Fig. 38 is a rear view of the foot-plate, and shows the necessary fittings you must either make or buy to complete the model. The cocks you can manage easily, but the water-gauge is beyond most amateurs’ skill to turn out satisfactorily. A is the furnace-door, B two gauge-taps, C starting lever-handle, D spring-balance safety-valve, F wind-guard (with two look-out hobs), G steam-whistle handle, H pressure-gauge, K steam-blast handle, M glass water-gauge, N the quadrant and-lever for reversing the engine, O the rear buffer beam (with buffers), P the wheels showing axle, R R the springs for same, and V is the safety-guard rail on either side.
When these fittings are made, holes must be drilled in rear-plate for each, and then firmly screwed in place with white-lead: and the glass tube in water-gauge and the stuffing-box in gland of starting-lever should be packed with tallow and cotton wick.
The entire engine can now have another coat of paint.
The smoke-box chimney and rear-plate should be black, and the body any colour, according to fancy, leaving the brass bands bright.
When lined and quite dry it should have a coat of the best hard, clear varnish, and again be allowed to dry thoroughly before using it, which by this time, I have no doubt, you are anxious to do. Whilst it is drying you will have time to make the lines for it. And you should get some square bar-iron, cut it into six-foot lengths, if you wish the lines to be portable, and drill a hole in each end half an inch deep. They then can be joined end to end by a wire, pin, or plug.
The lines must be kept at a proper distance apart by being secured to pieces of wood placed transversely underneath by screws passing through holes drilled in the rails at about every six inches. You can then lay them down end to end and form a long line. If you want a circular line, each section must be bent to a portion of a circle; one of about thirty feet diameter is suitable for this model.
When finished, place the locomotive on them and get up steam. Fill the boiler with water by means of a funnel until you see it rise up three parts of the way in the glass water-gauge. Then see that all taps are turned off and light the fire. Charcoal forms the best fuel to use, as it gives a clear, hot fire, without smoke.