Static to Motive conversion - suggestions?

[Anonymous]

I'm Dave, and I'm a modelbuilder. Nice to meet you.

Was considering trying to convert the Minicraft Stephenson "Rocket" to a light hauler. Was figuring easiest to go battery power and R/C, but if anybody has any reccommendations, I'd appreciate them. Note that this is not to be a protypical build - I'm more in the AWNUTS vein.

A little background: I started my original GNOme-gauge project several years ago, after a modelbuilding and model railroading buddy showed me sketches he'd done of a similar project he'd planned to build someday. Although he'd planned to use HOn3 mechanisms to build his, I grabbed an inexpensive Bachman N-gauge Porter and got to work.

It featured several S, O, and HO-based details, and some scratchbuilding. The idea behind GNOme-gauge was that it was made from all those model RR pieces and parts that disappear from the top of the worktable when you're not looking. A fried Sagami can motor and the death of my friend put that project back in the box for many years. The other day, I won the Minicraft Rocket in a club raffle, and it got me thinking about building a similar layout, but one that would really run in the garden...

..which brings me to thoughts of motorizing it, and adding all kinds of whimsical gizmology.

Dave

[Anonymous]

I love it!! Fantastic job, and a great imagination! I just wish I had the imagination and creativity of people like you, Chris Walas, and others. It's a real joy to see your work.

An idea for a car for that loco. Since that looks kinda like a troll driving the loco, build a flatcar with a small bridge on it. The story behind it could be that the troll ran out of children to eat where his bridge was, so now he is searching for a place to put his bridge, where there are more children to eat.[:o)][:D]

[vsmith]

Hi Dave Great model! Sounds like something right up Chris's alley alright!

He's active on www.mylargescale.com,

I tried this, i was going to power the tender but didnt finish it and used the parts for other things

Hartland sells a drive motor thats perfect for the Rockets drivers, Its what we are using for the mylargescale Masterclass where we are building the CP Huntington a 4-2-4,
go to the site, look under articles, then masterclass, then CPH, Chapter 1 you'll have to read thru a bit before the drive is shown but if you contact Hartland direct, and just say you want the drive for the CPH class, they'll know what you mean.

[Rastun]

Dave,

After taking a look at a picture of the model, it's going to be a bit rough to power this thing. My thoughts would be look for and old "Stompers" drive unit and mount it under the tender. That is if the wheel bas on the stomper is right. Other than that I would look for something that has the correct wheel base for the little tender and go from that. it doesn't look like there would be any real good way to power the loco itself without taking away from the looks of it to much.

Hope that gives you some ideas.
Jack

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info - I'll check out those motors. I'm not afraid to do some scratchbuilding.

I'll post again in a little while with some sketches I did for the original layout/rolling stock, one of which was a big troll, pushing a gondola. The car would be on a power truck, and the troll would be wearing a long apron, which would conceal the fact that his "legs" were actually three feet that nearly touch toe-to heel, and roll along between the rails. A similarly-built abominable snowman would be a good one to bring out around the holidays.

I plan to build the "Rocket" in a less floral, cluged-up manner, and crew it with miner-helmeted dwarves, using it to haul ore hoppers full of gold and gems, and a caboose featuring a ballista (big crossbow) to defend their cargo. The rocket will feature lots of oversized rivets and bolts, and a baby dragon to fire the boiler.

John Watson, my friend who inspired all this madness originally, was a contributor to Fine Scale Modeler and model RR magazines, and when he wasn't building HOn3 trains or plastic scale models, worked as a sculptor of collectable miniatures professionally. It is to his memory, and my continuing friendship with his son, a prolific fantasy artist, that I dedicate these builds.

Dave McG.

[Anonymous]

I found more pics of "Funk&Faerie No.1"... if anybody wants to put a new motor in this little bugger and continue the project, I'd be glad to send you not only this engine, but a bunch of couplers and two and three bogey trucks I had to build rolling stock upon. I'm pretty well determined to re-start the project as a garden railway.




I had a nice, ornate brass steam dome that was painted and mylar-ed to match the stack, but gave it to somebody who couldn't find one like it locally, and needed it to complete an HOn3 project.
How small is it?


Some ideas I had for passenger cars:


Withthe truncated length of the rolling stock, I planned to make a very small "folded eight" layout and house it in a glass-topped coffee table in the front room:


I wonder if I could convert this model to a railcar...


Dave McG.

[vsmith]

Absolutely COOL!