Berkshire plans

[John Hardcastle]

Can anybody direct me to a MOPAC Berkshire set of plans?

Thank You

Mike Swederska

[John Hardcastle]

My Mopac BK63 class Berkshire is complete with the exception of the deck plate and rear vertical hand rails at the back of the cab. These items will be added when the tender is complete. Which is now up next on the work bench.
The locomotive is done and has a couple of lacquer clear coats on it. This is because it will be most likely a better part of a year before she gets the proper coat of color. After the tender there will be a long shake down period. Also the loco is waiting on a Tsunami 2 decoder to be delivered.

This loco is 80-90% scratch with everything else altered to be Mopac.
I can’t believe it has been more than a year since I started this project. I believe this loco is a one of a kind in S scale.
—
Mike Swederska Sr
Modeling the Mopac rolling stock in 3/16

[amosluettgen1665]

Beautiful work and craftsmanship – congrats!

[peggyrothschild]

Mike
I echo Greg’s comments; the unpainted brass just shows your workmanship. I wasn’t aware you could scratch built in S scale to this extent. It’s hard enough finding parts in HO.

Congratulations on a beautiful model – looking forward to seeing the tender.

[John Hardcastle]

The locomotive is now into its final mechanical shake down before electronics are installed and the rest of the minor details between the cab and tender and other items like the retailer frog on the side of the tender. Because of the sheire mass of this locomotive the existing HO tunnel portals had too be enlarged do to the dog house and cab window shades on the swing in reverse. Also low hanging sub roadbed splines.

I set the draw bar to the length the turn table track tightening up the distance between the cab and tender. This made issues with the shovel deck and length of the stoker tube between the cab and tender. Even the electric conduit at the cab roof to tender needed to be readjusted. All this just made the locomotive look even better when the gap was tightend. This loco runs on minimum 48? radii. There where plenty of other needed minor adjustments for shorts but only one required resoldering and that was the pilot. I set it to scale hieght and the first high spot in the rail it touched thus a short. All these issues were so small but it took time too fined. This is why I cleared the brass and not colored yet.

They say in fly fishing; There’s no greater thrill to experience than tying your own fly and catching a fish on it. Well,watching this locomotive pull its first train was all of that and then a hell of a lot more. As a grown man I can’t put it into words without sounding childish.

When the train completed its journey around the main for its first time I thought at the last minute to record it pulling into Ironton Mo. This is not a great video and the locomotive is on dcc with out a decoder so you’re going too hear that buzz.

Go go to my YouTube channel Mike S or search for, Mopac Berkshire shake down run with first train. If you haven’t please subscribe to my channel.
—
Mike Swederska Sr
Modeling the Mopac rolling stock in 3/16

[peggyrothschild]

Mike
Just watched the video – very cool!

[John Hardcastle]

Thank you Charlie and thanks for posting the link. The other loco in the video sitting on the siding is the heavy Mikado 1414 that I finished building in 2013. That’s the loco in the caboose hop video.

[Joseph Berry]

Mike,

Great video! Really enjoyed the noise of wheels on the track joints…Beautiful layout.

Thanks for sharing.

Gary H. – Omaha

[amosluettgen1665]

Just watched all your videos (and subscribed to the YT channel). Good composition and perspective with he camera – the low camera angle makes it feel very prototypical. Please keep ’em coming!

Any chance we could see a track plan of the layout? You’ve captured the feeling of Missouri very well with the tree covered bluffs.

Thanks …gregg

[John Hardcastle]

Greg,
I am working on an article to submit to the National Association of S Gage publication of my layout. It will be including a track plan. I am in the first stages becuase I am not a writer just a modeler. I tried to draw a ledgible track plan but it is just ugly. I was told that I may be able to contact a person that works with the National Association of S Gage that draws up the track plans. Thanks for asking.

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