#537 in Sn3

[South Park]

537's extended smokebox goofed up the proportions on the
poor girl.  Where history really did her wrong was in putting
THAT headlight on top of the smokebox.  Had the C&S rebuild
given her an 18" Pyle-National on the forward-carrying brackets
like 9-58-73 (and many more) got, it would have helped a lot.

Outside frame locos are fascinating to watch move, with all
that gear obscuring the wheels.  

[Jim Courtney]

Dana asked me to post this photo of CB&Q 537 as he noted in his post:

The #537 was overhauled in Denver in April 1925 at the Q's new shop.  All the other Black Hills n.g. power was sent to the Q's big Havelock shops in Lincoln, Nebraska, why the #537 was the sole Black Hills engine sent to Colorado for shopping is a mystery. in any case, the engine came out of the shop more or less as she went in: a 3 window steel sheathed wood cab, a single horizontal  splitting the 3rd window,3 very mixed domes, first sand dome a Baldwin in 1876 era, the steam dome a scalped Baldwin like the SP n.g. #9 has, and a normal "modern Baldwin 3rd dome.  She has a wooden pilot, a headlight casing like the good old #69 and a generator squeezed between the steam dome and last sand dome, with an exhaust stack extending back over the cab.  

On a cold December evening two years later she derailed near Nemo, S.D. and rolled down a 25 foot embankment, crushing the wood cab, killing her engineer and fireman and nearly completely stripping her boiler of parts.  She was sent to Haveloclk shops for rebuilding using 0-6-0 parts into what we see on the C&S in so many photos.




Now that is a neat version of 537.

Even had the T-handled valve stem on the cab roof in the 1920s . . .

[D. W. Bassett]

Thnks, Jim.

BTW, that photo  is just a copy of a photo in "Burlington Bulletin #41-Q 537"  Photo credit is from the Gray Morgan Collection.  I just love the way she looks in this view, and if not for the wreck in '27, this is how she would have looked on the C&S. This issue of the Bulletin also has earlier shots of her and other engines on the Black Hills lines.

[D. W. Bassett]

Wow,

Mike is a hell of a modeler.  Love his rendition of the #537 as well as his #302.  That is one of my very favorite Grande engines.  Love that sewer pipe sand dome crammed in front of the cab and the huge generator in front of the stack.  I have one in Sn3, and is my very favorite, other than my green jacketed T-12.  Love to see a video of either one running.

[Fred52]

Hi everyone.
Been on hiatus for a awhile and just now catching up on what's been happening here on the forum. The #537 pictures are fascinating to me. I have a Bachmann On30 outside frame Connie that is a stand in (sort of) for #537. I do have a question though. Was the #537 the largest narrow Gauge loco on the C&S? I have been contemplating maybe take the Connie apart to reclbuild it closer to 537. As she sits now she has a Ridgway and I just put C&S decals on the tender. It was Colorado Mining #29 and for temporary purposes I retained that number. Do you guys are think it could be done?

[D. W. Bassett]

Hi Fred, you could get close to the look of the engine probably.  Most Baldwin outside frame deckless 2-8-0s had a family resemblance.  The Bachman would be a good deal smaller though as being based off a 30" gauge Mexican engine originally, and the wheels have counterbalances on the cranks like the big Ks or even Sumpter Valley 14(which would be a real bitch to change),  but while not identical it could have the feel of the #537.  A new cab, domes, headlight and a rebuilt tender would be a must though.  A lot of work, but the end result would be lovely i think.

[Fred52]

Thanks D. W. For the encouragement. I found another Bachmann on ebay and put in a bid. I will attempt to do the surgery on that one to start. It will be my first major attempt at a serious kitbash since 1978 when I had a Spartan 4-6-0
Fred Cotterell

[Bill M]

Greetings all,
David Steer was kind enough to take some much better quality snaps of the 537. As I said before, she was converted from a PBL C-21. The tender was essentially scratchbuilt. I drafted up artwork for tender and smokebox etchings and had these done in nickel silver in both S and O. The tender trucks are from an OMI #74 as is the smokebox front. The cab roof was raised and rebuilt to look as steel. The domes are PSC O domes for shays. Air tanks were turned. The butterfly is a highly modified OMI part and several other parts are OMI as well. Brake cylinders are machined. One of the most tedious components was the fabricating of the external loco brake lever linkages. Decals were HO Microscale CB&Q. If anyone has any specific questions, please fire away!

[tonyk375]

Great looking locomotive.  I especially like the cover plate on the back of the tender where # 70's tender was split in half and widened.

So great to see models of this Black Hills Loco.

[Mike Trent]

Very nice, Bill. Thanks for the additional pics.

Those brake linkages are critical to bringing the locomotive down almost to the rail. They are a pain, but really convey the appearance of the engine moving through the dirt, just as it would have looked. The little extras really add up when you see the actual three dimensional aspect of a well built model such as this.

Nice job!

[South Park]

The way you keep the grass trimmed so evenly around all
those ties is amazing !  Must take HOURS !  

[D. W. Bassett]

Looks great as usual for you, Bill, but where the heck did you get that S scale cuckoo clock?  Have to say the post '27 wreck version has grown on me as I look over all the photos.  Still like the 1930 version with the headlight just ahead of the stack…best of the "modern" versions in my opinion.  If i ever make one of my C-21s a #537, that's probably what I'd do.

It's still basically a C-21, just with a change of costume…but amazing how different it looks from a "Dangerous & Rapidly Growing Worse" C-21!

[Keith Hayes]

Look what showed up at the Sn3 Symposium in Dallas!




It would be awesome if this beast could visit Leadville sometime: it is a great looking model!

[Bill Uffelman]

Very nice  - thanks for sharing.

Bill Uffelman

On Saturday, April 7, 2018, 4:36:28 PM EDT, Keith Hayes [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Look what showed up at the Sn3 Symposium in Dallas!




It would be awesome if this beast could visit Leadville sometime: it is a great looking model!

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[Mike Trent]

Oh man. Great model, but goofed up on the chain. Do not do this. In some pictures it looks decieving, but this is wrong. It is a single chain that loops through the holes in the extended coupler pocket. The chain should be in-line, not spread out like this. Not trying to be a know it all, but had to say it. Easy fix.

[Keith Hayes]

I think Dan also needs to fabricate a wood coal gate to place at the rear of the coal pile, along with a spare coal scoop lodged in the injector pipe and under the rail.

A hook over the handrail stancion in front of the cab or above the coal doors would complete the model. All the little South Park details that got them over the road!

[tonyk375]

Was thinking of making a 537 Just before its wreck and looking at the tender,  The pic in the Bulletin raises some questions about the shape of the tender. It almost appears to be a winged tender.

[Jan P. Rons]

 Hello from Arizona,
With all the recent interest in CB&Q #537. And seeing Bill's fine work, I got enthused about finishing my Sn3 537 project. It was started a number of years ago after seeing Mike's engine while attending a NG convention in Denver. The model spent years in my parts tray as I accumulated parts and gathered info. Much information has become available since I started working on it.
With the exception of a short punch list, the project is essentially finished. It still requires air honing and paint. I plan to get those tasks done soon.
Thanks and I hope you enjoy the pics
JP Rons

[Mike Trent]

Beautiful work, Jan. Fantastic.

I must sincerely thank you for the flattering comment regarding the appearance of my #537 all those years ago. I believe that was 1984! So this project has been underway for a very long time. And from what I can see, it has been well worth the wait.

Goes to show that your model building skills are on a par with your beautiful artwork. Any plans to feature #537 in two dimensions in the future?

[nedsn3]

Beautiful models all and very inspiring. I can't afford a PBL C21 to cut up but do have a PFM K-27 that I wouldn't mind using to furnish the chassis. I wonder how that might work?