Alco T6 - Anyone ever kitbash one?

[Anonymous]

I am a hard-core Norfolk & Western fan, and I'm up against this inevitable conclusion: the one diesel loco that MOST says NW is the Alco T6 "transfer" switcher. Yeah, I've done the high-nose thing to give myself a unique blend of road switchers, and my N-scale fleet really looks like the NW in 1970's, but I just gotta have me a T6. I am becoming obsessed.

From photos, it appears that an RS-11 shell can be sliced and diced together with an S2/S4 to achieve one. But, has anyone else ever tried to do this? In any scale? I know I make things harder for myself by going with N-scale, but hey, HO is just too big. Anyone have some experience with this?

[nfmisso]

It has been done in HO. I found a brass T6 on ebay awhile back for around $50-, the chassis is not very good, so it will be mounted on a P2K chassis.

Study photographs, and you will be able to figure out where to cut.

[Anonymous]

I've been studying photos, but I'd feel more comfortable with a model to work from. That said, I'm almost ready to go ahead and dive in; just need to secure an RS11 shell and an S4 chassis now! I will not sacrifice any of my operational RS11's for this project, on account of I love 'em too friggin much. Second only to high-nose RSD-15's in my book, which is why my fictional short line rosters a slew of 'em.

On a related note, I'm just finishing up my high-nose Century-420. DOES ANYBODY HAVE THOUGHTS ON HOW BEST TO REPOWER AN MRC N-SCALE C420? I don't think there are any Atlas/Kato chassis that are a match for wheelbase; the RS-11 is too short, though close, but again, I'm not giving up an '11.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: [i]On a related note, I'm just finishing up my high-nose Century-420. DOES ANYBODY HAVE THOUGHTS ON HOW BEST TO REPOWER AN MRC N-SCALE C420? I don't think there are any Atlas/Kato chassis that are a match for wheelbase; the RS-11 is too short, though close, but again, I'm not giving up an '11.

C424 or C425 - not sure who makes them in N scale.

[Anonymous]

The C424 and 425 do not have the same wheelbase as the C420, I already thought of that. These locos are a Life-Like product that I am anticipating, and maybe it will work to lengthen the frame of one of these, but I get dismayed at the thought of modifying basic chassis (I don't shy away from shell modifications, but a smooth-runner can be turned into a nightmare by someone with my lack of patience and dearth of tools!) I guess it depends on how the LL engines are made, as far as how much would be involved in adding a few extra feet.

[Anonymous]

Progress report:

I have begun on the T6 kitbash, and boy are my arms tired! (you all heard bah-dum followed by a cymbal right, to signify that I just told a joke? Oh come on, use some imagination!)

Seriously, I didn't realize at first how difficult this would be, in a physical sense. The Arnold S4 has a solid metal casting for its hood, which means in order to make changes I am having to slab off sections of hood where a shell would otherwise have been. Actually, it took me most of the evening just figuring out how to disassemble the unit! But it looks like it can work, although I won't end up with the right louvers and doors along the sides (replacing them would be ENTIRELY too much work). After about 90 minutes of wrist-taxing sawing, I have one of four necessary cuts completed. By this time next weeked I'll have an assembled T6... and a lot of blisters!

Also, my C420 is running fine for now, so I'm gonna let that one stew for a bit. Don't know if there is a Micro-Trains pilot conversion kit for this unit, but considering its long heritage, I would bet that there is.