The D&RGW RR No 268

( The Bubble Bee)

Brass-Bands and Bumble-Bees

Colourful locomotives for the Narrow Gauge
© David Steer 2000


The finished model is posed with an official D&RGW RR colour portrait taken at Salida, Co. in 1952. To protect its finish, the model came with a coat of brass paint. The $159.95 price tag on the box is original and was a very good buy even in those days.

Black and dirty are two of the adjectives most often used for describing steam locomotives. In the last days of steam operations in North America, when their days were numbered, locomotives typically were very black and very dirty. It wasn't always that way. In the early days, before the invention of black paint and coal fuel, the locomotive builders went out of their way to decorate and trim their products in attractive colours.

The Denver & Rio Grande Western, also used a colourful scheme in its later days of narrow gauge steam operations. For the Chicago Railroad Fair in 1949, the tiny 1882 C-16 class consolidation number 268 was painted for exhibit and operation on the Cripple Creek & Tincup R.R. at the fair. After the show was over, the locomotive returned to its home on the branches radiating from Gunnison in Colorado where it remained in its yellow jacket until the line was scrapped after 1955. In addition to the C-16, one of the K-28 class Mikado locomotives (number 473) was also painted in this colour scheme. This was an attempt to rejuvenate the passenger service on the Rio Grande's Silverton branch, and the coaches on this line still retain these colours, although the locomotives quickly reverted to basic black. The K-28 was perhaps not quite so attractive as the C-16 and certainly not so well remembered. With its yellow jacket and black stripes the number 268 deservedly earned the title "Bumble-Bee".

Recently a friend asked me to finish an HOn3 C-16 model as a Bumble-Bee and I enjoyed the opportunity to paint a steam locomotive something other than black. The Bumble-Bee, with its 5 colours represents the most complex painting I have done. These photos and description outline how I finished the model. It is a pleasing model that looks attractive on the layout. While the details of this description relate to the individual C-16 model and its Bumble-Bee jacket, the general concepts and techniques can be applied to any brass model locomotive.

The C-16 model in HOn3
The Westside model of the C-16 number 268 was produced in Japan by Kodama-Shisakusho some years ago (1982) and is an example of some of the best of the Japanese builder's art. In my view, Kodama has produced some of the finest brass locomotives. This model is no exception. Although it does not include some of the etched surface details of the more recently produced models, it is quite nicely detailed with castings, well designed and well assembled. The original open frame motor filled the cab. The owner had earlier replaced this with a can motor that hid below the cab-windows and provided a more realistic scale speed. The motor's round shape extends to the rear of the cab and resembles the top of the fire-box/boiler of the prototype. The C-16 class locomotives were designed for the fireman to stand on the tender deck and shovel the coal into the firebox at the rear of the locomotive. This was not an easy job on the uneven narrow gauge track as the locomotive and tender were often moving in separate directions. Before the invention of automatic firebox doors, opening the door, throwing in the coal and closing the door while standing on the rocking tender deck took considerable skill and courage (especially in foul weather). Quite often, more coal ended up on the deck than in the firebox.

In its later years, the number 268 was equipped an air cylinder on the front deck to operate a flanger on the pilot truck. During the snow season (which is almost anytime in Colorado high country), this cleared the space between the rails of snow, but of course needed to be raised at all switches (turnouts) and crossings where the space between the rails was blocked. The air-cylinder enabled the crew to do this automatically from inside the cab as they were traversing the line. Many other Colorado locomotives had similar arrangements in their later days with the operating cylinder mounted on the side running board. The pilot mounted operating cylinder was not included in the Westside model and I fabricated one to complete the Bumble-Bee model. I used an old tender brake cylinder from somewhere, some clevis castings from Tomalco, some brass strip and soldered together a representation of the cylinder and its operating levers. Actually I built three of these. The first two came out a bit big as I had no dimensions to work from. The third seemed to be the right size. It was a bit tricky soldering all the bits together without them coming apart, but by carefully working from the largest to the smallest pieces and using a bit of wet rag to absorb heat, it was done. Tiny bits of chain connected the levers with the cylinder. The cylinder/lever module was taped for a 1-mm screw and attached to the front decking. In the various prototype photos of 268, this cylinder appears as either black or silver. Apparently it changed colour when shopped or repaired.

In addition to the flanger cylinder, I also added D&RGW "electric" style classification lamps (castings from PIA) to the front of the smokebox as these resembled those used in the Bumble-Bee era. In the very last year of operation (1955) the locomotive was fitted with a gas-powered water pump on the rear of the tender. This was used to take water from the rivers when needed as many of the line-side tanks were not being maintained. I chose not to add this bit of detail to the model. The number 268 survived the end of the Rio Grande in the Black Canyon and now resides in somber black paint at the historical museum on the outskirts of Gunnison.

One of the secrets to good operation is good electrical pickup. The owner had added track slider pickup shoes to the locomotive frame and the tender trucks. I added extra wires to the tender to bypass the sliding joints at the truck bolsters. I also added a wire with a plug and socket for connection between the engine and tender. This plug and socket was made from two of the pins from a socket used for integrated circuits in electronics. Flexible wires are soldered to the two pins to make a pair and covered with some lengths of 1/16 heat shrink tubing. This removes the unreliable sliding engine-tender connection. The draw-bar connections supplied on the models work fine when they are new, but they tarnish after a while and so a wire is more reliable in the long run.

After this bit of detailing and wiring was completed, the model was ready for the painting process.

The Colours
The purpose of painting this locomotives was to show something other than just black. I developed the colour scheme from photos. Good colour photos are available for the Bumble-Bee as it lasted until the mid-1950's. One of these (the official D&RGW portrait) is shown as background for the accompanying model photos.

I developed the following scheme for the colours :
C-16 - Bumble-Bee
boiler jacket black
boiler bands brass
cab Rio-Grande Gold
domes Rio-Grande Gold
smoke box, stack silver
loco frame, firebox silver
cylinders silver/Rio-Grande Gold
bell - whistle brass
loco wheels silver
rods silver
cab interior green
cab roof Rio-Grande Gold(weathered)
pilot black
tender jacket Rio-Grande Gold
tender frame silver
tender trucks silver
tender top Rio-Grande Gold

For the Black, I used ScaleCoat number 10 Black.
For the Silver, I used ScaleCoat number 3 Graphite & Oil.
For the Rio Grande Gold, I used ScaleCoat number 39 D&RGW Old Freight Car Yellow.
For the Brass, I used either the polished brass of the model, or Floquil Brass paint.
For the green cab interior, I used Tamyia flat dark green.

The Process
For a finishing project where multiple colours are involved, I find the work is best divided into a number of steps. Doing the work in the proper order is the best way to assure that later steps do not affect earlier ones. Actually applying the paint is only a small part of the overall process. These steps include :

1. Disassembly;
2. Cleaning the model;
3. Masking boiler bands and other sections;
4. Painting subassemblies;
5. Re-assembly, getting it running again and installing lights;
6. Detail painting and touch up;
7. Lettering;
8. Removal of boiler band masking and clear overcoat finish;
9. Weathering;
10. Final details - window glazing, coal load and figures;


Wood scewers are used to hold the subassemblies during painitng.

1. Disassembly
When painting a multi-coloured model, I find it best to disassemble as much as possible. Painting parts as separate pieces minimizes the masking required and assures neat colour s eparation lines on re-assembly. Also, any mishaps can be corrected on the sub-assembly without the need to redo the whole model. While disassembly may seem like a lot of extra work, I find the soldering easier than the masking and painting and it results in a neater finish.

The boiler was stripped of appliances as much as possible. This included removing the domes, the generator and the bell. These would be re-installed later and affixed with screws or ACC cement. The air pumps had to be left in place as they were interconnected with too much piping to remove. One of the photos shows the boiler section in its stripped state. In this condition it looks more like a wreck than a new locomotive.

2. Cleaning
The most fundamental step in painting a brass model is cleaning. The surface needs to be clean with no dust or dirt to mar the detail, and it must also be free of grease and oils to assure good adhesion of the paint. After handling, repairs and re-detailing, the model will be covered in flux and tarnish from the soldering and the oils and cuttings from many busy fingers and tools. All this junk must be completely cleaned away to assure a fine finish.

Most imported brass models have a clear varnish applied to prevent the brass from tarnishing while the model is on the dealer's shelf and in your display case while you summon enough courage to paint it. Some models are covered with a layer of brass paint (as was this C-16 ). It is best to remove this and any underlying varnish for two main reasons. In the first instance, some parts will usually have broken off and will need re-attaching. Soldering these back on can't be done without thoroughly cleaning the brass for the solder to adhere. So, the clear varnish must be removed to enable the repair and modification work. In the second instance, one can't be sure that the varnish is uniformly applied or that it is not too thick and will obscure detail on the model. Removing the layer of varnish is the only way to assure a smooth, even, blemish-free paint application that does not hide the detail of the model. To remove the varnish, or paint coat, I use Scalecoat's paint remover, usually in an ultrasonic cleaner.

After the modification work and repairs, the model will be covered with flux and cuttings from the work. To clean this, I usually use a solvent designed for printed circuit boards. This dissolves the flux and leaves a clean, grease free surface. Sometimes, if the brass is heavily tarnished, I also use a chemical cleaner (such as Tarn-X®) to bring the brass back to a clean bright state. Dish washing liquid in water with the ultrasonic cleaner is another good way to clean a model that is not too dirty. Be careful when using water, however, as most household tap waters contain dissolved minerals which will leave a residue (water spots) if left to dry on the model. It is best to use distilled water (available in grocery shops in 2 litre jugs) for cleaning and to dry the model with an air blast or absorbent towels so that no water drops remain. However, be careful using towels for drying as these may leave lint on model (It is not a conclusive observation, but I find that the pleated paper towels with printed patterns seem to shed the least amount of lint when used for drying. Some industrial supply shops sell special low-lint paper towels used in the electronics industry (Kim-Wipes® is one brand) that are also useful for this wiping up.)

To complete the battle against dust, one must also be sure the spray painting area is dust free. I vacuum it carefully before staring each job just to be sure. Use an air blast, before starting to apply colour, to blow off any dust that may have settled on the model. Once the paint is applied, while the parts are still tacky with paint, keep them in the airflow of the spray exhaust booth as the moving air will help keep dust from settling on the surface.

Once cleaned, the model must be treated with care and never handled with bare hands because of oils from the skin may leave a residue on the model. Once they are cleaned, I also find it best to keep the various sub-assemblies in covered trays to prevent dust from settling on the surface. I use old plastic trays from frozen dinners. All this may seem like a lot of work, and it is, but good preparation is the most basic step to getting a fine finish on the model. For this model, I was about two and a half full days to complete the rebuilding and to clean and prepare the model for the painting.


A photo of the engineer's side. A coat of Floquil Polyscale satin finish has been applied to even the high gloss of the Scalecoat finish. Photos indicate that the cab roof was painted yellow, however, this very quickly became grey from the soot from the stack.

3. Brass Bands and Masking
The Bumble-Bee had brass boiler bands on the black jacket. There were also brass bands about the domes. While sometimes it is easiest to simulate these bands by adding strips of polished brass shim stock after the painting is completed, in this case, the bands had been etched into the boiler surface. As nothing simulates prototype polished brass like polished brass, the model bands were polished and then masked while the rest of the painting was completed. I used Brasso® with a Q-Tip® to polish the bands. This involves a bit of time and effort as it takes a while for the Brasso to work. The Brasso contains both a chemical and a polishing agent and, after application and polishing for a few minutes, all of the residue must be carefully wiped up. Also, be careful not to leave any lint from the Q-Tip. In this process, some of the boiler will also be polished too, but this doesn't matter. After the bands are polished and cleaned, they are masked with cellotape. (Very much later, after all the re-assembly is complete, the masking on the bands will be removed to reveal the gleaming brass bands.)

I use Scotch® magic transparent tape for masking. I keep a separate roll of this in a plastic bag to prevent dust accumulating on the edges and spoiling the mask lines. I apply the tape over the boiler bands in wide strips and trim to width in place by running a sharp X-Acto® knife along the edge of the band and removing the excess tape. This tape is also used for masking between colour coats.

Masking is the most tedious step in the whole process as it takes time to fit the tape around all the tiny details on the model. While sometimes a single large piece of tape can be used to form a long separation line, in most cases it is necessary to use many small pieces overlaid to mask around curved shapes and detail parts. The best advice here is to work with patience, to be sure the edges are well pressed in place and that every part is covered. To get neat separation lines and to prevent bleeding of the colour under the edges of the tape, some modelers like to seal the masking with a clear coat, or some of the same colour as the masked colour, sprayed lightly along the edges. I don't usually bother with this, although some of the water based acrylic paints benefit more from this extra step as they are prone to creeping under the tape than the traditional lacquers.

I find it best to mask the wheel treads to keep them clean while painting the centres. The Scotch® flexible plastic automobile striping tape in 1/8" width (number 471) is ideal for this as it can be stretched around the driver tread and the flange. Ordinary masking tape can be used to cover the inside bearings.


A photo of the completed model from the fireman's side. The weathering is complete and the cab roof is now a satisfying grey. Some evidence of road grime and mud is around the wheels and frame and the smoke-box and boiler top have a dusting of soot (grimy black).

4. Painting
Once the parts are clean and the masking completed, the various subassemblies can be painted. I have a paint booth in the basement that was constructed from a kit for a do-it-yourself stand for a microwave oven. The back of this was replaced with a sheet of plywood. On this was mounted a large blower attached to 5" ductwork to exhaust the air outside. Several layers of furnace air filters at the back of the booth catch extra spray. This arrangement provides enough exhaust airflow to deflect the paint stream if it is blown across the mouth of the painting area (when it stops doing this I know it is time to replace the filters). The booth is lined with aluminum foil which can be easily replaced to clean the accumulated over spray. A plastic turntable, also covered with foil for easy cleaning, provides a convenient means for turning the models while painting. Using the microwave-oven stand kit was about the same expense as purchasing new wood to make a similar unit and the assembly was a lot faster (and better looking too). I find the top convenient for placing painting tools, and the shelf and drawer are good for storing paints and bits and pieces of airbrush. For lighting I use the "Chroma-50" full spectrum fluorescent tubes to give a better colour balance than the traditional cool-white or daylight tubes. Without the full spectrum lighting, the paint takes on strange colours. I usually supplement this with several incandescent bulbs to have good light.

As can be seen in one of the photos, I usually mount each of the subassemblies on large toothpicks (bamboo cooking skewers from the grocery store). These form convenient handles during painting and they can be pierced into a scrap of foam board to hold them while the parts dry. I bought a box of medical rubber gloves at the drug store and use these to keep the paint and solvents off my hands. I also wear an industrial vapor respirator while operating the airbrush and mixing the paints.

I used Scalecoat paints suitably thinned (about 30% ) for colours. These dry to a high gloss finish that nicely displays the detail of the model. It is really too glossy for a finished model, but my view is that the prototype locomotives were always painted with gloss paints (as these provide the best weatherproof finish) and models should start out the same way before being weathered. I find this preferable to painting with flat paints and then weathering. Without the underlying gloss finish it is impossible to apply the weathering to duplicate the shadows and contrasts of clean and dirty spots that exist on the prototype locomotives. For the black, I used Scalecoat number 10 black. This is a very 'black', black. I feel it simulates the gloss black used on the prototype nicely, however, it is dark and some may prefer to use a somewhat lighter colour such as the Scalecoat number 1 locomotive black (this is a bit grey for my eyes) or the (almost black) number 6 Brunswick green.

The paint should be sprayed so the surface looks wet, but not so wet or thick that it runs. I apply two coats with about 48 hours of drying time between. Generally, I prefer to use two colour coats rather than using a primer coat followed by colour coats. This provides a robust finish and minimizes the chance of paint buildup obscuring the surface detail on the model.

5. Re-assembly
After the paint has set for 48 hours or more, the re-assembly of the model can begin. Sometimes, I have to leave a model to dry for a week or more while I do real work for a living.

One of the important tasks during re-assembly is to remove paint from all surfaces that need electrical contact. I mask most of these before painting, but they still need to be checked and cleaned during re-assembly. This is important to assure smooth, reliable operation.

With the electrical paths established, the mechanism can be reassembled and the headlight installed. In this model I used a standard "diode-drop" circuit in series with the motor to power the low voltage bulb in the headlight. Usually some tinkering with the mechanism and motor is required until the model runs satisfactorily again.

Some parts such as the bell and the brass handrails are attached with ACC, most others with screws. It usually takes me about one evening to re-assemble the pieces and get the model running smoothly again after painting.


This front view of the Bumble-Bee shows the scratch built flanger actuating cylinder. This was the third one Dave built as the first two were the wrong size. This detail is based on a brass HO scale brake cylinder with bits of brass strip. It is screwed to the deck plate. On this model, the cylinder is painted silver. Over the years, the cylinder on the prototype Bumble-Bee was painted either silver or black.

6. Detail Painting
The detail painting is what sets the model apart from a dark blob and emphasizes the many smaller details on the model. The air hoses were painted brown and many of the valve handles were painted brass with red centres. The crew elbow-rests on the cab windows were painted leather-brown. Tiny dabs of silver paint were applied to the mating surfaces of the air hose glad-hands and to the piston rods in the centre of the air pumps. These help to simulate moving metal surfaces and accent these details. Any shiny screw heads were painted to match the background and other out-of-scale artifacts are disguised. Usually, I paint all the screw heads except the ones that need be removed to disassemble the model to tinker with the mechanism. This makes it more obvious, years later when maintenance is required, which screws are the ones to undo. The detail painting is usually done by hand and I use the Tamyia acrylics for this as they are easy to control and the brush is easily cleaned between colours.

The Bumble-Bee had gold stripes around the top and bottom of the domes. To apply these, I used some gold paint and a draughtsman's split ruling pen. These pens can be adjusted to draw a line of various widths. I set it for about 0.75 mm and, after loading the paint, ran the pen around the dome using the ridges as a guide. This is best done in one smooth motion with minimal overlap at the ends in order to obtain a uniform line width. I find this a quick and easy way to apply stripes to models once you get the knack of using the pen. (The more modern, tubular draughting pens (like the RapidoGraph®) are not suitable for this task as the model paints are too thick for their fine points.) These stripes could alternatively be applied with water-slide transfers.

7. Lettering
I find dry transfers to be excellent for finishing models. The techniques required for their application are a bit different than wet transfers, but the final result is usually superior as there is no extra film on the surface of the model. Often the choice of dry or wet transfers is dictated more by the availability of a particular lettering style than anything else and I will use either to get the correct lettering on a model.

The important technique for applying the dry transfers is to position the transfer very carefully before starting the burnishing to affix the lettering to the model. The transfer is first cut from the main sheet into a piece of convenient size. This is then positioned on the model and the alignment checked with double pointed dividers. I usually measure from the top or bottom edge of the model to several points along the lettering line to be sure it is straight and level. The sheet is held in place with small pieces of cellotape and the positioning checked again. Once the position is verified, the burnishing can be done to transfer the lettering to the model. I use an HB medium blunt pencil as a burnishing tool and very carefully rub completely over all parts of each letter. After the burnishing is completed, the transfer paper is carefully removed while keeping a lookout for any bits that have failed to transfer. These can usually be repaired by replacing the transfer sheet and re-burnishing the stubborn area. After the transfer is complete, the plain backing sheet is placed over the lettering and a final burnish is done to set the transfer adhesive on the model.

The Bumble-Bee lettering is available from CDS Lettering as set number (HO-387) and this is what I used on this model. This set also includes lettering for the 268 as it appeared, named Montezuma, for the Cripple Creek and Tin Cup at the Chicago fair. Other fine water-slide transfer lettering for the Bumble-Bee is available from Thinfilm.

8. Final Finish
Once the lettering is complete, the model is ready for the final finish. Now is finally the time to remove the masking from the boiler bands. This needs to be done shortly before the overcoat is applied to minimize any possibility of the brass tarnishing while exposed to the air.

The desired degree of gloss for the model can be controlled with an appropriate clear overcoat. The Floquil Polyscale Satin and Gloss finishes provide a nice luster to the model and lighten the depth and intensity of the black. Usually, I find a mix of about half and half gives the right amount of gloss. I spray on the clear finish after thinning with Floquil's Polyscale thinner. This usually looks awful when wet on the model, but always dries to a nice clear finish. The acrylics, however, must be carefully cleaned from the airbrush after use otherwise they will leave a transparent coating that clogs operation.

9. Weathering
The details may be highlighted further with weathering. Usually just a very light spray with some dust, mud, grey and soot nicely highlights the detail in the model and brings out contrasts between clean and dirty parts of the locomotive. My techniques follow those described by Kelly Morris in the Model Railroader and the Narrow Gauge Gazette many years ago. Kelly demonstrated his painting technique at an NMRA meet in Vancouver some (many) years ago and the results were superb. I wish mine looked as good.

I find the Floquil Polyscale colours easy to use for weathering as they can be applied in very fine, light coats and they can be easily cleaned with water from the air-brush. Some dust and mud, shot from the underside around the wheels and frame simulates the accumulation of road grime and nicely highlights the underside details. When doing this it is important to rotate the wheels (I take the model over to the test-track and apply power) so that the weathering is applied behind the rods. Some grimy black and soot shot downwards from the top along the boiler, cab and tender deck simulates the accumulation of soot from the coal smoke. On the Bumble-Bee, there seemed to be an extra accumulation of soot on top of the smoke-box around the stack and the cab roof, and so these areas received more than a gentle application. Some (very little) rust can then also be applied around the firebox and underside of the smoke-box to add some colour to these areas. As the engine was generally well maintained in service, the purpose of this weathering is to simulate an accumulation of dirt, but not neglect.

10. Final details
The weathering is applied after all the painting and lettering is completed, but before the window glass is added to the cab. Otherwise the weathering spoils the appearance of the windows. Nothing simulates glass like real glass in a model. Plastic is not flat enough and doesn't have the same degree of sparkle. The cab window glass was cut from microscope slide covers using a carbide scriber ( I used a kit including slides and scriber from Berlyn). The windows are cut to size, positioned and then held in place with tiny dabs of white glue in the corners.

Now is also the time to and painted figures and a coal load. I have picked up a couple of lumps of coal from the narrow gauge country in Colorado during pilgrimages and so some of this was crushed and added to the model. (However, please don't tell the owner that his "authentic" Colorado coal load actually came from the Denver South Park & Pacific on Alpine Pass and not the Rio Grande near Gunnison.) I usually line the tender bunker with a bit of thin plastic film, load the coal, prodding it into a nice pile, then saturate it with diluted white glue. The plastic film keeps the glue from leaking out and spoiling the now finished model. This solidifies into a block, shaped to the bunker, that can be easily removed.

With these final details, the model Bumble-Bee is finally ready for service on the layout. Step back to 1954 and enjoy the miniature aroma of hard coal smoke, mountain air and the sound of steam locomotives shuffling cars in the high country.

This article appeared in the September, 2001 issue of the Railroad Model Craftsman magazine.


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