My new Hobbytown RSD-5 kit (final update with pics.)

[scubaterry]

They are working on the RS clutch. Not out yet and not sure when. I am working on a modification to allow me to mount a med oval speaker on the bottom of the RS frame in the fuel tank area. I will move the motor over a bit and run all the gearing and couplng from the top of the frame. A soundtraxx DSX decoder will just fit under the linkage.

This RS-3 will join the ranks of the NYC along with 2 Kato RS-2's and two Athean RS-3's. I really like the looks of the Older RS's.
Terry

[Darth Santa Fe]

Congratulations! Sounds like it's going well with yours so far. I hope you have as much fun building yours as I did building mine.

I hope the clutch works with it. The one on their website says it's only for the yard switcher chassis.

What railroad will you be painting it for?

[scubaterry]

Darth - Here you go. I got my RS-3 in the mail last week. I have 90% of it together. Basically dry fitted just to figure out where what goes. The directions and exploded view are very poor. however I have had great support from the Bear website. I'll post pics when I get that far. still have to go back and do more fine filing/smoothing. I'm going to try out their centrifical clutch. Seems like a nice add on.
Terry

[scubaterry]

Darth - Impressive loco. You did a great job turning that kit into a fine looking puller. I bet you could pull a Stump with that thing.
Terry

[scubaterry]

Darth - Impressive loco. You did a great job turning that kit into a fine looking puller. I bet you could pull a Stump with that thing.
Terry

[METRO]

Cheers Mate! My hat's offt to you, that is a beautiful locomotive. I've always thought that kits were much more personal than RTR, and with all the work you put into that, that's really your engine right there.

Well Done!
~METRO

[Darth Santa Fe]

Final update

Here are the pictures I promised.


Before

Now the "after" pictures.

Left side

Left front

Left rear

Front

Back

Right side

Roof detail

Close-up. Notice the small "F", which tells that this is the front of the engine.

Now for a summary of what I did.

I started by putting the mechanism together to make sure everything worked. Once it was working properly, I filed all the flash off the metal parts, and did a lot of filing on the trucks and frame for clearance. If the trucks don't have enough clearance, they'll touch the frame and cause a short. The mount for the main truck on the frame also has to be filed down so the small brass gear in the gear tower won't touch it and cause another short. Once all the flash was off, I gave it a coating of primer. After that was dry, I modified the coupler boxes to hold Kadee #8s. I'd suggest doing the couplers before doing any painting, so the paint isn't damaged. I also suggest using extended McHenry couplers instead, because they'll fit better with less modification. After that was done, I painted the whole thing black. Once the paint was dry, I put the decals on. When the decals were in place and mostly dry, I put Walthers Solvaset on them so they would sink into the details and bond to the paint. Make sure you let the Solvaset dry for about 20 minutes before touching the decals. I then soldered the handrails together by putting the soldering iron tip on the top of a stancion (post) with the bronze wire through it, and melted the solder into the hole to bond the stancion and wire. Then I painted the handrails and other parts that needed detail painting with a brush. Next came the Dull Cote, which I suggest doing in a very well ventilated area, like a garage. Then I put the mechanism back together, making sure everything was working right. After that was done, I put the shell, railings and couplers on, and it was done.Once the thing's built, you won't want to have to take it back apart. Believe me.

I hope you all enjoyed watching as I built this kit. It was a lot of fun for me, and a real challenge. I'd recommend Hobbytown kits like this to anyone wanting a good challenge.

[Darth Santa Fe]

Update #9

The RSD-5 is finally finished![:D] There are a couple yellow spots on the railings that need to be touched up a little, but other than that, it is now completely done.[:D][:D]

It's late for me right now, so I'll post detailed pictures tomorrow. After that, a review will be written.[:D][:D][:D]

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Darth - Yes I ordered directly from Bowser. I couldn't find anyone else that sold them....The website says anything lableled back ordered would only take 10-12 workdays to get it from the remote warehouse. HMMMM not sure where the warehouse is but it has been three weeks and they don't really know when it will be here. Got plenty to do anyway.

How about when you have it finished and you take pics give some closeups of the hand rails and maybe a quick "How I did it" blurb. You said the standard glue didn't work and you had to solder it?

Hmmm, maybe the molds are being fixed or something for it to take that long. Standard Hobby sells Bowser kits at 20% off, but I didn't have the best experience trying to do business with them online. Good thing you have something to keep you occupied while you wait.[:D]

I'll be sure to take some good pictures of it when it's done, and give a quick summary of how I did it.[:D] I may do a review later that covers everything else (running, detail, the usual).[:D]

The glue didn't work too well for me on the handrails. They're mounted differently then most, and the wire has to be cut, bent and straightened. They were pretty tricky, and I mostly did the soldering because I was about to start yelling at the glue.[:D] The soldering actually works very well, and doesn't show up much if done right.[:D]

[scubaterry]

Darth - Yes I ordered directly from Bowser. I couldn't find anyone else that sold them. TW had a few odds and ends but no loco kits. The website says anything lableled back ordered would only take 10-12 workdays to get it from the remote warehouse. HMMMM not sure where the warehouse is but it has been three weeks and they don't really know when it will be here. Got plenty to do anyway. These are future projects to keep me busy.

How about when you have it finished and you take pics give some closeups of the hand rails and maybe a quick "How I did it" blurb. You said the standard glue didn't work and you had to solder it?
Terry

[Darth Santa Fe]

Update #8

The railings are now completely assembled and painted, and just about all the yellow and black detail paint is on. After that's finished, it should be ready for the final coating, and then I'll put it together and it'll be done![:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Darth - It's looking really good. I am going to order an RS-3 monday. Can't wait. Probably be buggin the heck out of you when I start assembling it. Still waiting on my Bowser Lite Mike. It's on backorder for an undetermined amount of time.

Thanks.[:D]

I saw on the Weather Channel this morning that there's some pretty bad flooding in New Jersey. I hope that doesn't affect how long it'll take for you to get the RS-3.

Bowser will hopefully finish a new batch of the Mikados soon. Did you order it directly from them?

[scubaterry]

Darth - It's looking really good. I am going to order an RS-3 monday. Can't wait. Probably be buggin the heck out of you when I start assembling it. Still waiting on my Bowser Lite Mike. It's on backorder for an undetermined amount of time.
Terry

[TomDiehl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cudaken

Darth SanteFe, while I only understand half of what I have read II have enjoyed this post. Looking forward to seeing the engine done.

As far as out pulling a E-6 2000, we will see. If you live half way close by may be a pull off would be called for.[:D] I would bring a powerd B just in case.[^]


Great post


Cuda Ken

My bet would be on the Hobbytown. And I'm not sure the powered B Unit would help you win. [:D]

[Darth Santa Fe]

Update #7

I now have the decals on permanently with Walthers Solvaset, which seems to work very well with Microscales.[:D] Microscale didn't include any really small numbers to fit the small numberboards on this engine, so I'll probably have to leave them blank.

I've also started building the railings, which are the hardest part so far. Superglue wouldn't hold them together, so I tried soldering. The soldering held them together real well, so I'm doing them all that way.[:D]

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Lets see some pictures of that puppy

OK.



As you can see, it's not assembled right now. I won't put it back together until it's decaled, has its detail paint, and is fully Dull Coted.

In the background, you can see my Testors airbrush and a spray can of primer. The airbrush is cheap, but it does a very nice job.

[Anonymous]

I have a hobbytown SD24 chassis I was going to assemble and put a highly reworked Con-Cor SD24 shell on. Thank goodness Atlas rescued me with their excellent HO SD24.

I may try to sell the hobbytown drive with SD24 shell on E-Bay

[scubaterry]

Lets see some pictures of that puppy[:D]
Terry[8D]

[Darth Santa Fe]

Update #6

The engine is now painted completely black, like the Penn Central prototypes.[:D] I've also modified it to hold Kadee #8 couplers, which are good, but I like the #5s and #58s better. The #8s are a good idea, because they can be put in places #5s and other couplers can't.[:D] The only problem is that the centering spring design isn't very strong, and might not completely center the coupler every time.

[cudaken]

Darth SanteFe, while I only understand half of what I have read II have enjoyed this post. Looking forward to seeing the engine done.

As far as out pulling a E-6 2000, we will see. If you live half way close by may be a pull off would be called for.[:D] I would bring a powerd B just in case.[^]


Great post


Cuda Ken

[Darth Santa Fe]

Update #5

The RSD-5 is now painted with gray Model Master primer. I had to take the mechanism out of the entire engine so I could paint the whole thing, and it's in pieces in the garage right now while I wait for it to dry. If the weather's OK tomorrow, I might get to painting it black. After that comes the decals, yellow detail paint, and then Dull Cote.[:D]

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

I know you are DC but do you think I would want to replace the stock motor with a HH or equivalent to knock the current down a bit? I would hate to fry a Tsunami.

Actually, the current motor is fine for DCC. My RSD-5 draws less than 0.15 amps running free, and doesn't even make it to an amp when it stalls.[:D] The motor is also low RPM (I think around 6,500 running free), so a HH motor might be a step down for running a Hobbytown diesel, causing it to possibly run faster than scale speeds with no improvements in current draw or smoothness.

[GN-Rick]

Darth, good for you. I admire old-fashioned craftsmanship. While I have had
no particular interest in the Hobbytown models (my time budget and patience
level won't allow it) I sertainly appreciate the challenge involved in successfully
completing one. Keep up the great work.

[scubaterry]

Darth thanks for the info. You are a veritible fountain of information. I know you are DC but do you think I would want to replace the stock motor with a HH or equivalent to knock the current down a bit? I would hate to fry a Tsunami.
Terry

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Darth - Got to ask. Any room for a speaker in that thing? Very impressive. I have been looking over the Hobbytown website for a day or so. I think I will be getting the RS-3 kit next week. Once we move this fall I will have several months before I can start on a layout so I am stockpiling. Should be getting my Bowser 2-8-2 this coming week. Then the Challenger . I should have plenty to do for quite a while. Thanks for sharing this project. I had no idea there were metal Diesel kits out there.
Terry

If you can move the motor closer to the flywheel, there might be some room in the front for a speaker.[:D] There are two bars coming down the inside middle of the long hood, so you'd have to either move the motor behind those, or just mill them out. You'd also have to replace the drive shaft with drive tubing to get the motor and flywheel closer together. Another option is bring it down to only one powered truck, leaving room in the fuel tank, but you probably won't want to do that.[:)] The motor has a stall current of less than 1 amp, so you might be able to use a Tsunami.[:D]

Looks like you're going to have a lot to keep you occupied for a while with 3 kits.[:D] Hope you have as much fun building them as I do.[:D]

Now that I think about it, you may not even need sound with the RS-3, unless the 12:1 gearing is quieter, or it quiets down from running.[:D] Mine almost sounds like a real engine running around the track.[:D]

[scubaterry]

Darth - Got to ask. Any room for a speaker in that thing? Very impressive. I have been looking over the Hobbytown website for a day or so. I think I will be getting the RS-3 kit next week. Once we move this fall I will have several months before I can start on a layout so I am stockpiling. Should be getting my Bowser 2-8-2 this coming week. Then the Challenger . I should have plenty to do for quite a while. Thanks for sharing this project. I had no idea there were metal Diesel kits out there.
Terry

[Darth Santa Fe]

Update #4

The filing and smoothing on the body is nearly done. There's just one spot on the top of the cab that needs a little more smoothing out. I also added the horns and brake wheel, but left the marker lights off, because Penn Central didn't use them on their RSDs. I'll try using them on the Challenger instead, because I lost one of the Challenger marker lights. I also painted the flywheel and flywheel supports black, so they won't stand out so much.

I made sure the gear mesh is properly adjusted, so it'll be broken in properly.

Still needs couplers. Are Kadee #8s a drop in fit?

Before:


After:

QUOTE: Originally posted by NYC56

This thread is very inspiring! As a HO Modeller and soon to be 1-1 scale rebuilder on an RS1, I have really enjoyed seeing your posts on this thread. I know I have the skills required to BUILD one of these kits, but my downfall will be in the painting of a kit like this. Are there any thoughts on this? Could I do it with spray cans and decals, or would it be better to try and borrow an Air Brush? Or use the excuse to BUY an air brush! LOL!

Sounds like you can have fun building the real thing and the model! I think I'll just stick with the models, though.

Spray cans work just as well as an airbrush, so you can use what you want, as long as you find the right colors. I'll be painting mine to look like Penn Central #6803, which was all black with yellow grab irons. I went with it because it's simple, and looks good enough for me.

QUOTE: Originally posted by jockellis

At the Great Train Store in Atlanta, we sometimes carried metal Mantua metal steamers. But you had to look quickly because they disappeared in a hurry! Then our brilliant management would replace them on the shelves with inexpensive, plastic steam locomotives. We could admire them at length because they sat there for a LONG time. .

You'd think they would learn that people still want metal kits. If Horizon hadn't stopped MDC from making their very popular kits, I might have bought one. I was always seeing those things go out of stock at Walthers because they sold so well.

QUOTE: Originally posted by bangert1

It looks like they are still single truck powered. How well does it pull compared to a Proto B truck model??

I'm pretty sure Hobbytown kits have always had both trucks powered. Maybe their oldest ones were single truck, but I'm not sure. This one has all wheel drive and weighs, I'd say, around 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, so it should pull as much or more than a Proto 4 axle diesel. And once the slick nickle plating wears off to reveal the brass, it should out-pull a Proto 6 axle diesel.

[Anonymous]

It looks like they are still single truck powered. How well does it pull compared to a Proto B truck model??

[jockellis]

G'day, Y'all,
At the Great Train Store in Atlanta, we sometimes carried metal Mantua metal steamers. But you had to look quickly because they disappeared in a hurry! Then our brilliant management would replace them on the shelves with inexpensive, plastic steam locomotives. We could admire them at length because they sat there for a LONG time. . I'm pretty sure people just looking at them couldn't tell they were metal or plastic, but they preferred to buy metal. I shared that with Keith at MDC and he found that "interesting." TGTS might still be in business if the buyer had bought MDC or Bowser metal instead of IHC plastic. I couldn't see that TGTS had any strategy other than to sell junk around the cash registers. If you sold 200 pieces oif candy you would get a bonus but if you sold an LGB mallet, you got nothing.
Sometime I want to build a Bowser K-11 with detail parts. Darth Santa Fe, I salute you on your endeavor. Bon chance!

[Anonymous]

Guys,

This thread is very inspiring! As a HO Modeller and soon to be 1-1 scale rebuilder on an RS1, I have really enjoyed seeing your posts on this thread. I know I have the skills required to BUILD one of these kits, but my downfall will be in the painting of a kit like this. Are there any thoughts on this? Could I do it with spray cans and decals, or would it be better to try and borrow an Air Brush? Or use the excuse to BUY an air brush! LOL!

Chris