Once upon a time I had aspirations to build an outdoor layout. I have 21 acers, and some terrain that would make an interesting challenge. I snagged a lot of my dad's surplus stuff when he abandoned his outdoor RR and build a shed with a layout using his collection of standard gauge tinplate. When my wife and I built the addition on the side of our 130 year old farmhouse, I got a lot more room for my HO RR, and the current DG, CC, & W RR was started.
I decided that the time to build and maintain an outdoor layout was something I was likely never to find, so when Tom started to plan to build in his yard I divested most of my horde, and after my Dad passed away, Some of the remaining stuff from my dad's collection found it's way to Tom as well.
So, when Tom got his Shay, I was able to secure the Cabbage stack that was provided with it as a spare part. One of the locomotives I retained was a Kalamazoo 4-4-0, which my dad had been playing with a radio control conversion for.
I'm studying it right now, and it will be a project, as it is an ugly duck. the domes are too skinny, the detail on the cab is cheap, and the whole thing is a little short.
I have an old plastic kit for a static model of the General, that I might be able to borrow from. I have seen pictures of an impressive locomotive that was built with that kit and a Kalamazoo 4-4-0.
this will be an axillary project for me, so I don't expect to do much quickly, but here are the first pieces