Steam Detailing Project: New Haven R-1

I heard a phrase once, something to the extent of it's good to "leave well-enough alone." I still haven't figured out what that means.


I have been using an N-scale Bachmann 4-8-2 Light Mountain steam locomotive as a test bed for an upcoming review, and have been tinkering with how to make it run better. Its running flaw is mainly the balance of the drive wheels: not enough weight on the third driver or front driver. The third driving wheel has the rubber traction tire, so you need weight there to make the locomotive pull. And the front driver keeps the engine on track going into curves.

I solved these both by spacing the third driver down a bit (gluing extremely thin plastic from a shopping bag to the top of that axle's bearing blocks,) and putting a spring between the trailing truck and chassis, causing upward force on the back of the engine, and thus downward force on the front driver.

But I still wasn't content, especially after I found some information on real-life New Haven 4-8-2s. I decided to give the engine a quick New Haven R-1 style detailing job. I'll tell you what exactly I did in list form, and you can reference the two pictures below for details.

Left side:
Right side:1-Relocate the second left-side air tank (from over the 2nd/3rd driver) to the right side, over the 4th driver.

2- Cut off left-side walkway section over the 2nd/3rd driver. Relocate it above the 3rd driver/the air pumps, level with the walkway above the 1st and 2nd drivers. Fabricate and glue in an extension to join the two pieces (I used .030 inch sheet plastic.)

3- Fabricate and install a second set of air pumps (like the existing ones,) between the 2nd and 3rd drivers on the left side. Remove the piping coils that are in the way.

4- Fabricate and install a feedwater heater on top of the smokebox (front of the boiler,) placing it between the smokestack and bell. Add 3 pipes to the feedwater heater on the left side and two on the right (as shown.)

5- Paint all added details black, to match the existing paint job.

6- Decide for yourself if you would like to change the couplers (or add a working front coupler,) weather the engine, install digital control or sound, and/or perform any modifications to the drive mechanism to improve performance.
7- Have fun! It took me just a day to do the detailing, and it's been so worth it. Even though I know next to nothing about the New Haven, I do know they had 10 Light Mountains similar to Bachmann's model. And I know mine may not be perfect, but it looks very convincing, and it's probably my finest model to date.

-Steven Goehring
Model Railroad News Associate Editor