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slugs. update

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slugs. update
Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 5:06 PM

has anybody done slug converstions?  especially alco's.  How did you get the curves?    Any avalible anywhere?  

 

Shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by Erie Lackawanna in Georgia on Thursday, August 11, 2022 8:57 PM

So first off - no I have not.   But I am interested in trying and bought an old Balldwin DRS 44 1500 at a train show a couple years back that I intend to convert to Erie Lackawanna B-66.   I have no idea why, but the switcher / slug combos always fasinated me and I would see the EL B-66 at Croxton virtually every time I'd railfan there in the 70s.

I saw a conversion article in one of the magazines (MR) some years back that showed the author using round stock to continue the radius of the original hood lines spliced into the gap once the cab was removed.  The roof and two sides were then blended into the round stock creating the filled area in the slug where the cab used to be.

Maybe one of the folks around here can point you towards the article, I can't.  Three kids ago I had a pretty decent memory but its long gone!

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, August 11, 2022 9:25 PM

Not an Alco, but Rapido is planning a GP9RM slug.

Also an article in the May 2012 issue on kitbashing a similar unit, which you could possibly use to bash an Alco.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, August 11, 2022 10:23 PM

NVSRR
has anybody done slug converstions?  especially alco's.

I found this one on Shapeways. It says it will fit on an Atlas RS-11 mechanism.

For less than $40.00, I would not ever try to do it myself.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by BEAUSABRE on Friday, August 12, 2022 3:34 AM

Erie Lackawanna in Georgia
I saw a conversion article in one of the magazines (MR) some years back that showed the author using round stock to continue the radius of the original hood lines spliced into the gap once the cab was removed.  The roof and two sides were then blended into the round stock creating the filled area in the slug where the cab used to be.

Think it would be easier to buy a junker - keep your eyes open at train shows and on E-Bay, tell your friends if they see one to buy it for you, etc - then take a chunk out of the hood and use that to fill in the gap where the cab once was. 

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Posted by jjdamnit on Monday, August 15, 2022 5:14 PM

Hello All,

I am a big fan of B-units, cow & calf sets, and slugs, although I don't currently have any slugs on my pike.

NVSRR
especially alco's.

Which Alco(s) in particular?

Using two (2) shells you could cut them in half and mate them together along a convenient seam.

That would produce more of a B-unit shell by eliminating the cab.

From my understanding, slugs are frames with traction motors, brake rigging, and no prime movers.

The traction motors get their power from the "master" unit, hence their low profile.

A slug body could be made from my above example by cutting off a portion of the lower shell to make it low profile.

Hope this helps.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by NVSRR on Sunday, August 21, 2022 8:48 PM

Two slugs .  Although the clear body is odd.   these were 3d shells trimmed down. Needs details next. turned out better than I hoped with the edges being straight. 

Shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by doctorwayne on Sunday, August 21, 2022 10:03 PM

Erie Lackawanna in Georgia

I saw a conversion article in one of the magazines (MR) some years back that showed the author using round stock to continue the radius of the original hood lines spliced into the gap once the cab was removed.  The roof and two sides were then blended into the round stock creating the filled area in the slug where the cab used to be.

Evergreen offers quarter-round strip styrene, in a variety of sizes - much easier than blending round-stock to create the shouldered hoods.

Wayne

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Posted by trwroute on Thursday, August 25, 2022 11:27 AM

I haven't done any Alco's, but slugs aren't that difficult to build.  Here are a few that I have done...

Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, August 25, 2022 1:17 PM

NVSRR
Turned out better than I hoped with the edges being straight. 

Those are looking great!

Awesome project.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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