SP "Light Pacific" by Broadway Limited.


Charles Smiley

cspmovies
I picked one of these up knowing that it was a generic Pacific (4-6-2). I'm in the process of making it look more like an SP Pacific as used on the SF Peninsula.
I need it for a Fast Mail train with all Harriman style dark-olive colored cars that I built up. On flat ground these things were like Saluki dogs - fast as any Gazelle and still fairly powerful.

The things that needed changing right away were...

1. The headlight needed a visor over the lens. Later I'll replace it later with a brass one and relocate it more below the smoke box centerline as
the SP style dictates.

2. The bell is normally between the stem and sand dome. And it was never brass colored! That was an easy move - air-brushed to black.

3. It needs large, angled number boards bracketing the smoke stack. I used some parts I had that are OK for now, but I'll find better ones when the shops open again.

4. I need to fit it with a fatter stack that is more tapered.

5. The SP front pilot/cowcatcher didn't have spokes. It looks like they made it out of some heavy corrugated steel. hat's a futre poriject.

6. SP steam and sand domes looked like Bowler style hats compared to what this model has. That would be very ard to fix.


This model ran very poorly out of the box. It derailed and stalled (reset shutdown) every 10 feet on even 36-inch radius curves and number 8 turnouts. Most of this was front wheel/truck lift on the lead tender truck due to poor routing of the wire from the brass truck frame - and two other problems.

a. The slip-fit on the connecting drawbar was binding. I burnished the hole to polish it smoother using a round hardwood toothpick in a drill motor.
Now it's fine.

b. The tender's brake cylinder had projections (bell cranks) that interfered with the trucks pivoting. I snipped them off since they can't be seen unless
you turn the tender upside down.


Now it runs just fine mechanically. I would say somewhere between very good and excellent. But it likes to reset going over gaps on loops that have DCC polarity reversers like the Lenz model LK-200. It stalls, resets the decoder but quickly recovers. It needs a TCS "Keep Alive" added.

There is no useful info or wiring diagram on the generic-OEM decoder in this thing -- it has lots of empty connectors for unused things with no info. Has anyone ever put a Keep-Alive module on this loco decoder? Or has anyone junked it for a preferred decoder brand?


Some of my plans will need to wait for local hobby shops to open back up.
 

Attachments

  • FIRST-MODS-1S.jpg
    FIRST-MODS-1S.jpg
    741.8 KB · Views: 160
This model could be made to look like a P-9or even a P-10 with a bit of tweaking. I'd replace the bell with a finer casting. Add a turret with pop valves and whistle behind the steam dome. Change out the generator for a brass casting of the correct type. I think the most challenging modification will be at the locomotive front. That forward walk will need to be raised to be level with the rest of the walk going rearward. SP didn't have stair type steps to the pilot deck except for the skirted P-10's. You could fabricate something more correct out of brass or styrene. I'd prefer brass for its durability. Also note the handrailing around the smokebox front and the marker light positioning. If you need part numbers, let me know. Here's what SP-ish steps looked like: http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/steam-01/2472_sp-steam-p08-gene_deimling.jpg
 
Last edited:
Yeah thanks. I like the continuous piece handrailing. I might try that soon when I get more brass wire. I've been out since the shutdown and waiting for the shops to open again. In some of the photos I have on slides of these things it almost looks like they cut the front steps off it's all so obscured. It's more clear in your photo.

At this point, this one will suffice until I find a bargain on a brass one from PFM or similar.
 
Yeah thanks. I like the continuous piece handrailing. I might try that soon when I get more brass wire. I've been out since the shutdown and waiting for the shops to open again. In some of the photos I have on slides of these things it almost looks like they cut the front steps off it's all so obscured. It's more clear in your photo.

At this point, this one will suffice until I find a bargain on a brass one from PFM or similar.
The Westside P-10's come up on e-bay frequently, and can be had for in the $250-300 range. Many have can motors. You might have to paint it though! Then there's this one on e-Bay right now. It would likely need a can motor and DCC, and could benefit from some detail parts upgrades too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-Brass-T...260087?hash=item46ad5cf0f7:g:000AAOSwn3deq4MX
 
Charles -- It's good to see you back on here .. I have missed seeing your excellent modeling. Looks as if you have a good project going there? Is the piping all in the correct places? Really, Really need some darkening on those wheels and valve gear!

ALAN - That is a most beautiful photo of the P-8 number 2472!
 
I been really busy making this DVD as pictured below. the layout didn't get more than occasional dusting and track cleaning for some time.

The whole thing needs weathering - but not until all the other stuff is done to it. And until all the bugs are proved gone and outta here, and it runs reliably - it's still not going to get a lot of attention just yet.

Some of the stuff they did is really lazy and cheap. The tender trucks only have wiring to one side of each truck instead of using both for best contact. That's the kind of lazy cheap junk I used to see in some brass diesels like ALCO and some others back in my youth. But I'll get there soon enough.
 

Attachments

  • D152_CVR-front-3.jpg
    D152_CVR-front-3.jpg
    764.3 KB · Views: 143



Back
Top