a bunker where a coal pile is on a coal burner. Tom
John, I added tiny amounts of black to steel until I got a shade that closely matched my old black and white photo. This is a sketchy process to say the least. It may also depend on how much it has weathered. I use Dullcoate to remove the shiney stuff.
