My first real Kit-bash/prototype model

For all of the time that I have been in the hobby of model railroading I never really considered myself whats known as a "rivet-counter". For those who haven't heard about this term and to my knowledge it stand for someone that needs to create or model every detail on a model down to the last nut and bolt, or in this case rivet.  Now there is nothing wrong with this mentality and in fact some of the work that comes out of this mind set is outstanding and extremely realistic.  If you took a picture of the model you wouldn't be able to tell if it was a a photo of a toy or of the real thing. I guess that's just on of the many draws to this side of the hobby.

Anyways up till about the time I joined the friends I never really cared about this and for the most part i still feel this way.  For years I followed something i heard on a British model railroad DVD, "It's my railroad and I will do what I bloody like!" Most of my trains are ether off the shelf models or they are incorrect in some way, light passenger cars being too short, or character based trains ( Thomas, Hogwarts, etc.).  I only have 2 engines that are slightly weathered and I bought them second hand like that.

I think what changed my mind on the subject and want to give this rivet counting a try was my experience working with the FVRR. Even though I love trains I hadn't spent a lot of time near them or fully understanding how they work. Working in the shop on Wednesday nights on just about everything that rolls got me thinking, "How cool would it be to build HO scale models of this to run at home or at Masonicare?"

So I started looking at all of the rolling stock at the Valley and online for good to start down the path of super detail and kit-bashing. Should I start with a caboose? No to simple. A boxcar? No not unique enough for me to be motivated...........THAT'S IT!!! Something simple, easy, something wont take much time to build, and wont be to devastating if something gets messed up!!

Stupid me.....I picked the biggest steam engine the Valley has, SY Class Mikado 3025.........oh boy, what have I started........