CNR 4-6-2 J-4-e Pacific

On my way home to the farm today I caught some pictures of 5134 on its normal run to Regina pulling train 202. It has just come from the shop so it is looking good.

It is a Van Hobbies CNR J-4-e 4-2-6 Pacific. When I acquired this loco it was factory painted but the decals needed to be fixed so it got a new set. I also installed raised cab numbers. I installed a Soundtraxx Tsunami 750 medium steam decoder. I also installed a new flat can motor 2032D-9 with a 409-6 flywheel weight along with new universal shafts all from NWSL. While I had this open I installed an LED head and tender light. To determine what motor would fit, I made a clay mock-up of the motor sizes that NWSL had available. I also stuck a piece of rode styrene out of the front so I would know how and if it would fit with the new universals. I then put the shell back on to see if there was any marks in the clay. I used brass strip on the old motor base to help mount the new motor, then the motor openings were taped and it was set in silicone to hold it to the mount. The reason for taping was so that silicone could note get inside the motor. The new drive shaft and universals were added. I did not change the gear box because this loco ran very well. I did take it apart and clean and re-grease it.
I installed a 1.1" speaker in the tender. Before I installed the speaker I drew a template in Auto Cad and laid this on the floor of the tender and then drilled a pattern of professionally looking holes in the floor. I then air brushed some black to cover the bare brass from drilling the holes. I then used Soundtraxx double sided gasket to stick the speaker to the floor, because I did it this way there was no need for a speaker enclosure, the tender shell provides that. I am considering installing a high bass speaker in the future.
On this Loco I also installed the decoder in the tender. I make my own wire plug by cutting what I need from strip connectors. I will cover that in a different post. The connector is left inside the tender to make it neat. I never take the tender off the engine very often, but if I need to I just have to remove the shell on the tender. I filed a small notch on the bottom of the wall of the tender for the wires to pass through to the engine. I could not go through the floor because it would have interfered with the movement of the truck on the tender.  I painted the wires that run from the tender to the cab flat black so you hardly even notice them.
I still intend to make a new draw bar as the factory one is either to short or too long. I would also like to install chains from the tender to the trucks but I have not come up with a plan so that they are not too difficult to remove so you could work on the trucks if necessary and does not cause a short.