Mende's Masterpiece

"MENDE'S MASTERPIECE"

Following a plan for an 0-4-0 steam locomotive printed in the Nov. 1962 issue of Model Railroader, Micro-Mark customer Alan Mende fabricated the boiler, cab, and side tanks for his HO scale model from .010 brass sheet and detailed them using an arbor press and rivet simulator. The stack and domes were turned from round brass rod, and the frame is constructed from brass channel. A resistance soldering unit was used for most of the assembly work. Alan's excellent building technique and attention to detail certainly paid off, as this incredible model won a 1st place award at a regional NMRA model contest, scoring 116 out of a possible 125 points.		Late Winter 2011


Mende's Masterpiece

About the prototype

Alan's model is a 1:87 replica of Jersey Central no. 840, a steam powered switcher that was in service at least through the 1940s. When this model appeared on the cover of the Late Winter 2011 Micro-Mark catalog, another Micro-Mark customer -- Alan E. Gruening of Arizona -- sent us pictures he had taken in the late '40s of the actual locomotive. Mr. Gruening says that he rode the railroad all the time when he was living in New Jersey, and that locomotive no. 840 was a favorite of his. You can see from these great vintage photographs that Alan Mende really did his homework, capturing the very essense of this diminuative locomotive's every detail in miniature.


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