Project to build an N Scale 80-ton Whitcombe

[Anonymous]

I know officially anounce this project to the world. All the research is compleated.

[Anonymous]

Quite sketchy on the details, but I'd like to see how this turns out--I'd like a critter or two for my railroad.

[Anonymous]

It is not a ‘critter’; it is an 80DE7b, 45 ft long center cab that had two engines of the same type as in GE 44 tonners. My model is slightly longer than 4 cm in length. I have thus far completed a fram of styrene and the frame from a couple Life-Like SW-12000s. Obviously, I shall not power it, as the trucks are too small for me personaly to add gears. If one of these was made profesionally, it probably would have the ability to be powered, but I cannae wrok that small. I hope to model Beaufort and Morehead's #85. Here is a link to a photo of the real thing:
www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_bmrr85.jpg

[Anonymous]

No offense intended, but I would use such a unit as a plant switcher instead of road power--hence the term critter.

[dknelson]

Several railroads used locomotives of this general sort although perhaps not this exactly prototype. The Rock Island used a "critter" sort of thing at Bureau Jct where the main split off between the lines to Peoria and Rock Island. 80 ton is pretty big. by the way there are some European and Japanese prototypes in N that are pretty similar.
Dave Nelson