"Improving the Peter Pig Old West locomotive" Topic

Here is the link to my Whiskey Hills blog focused on building up an old west game:

whiskeyhills.blogspot.com

Or how I brought daylight to the resin.

Is that how the engines come? Or was that a miscast?

If you mean do they come cast with the blocky resin base – yes, that is how they come. The three I bought, some time apart, all came that way.

You did a good job on those. But wow, I can't believe the work needed to make those look decent.

Before anyone gets the wrong impression – I didn't put that effort into modifying the locomotives because Peter Pig's product is bad in any way. Very clearly, they are only creating a 'representational' model, not only in the locomotive but in the much foreshortened cars as well.

I've seen photos of painted versions of the unmodified locomotives and they work just fine. My motivation stems from also being a model railroader and knowing my models will be "in motion" in a game rather than just a static piece – and wanting them to show that "daylight". Peter Pig's version is rugged and durable, exactly what we want on the gaming table.

Not everyone will want to take the risk I did in making those changes because a slip of the hand could have ruined the piece.

I, for one, am ecstatic that we have this option available. Finding a western prototype TT scale model – the closest in the model railroad world – is hard enough and if lucky enough to find one it would cost many, many hundreds of dollars US and there is no way I'd put it on a gaming table. This model is a lot less than that, by orders of magnitude. And those Glencoe models, delighted though I am to have them, will be much more fragile than the Peter Pig ones; even after my modifications they remain very rugged.

And those working in the larger scales – I don't know what is out there but I do know some do you use model railroad products and I applaud there bravery in putting such delicate pieces on a gaming table.

Early morning writer, my hat is off to you for the excellent detailing work. I have the Peter Pig train for my Old West collection and did not have the imagination to undertake your modification work, but that said I will add that as they come, the Peter Pig trains actually paint up very nicely. Richard

Richard, you have no lack of imagination, that is certain. Just in this instance my modifications did not occur to you. Your Old West gallery with it's Peter Pig locomotive is what cemented the decision to buy these in the first place. So, credit to you, sir.