Wait a minute… “give it some gas”? What?🤔 You must mean give it some steam! The fireman needs to already have the steam pressure at operating pressure by increasing the flow of the thick bunker oil out of the tender into the front of the firebox, using the firing valve next to his seat. Steam pressure needs to be probably some where over 200 pounds psi. I laughed at the loud squeaking sound of the engineer opening the Fountain valves that extend into the cab over the top of the back head. That is about how those big valves sound inside the cab. Those squeaky valves turn on the steam supply to the air compressor, steam electric turbine (lights, ATC), water pump, injectors, etc. Thanks for your electronic technical advice. I know steam but but not DCC. The smoke switch needs to be ON. The manual smoke switch is located under the firebox. I did buy a bottle of coal smoke flavor oil, but it still smells like the usual oil burning in these models, not the sweet smell of coal smoke. Plus no black or grey smoke mixed with the white smoke. I turned off the smoke because the smoke just does not impress me as the smoke needs to be thrusted with each exhaust stroke. When the real steam locos stop the fireman turns on the blower to provide enough draft thru the grates to burn the oil/coal more efficiently & hotter. The blower is a steam jet nozzle pointing up thru the stack creating a steady draft when stopped. Plus the blower keeps the smoke to a minimum and lifting it higher. I have to figure out how to use the CV to turn on the blower automatically when the loco stops then turn off the blower when the loco starts up. Sound is not muddled. It is almost too loud. The Mikes had superheater flues so there should be a distinct crack at the stack. Not a mushy chuffing. The bell is too loud. Whistle OK. The sudden stopping-starting stunt is happening to my engine too. I run on a club layout where we need to power our frogs. I just got assigned to start soldering for that project. We use Tortus switch motors with add on wire harness for control & frog power. I do like the “keep alive” capacitors. So I don’t understand why the keep alive would cause it to suddenly stop, then take off with drivers spinning. Electronics are a real mystery for me. DC is not sensitive to that kind of defect. The DC Locos just stop if not enough power. I purchased the ATSF BLI Mike undecorated to convert it to an ATSF Illinois coal burner. I learned a lot about ATSF steam power working with old head ATSF crews who worked from 1930 thru the end of steam operation on the ATSF Illinois Division in 1953. They were still working in 1960 era when I started in 1965. So every chance I had I’d ask way too many questions about the era I missed working with modern steam power and early diesel era. Coal was available to the ATSF from Chicago to KC, Argentine Yard. Most thru freight was powered by the earlier Mikes, 3160 Class, but had to be supplemented with the later order from Baldwin, the 4000 Class Mikes, most of which were built as oil burners. But some were built as coal burners with a stoker engine and auger into the firebox under the cab. Some of these Mikes were equipped with Automatic Train Control with cab signals for running the fast mainline run into Chicago. So I carefully kit bashed the ATSF BLI Mike I bought by removing the tender shell that snaps off at the frame. Careful not to damage the decoder & speakers. Then I used a new Exacto razor blade to cut along the under sides of the oil tank and carefully removed it. Then used parts of it with the rivet detail to make a false deck and back head for a coal bunker. Being sure to allow just enough head room for the decoder wires underneath. They still touched so I lined and reinforced the under side of the floor of the coal bunker with capton tape to reduce any chance of static electrical problem. Then I used a fine grade of black diamonds HO Scale coal and filled the coal bunker so that it can be seen from a side view over the top. I used a diluted mixture of Elmers white glue mixed with a few drops of dish soap to glue it in place. Now on the engine portion of the model I used some old brass Cal-Scale detail parts for the ATC control box, mounted on the upper right side attached to the hand rail and boiler right in front of the engineer side of the cab. Then the ash pans mounted along the bottom of the fire box. And the stoker engine mounted under the cab with a steam control rod extending down from the fireman’s side. Thanks for your help. And have fun with your young son. Hope he stays in the hobby. My son started real young and is too busy now in his 40s working.
It's not exactly a "small" locomotive. with the Tender it is longer than a modern 6-axel diesel. smaller than a Challenger or a big boy for sure though.
![[UNCUT]“ฅนตื่นธรรม”ปะทะ“หมอปลา-ปู่มหามุนี-อั๋นโอกิ”สะเทือนกระทรวงเวทมนตร์ Iคนดังนั่งเคลียร์I10 ตค.67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/peMD_SAkwNc/mqdefault.jpg)
Wait a minute… “give it some gas”? What?🤔 You must mean give it some steam! The fireman needs to already have the steam pressure at operating pressure by increasing the flow of the thick bunker oil out of the tender into the front of the firebox, using the firing valve next to his seat. Steam pressure needs to be probably some where over 200 pounds psi. I laughed at the loud squeaking sound of the engineer opening the Fountain valves that extend into the cab over the top of the back head. That is about how those big valves sound inside the cab. Those squeaky valves turn on the steam supply to the air compressor, steam electric turbine (lights, ATC), water pump, injectors, etc.
Thanks for your electronic technical advice. I know steam but but not DCC.
The smoke switch needs to be ON. The manual smoke switch is located under the firebox. I did buy a bottle of coal smoke flavor oil, but it still smells like the usual oil burning in these models, not the sweet smell of coal smoke. Plus no black or grey smoke mixed with the white smoke. I turned off the smoke because the smoke just does not impress me as the smoke needs to be thrusted with each exhaust stroke. When the real steam locos stop the fireman turns on the blower to provide enough draft thru the grates to burn the oil/coal more efficiently & hotter. The blower is a steam jet nozzle pointing up thru the stack creating a steady draft when stopped. Plus the blower keeps the smoke to a minimum and lifting it higher. I have to figure out how to use the CV to turn on the blower automatically when the loco stops then turn off the blower when the loco starts up.
Sound is not muddled. It is almost too loud. The Mikes had superheater flues so there should be a distinct crack at the stack. Not a mushy chuffing. The bell is too loud. Whistle OK.
The sudden stopping-starting stunt is happening to my engine too. I run on a club layout where we need to power our frogs. I just got assigned to start soldering for that project. We use Tortus switch motors with add on wire harness for control & frog power. I do like the “keep alive” capacitors. So I don’t understand why the keep alive would cause it to suddenly stop, then take off with drivers spinning. Electronics are a real mystery for me. DC is not sensitive to that kind of defect. The DC Locos just stop if not enough power.
I purchased the ATSF BLI Mike undecorated to convert it to an ATSF Illinois coal burner. I learned a lot about ATSF steam power working with old head ATSF crews who worked from 1930 thru the end of steam operation on the ATSF Illinois Division in 1953. They were still working in 1960 era when I started in 1965. So every chance I had I’d ask way too many questions about the era I missed working with modern steam power and early diesel era.
Coal was available to the ATSF from Chicago to KC, Argentine Yard. Most thru freight was powered by the earlier Mikes, 3160 Class, but had to be supplemented with the later order from Baldwin, the 4000 Class Mikes, most of which were built as oil burners. But some were built as coal burners with a stoker engine and auger into the firebox under the cab. Some of these Mikes were equipped with Automatic Train Control with cab signals for running the fast mainline run into Chicago.
So I carefully kit bashed the ATSF BLI Mike I bought by removing the tender shell that snaps off at the frame. Careful not to damage the decoder & speakers.
Then I used a new Exacto razor blade to cut along the under sides of the oil tank and carefully removed it. Then used parts of it with the rivet detail to make a false deck and back head for a coal bunker. Being sure to allow just enough head room for the decoder wires underneath. They still touched so I lined and reinforced the under side of the floor of the coal bunker with capton tape to reduce any chance of static electrical problem. Then I used a fine grade of black diamonds HO Scale coal and filled the coal bunker so that it can be seen from a side view over the top. I used a diluted mixture of Elmers white glue mixed with a few drops of dish soap to glue it in place.
Now on the engine portion of the model I used some old brass Cal-Scale detail parts for the ATC control box, mounted on the upper right side attached to the hand rail and boiler right in front of the engineer side of the cab. Then the ash pans mounted along the bottom of the fire box. And the stoker engine mounted under the cab with a steam control rod extending down from the fireman’s side.
Thanks for your help. And have fun with your young son. Hope he stays in the hobby. My son started real young and is too busy now in his 40s working.
Thanks for your insight! I'll probably end up replacing the decoder in the future, but we will see how it goes.
I love this Santa Fe Mikado! I imagine seeing this in reality.
The look on your son's face says it all! Awesome moment, and looks like an awesome loco. I recently purchased one, waiting on it to arrive.
Let me know what you think!
Very nice engine! Nice and smooth…and lots of details. Congrats!
Nice review. 👍👍 I’m not much of a steam guy but that is very nice. You and your son can enjoy it together for years to come.
Yup! that is the plan!
Very cool, been looking to get a small steam loco like that for a while. Great video!
It's not exactly a "small" locomotive. with the Tender it is longer than a modern 6-axel diesel. smaller than a Challenger or a big boy for sure though.
@@MFRailroad Yeah, you're right. Very cool loco, love all the tons of details on it
Is this locomotive Diecast?