So. Hello, I am new here ; cause I got a boat for Christmas (lucky me). As you can see by my handle, I play trains mostly, live steam. Gauge 1, to be exact. I build and kit bash these models. But I do have a love for boats, so here I am.
Christmas brought me the Lackawanna since I just fell in love with it's lines. I really have not found it too hard to build except I find myself a little heavy handed; as I am more used to working in metal. I am at the point where I have just about completed the hull and will be starting on the superstructure. Here is my dilema: I would really like to steam power this tug and wondering if this would be a wise idea. The hull is vacumn formed plastic and so is a lot of the upper structure. I am already considering sheathing this area in brass and tossing the plastic away. If I figure out a way to funnel all my hot gases out the stacks (which will be brass!), I am hoping that it will hold up.
My question to you guys is am I being a bit foolish and will end up with a fused pile of boat at my first firing? Or should I just keep things electric and build a more substantial boat for steam?
Bob