Just a couple of quick progress pics to show - the compressor, air tank, generator, etc parts are painted and installed now, and also got the white floor edge stripe on the tender painted. I have gone back and am making the water piping, connecting up the tender tank, axle pump, hand pump, water return valve, check valves to the boiler. Mostly it is mass producing union nuts, nipples, and connectors, plus bending lots of tubing.... After that I'll probably tackle the drain cock assembly for the cylinders - that looks to be a lot of teensy parts! Then on to the oil lines/valves... This part of the build is all the little fiddly details behind the scenes. Also going to see about making up some small tools for the toolbox...
Next time that it is a little warmer/sunnier outside, I am going to take the loco outside and get some good pictures of it (we have regressed from spring back to wintry weather again, actually had some snow the last couple days!).
Yesterday the local raptor research organization had its annual public event (one of the bays here on the south shore of Lake Ontario is on the migration route for all sorts of hawks/eagles/etc), and I got to participate in the photo session with a collection of hawks, eagles, falcons, owls - took a ton of pictures, and at the end I got a chance to fly one of the hawks - last pic below is of that! Great experience!