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Revell 1/84 Union Pacific Big Boy


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Been a while since I posted anything. My parents got me the Revell Big Boy Kit for Christmas. Interesting combination of fairly decent detail combined with handrails moulded as solid plastic fences... Anyhoo. Got here stuck together. Used the decals in the kit for number 4006 but the painting instructions seemed not quite right. If I were guessing, I would say that the painting instructions are based on 4006 as it currently stands, stuffed and mounted in St. Louis Museum of Transportation. Anyhoo, I went freelance on the paint looking at pictures of the running example 4014. Gunmetal for the 'metallic' sections of the boiler and bodywork, steel for the motion, and a variety of gloss, satin, matt blacks and anthracite. I added a bit of ochre to the motion to represent the steam oil/grease and liberally brushed clear smoke around the place. A bit of matt clear and anthracite to dirt up the top of the boiler (didn't work quite as well as I hoped, my usual struggles with milky matt clear). Unfortunately there's a broken handrail at the front, but I think I got it as far as I could. Not quite the full weathered monty of the locomotives in there prime, but more of a working locomotive with a hint of the glossy paint job underneath.

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Nice job. I've become entranced with that locomotive, having seen a real one up close at the Forney Transportation Museum in Denver. I was very disappointed when Union Pacific bypassed the Dallas-Fort Worth area on the recent Big Boy tour.

 

Some years ago, there was a series of articles in Model Railroader magazine describing the detailing of the Bowser metal Big Boy kit. Cal-Scale, the maker of lost-wax brass castings of detail parts for model trains, then followed with a comprehensive set of parts based on the articles. These are scarce, but well looking for if you have any interest in detailing the Revell plastic kit, as are the magazine articles.

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I think there is certainly scope for someone with a bit more skill and adventurousness to cut off the moulded handrails and replace with brass. Certainly there should be enough parts available from the railway modelling side of things for supports and brackets.

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Hi Ken,

 

Moved that for you - it's not the most vibrant part of the forum, but it's a bit more vibrant now than it was a minute ago :)

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Just thought I'd add my tuppence worth, Here's a Revell Big Boy I built back in 2008, some scratch building but mostly OOB...overall, a nice kit with reasonable detail, just wish Revell had extended the series with such delights as the PRR T1 and S1 Class duplex, Southern Pacific 4-8-8-2  Cab forward and monstrous Chesapeake and Ohio 2-6-6-6 Allegheny and the like.

 

Excuse the front truck 'jumping the tracks' slightly...

 

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Same image in colour

 

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Thanks Luke, yes, just replaced them using lead wire and brass 'holders' made up, holes drilled and fitted to the boiler. I also rebuilt the interior of the fireman's cab but forgot to photograph it! Must admit, I've always been fascinated with these steam leviathans...

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