Catching Up #2: Engine Maintenance

I have collected a large fleet (10) of Atlas Alco RS3s. I started with Pennsy units from the original Atlas release, and built from there because I needed multiple Reading units to faithfully reproduce their coal drag motive power on the PRSL. I also collected extras since that is the recommended chassis to do Shapeways' Baldwin AS-16s (the PRSL main motive power). I need 4 but Shapeways painting (and chassis shaving) is beyond my capabilities but somewhere down the road I may find someone willing to do the work in trade for some of my vast selection of excess freight cars and buildings.

Anyway besides the 3 differently numbered PRR RS3s I had a lot of multiple engine numbers. Removing the numbering with alcohol was easy. I renumbered one of the PRR units successfully and butchered one of the Reading renumberings. Fortunately one of my operating crew volunteered to do the rest.

I also replaced the PRR shell on an Atlas FA1 with a Reading shell I acquired giving me a pair. Removing the numbering on that unit was not as successful but I picked at the last digit enough that it could possibly be a 3 instead of a duplicate 5.

All the units except the ones waiting to be renumbered have been treated with Doc O'Brien's Grimy Black pastels to remove the sheen. (My weathering capabilities are severely limited by being partially color blind. Therefore I ignore most of the 10 pastel bottles and only use the ones with "black" or "rusty" on their label.) I also worked on all their trucks with a mixture of black, rusty brown and rusty red. I found that mixing the pastel powders with a little water creates a paint that sticks well to the outer truck frames.

This whole project started by removing the shells to lube the power mechanisms. The units were old and noisy (from the beginning). They are now all lubed (and still noisy). I also replaced all rapido couplers with MicroTrain pilot conversions.

I still have one RS3 that has defied my efforts to remove its shell (and yes I have the instruction sheet for all the good it does). I also have managed to accidentally drop and thereby disassemble two trucks and now I understand why the manufacturer suggests acquiring new ones instead of trying to put the gears on the original trucks back together.

Throw in some geeps and yes my motive power fleet now looks more realistic (read less shiny) and more functional.

And yes I just had to put a Reading FA1 temporarily at the head of WY840 returning empties from Deepwater.

An un-grimed GP38 between 2 "grimees"