Class A Climax building log-FINISHED

[vsmith]

Hi guys

I am starting a building log for my next project. Since Bachmann decided to make an off the wall model in for xmas 2005 and no other manufacturer is really doing anything for the poor largescaler. I'm building what I want from now on...A Class A Climax.

It will be built on a HLW gondola using the boiler from an LGB porter. I am working on two versions, one based on MDC Roundhouse's HO Climax model


and a more traditional Class A.


Heres the Gondola cut up..


the Porter boiler and tank


and both together



This is also being documented over on MLS.

Someone there already pointed out that the saddletank arraingment would make the loco unbalanced in reality, they are right. I cannot find a single engine that even resembles the MDC version, hence two mock ups. I also decided that unlike my last scratch/bash Dunkirk Shay...

I will not use Aristo 44ton power trucks. They just wont look right plus I would have to cut away a lot of the gondola undercarraige. So I will keep the original trucks and use NWSL super Magic Carpet drives, though it might take me a while to save up enough Green for them...

Finished the mockups last night and will post photos tonight hopefully..Later Vic

[toenailridgesl]

Nice start Vic. My Class A is here http://www.trainweb.org/toenailridge/climax.html

[Anonymous]

Vic, I got one of those Roundhouse Ho ones from my Dad in that lot, one truck came off somehow. Looking good! Very inovative model! The coolest thing about this is that I don't think a manufacture would build this making your idea unique[;)]

[vsmith]

As promised, the mockup, with some really lousy photos this time. Cant seam to find the right light level.Oh Well Onward and upward...

The MDC mockup version...





and the more traditional version...




Will try to get better shots the next time today something is just OFF! This is my 3rd attempt at getting good shots...[xx(]

Anyway I would accept any feedback but I'm leaning towards the more traditional type Climax. Whaddaya think?[:D]

[Anonymous]

I vote for the traditional[tup][tup]

[Anonymous]

I like the more traditional version too, Vic. The way it hunkers down looks good.

Let me tell you, if something like that were produced on a commercial basis in large scale, it would be a big hit.

Regards,
Bill C.
South Jersey

[vsmith]

Bill Thanks
I agree about a commercial version
I posted several replies over at MLS and on the Bachmann site basicly saying the same thing after the Spockmiester was announced. I am convinced that those of us doing narrow gauge are not being listened to by the manufacturing community.

Yes, I am going to do the Traditional Class A, There I've said it!

The water tank and drivetrain from the scapped Porter will be saved for a future Mallet Porter later on.

[Anonymous]

I just might give this a try, I will use Aristo Railbus power trucks and do the required undercarriage cutting.

[vsmith]

Gotta whole bunch of Ozark Miniatures stuff last weekend at the LHS, stuff they didnt even know they had. Also some new Trackside Details stuff, new stuff, really new and shiny stuff[:D] glad these two companies are back. Have sand dome and base, grab irons, couplers, and a ton of sheet styrene, plus a bunch of other stuff like throttles and reversing levers that I will use on the engine. I hope to get some work done on it this weekend , will post new pic's if I make any progress.

[vsmith]

Bump!

..and update!....Its Alive..again

Before we get hot and heavy into that CP Huntington Masterclass thingey over at that other website, I wanted to try and get some progress made on this project. Especially after getting hit over the head by the kitbashing gnomes and figuring out a way to make the sideframes of Aristo motorblocks look like Climax sideframes.



for the complete poop on the blocks..
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=35895

Anyway, now this one is going to get attention until my "kit of parts" for the CP Huntington arrives.

To date, the components of this, had set on my workbench mocking me. After discovering that NWSL drives are a pain in the a$$ to power and wire with my earlier Goose project I lost interest and waited for the muse to strike me agian. Well after the realization I could use HLW archbars and some bashing to make very reasonable looking frames for the AC block, it was off to the races again. I finished carving away all the remaining excess plastic from the gondola body and mounted the blocks, Iam now going to start on the cab construction, all styrene construction. Pics to follow

[vsmith]

Some progress pics as promised

[Anonymous]

Coming along nicely Vic! Is there anyway to get the body to sit a tad lower on the trucks? Looks a little high mainly from the front view though.

Looking forward to future installments!

[van buren s l]

Vic
If you want to consider Matt's suggestion there are probably two ways of going about it. One is to deepen the frame. If you take a peek at the Climax catalog photo back towards the beginning of the thread, you'll notice that the frame is a bit more substantial than the one on the gondola car. Maybe a plastic shape stuck along the bottom of the gondola frame would do the trick.
Another way to go about giving it a lower appearance would be to modify the motor block slightly. If you look at the block you will see two lugs poking out from each side of the block directly above the screw holes where you mounted the arch bar trucks. Saw these off and you can mount the block a bit higher and in a narrower opening. I used this method on my Baldwin-Westinghouse project and I was able to put the blocks into a pair of pretty narrow hoods. Just a couple of friendly suggestions. You won't lose any money ignoring them.
Keep smiling
Bob

[vsmith]

Thanks for the tips,[:D] I thought about that as i was building it, but I dont mind the higher riding trucks, they look OK on the Dunkirk so I'm not going to change them, still gotta put the 2cyl motor together before the CPH project gets started, that going to take some effort and I'd rather focus on finishing this up. More pics as i get the motor done.[8D]

[Anonymous]

Vic, Maybe I'm just seeing the black motor block sticking out because of the white body. I only noticed it from the front view and if the same configuration of a pilot is use on it as on your Dunkirk you wouldn't see it anyways.

Sorry for the critisism

[vsmith]

Some more pics, motor bashed together, not 100% prototypical but , like the engine, based on old pics it looks pretty good to me. I think I will reduce the steam pipe size as the big tube looks out of place.











[8D]

[Anonymous]

Vic, I think you've really outdone yourself on this one, your level of detail is
[tup][tup]!

[Anonymous]

Hi there, I am a new member, and I can see a 7/8 inch scale A class already. I live in Bulgaria now, hence my username. Hello there Phil Creer hows things.
Richard Feather

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by unclebulgaria

Hi there, I am a new member, and I can see a 7/8 inch scale A class already. I live in Bulgaria now, hence my username. Hello there Phil Creer hows things.
Richard Feather

[#welcome]to the forum, Uncle B, I think your our first former eastern block nation representative member. Neat!

Good bunch of people here, very helpfull, hope to see some of your projects soon.

Later Vic

[van buren s l]

Vic











Vic
What did you use for rivets? You certainly did a good job on them.
Bob

[vsmith]

Bob

Those are small brad nails, the smallest I could find, simply drilled a hole and put them in with a little smidge of AC glue. Tank came out nice but did a lousy job at the boiler base cause I wasnt paying attention. Works great where theres room for the nail to stick into otherwise I have to cut the heads off with just a bit of nail left to stick into the hole, it gets real tedious doing that....

[vsmith]

Quick update:
Power blocks wired together, with detachable plugs this time, even added headlights to this one!
Boiler screwed down, and tank screwed down, added remaining cab and chassis bits, added side steps and grab bars, added front and rear couplers and steps, all thats really left is some detail work to the motor, and building the removable roof, after that the bulk construction is complete then its painting and details, details, details.

Will add pics as soon as I can.

[vsmith]

pics as promised

[Anonymous]

vsmith
do you have it running ?? it looks real shape, what motor blocks are you useing??my guess is aristocraft. ben

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BennysRR

vsmith
do you have it running ?? it looks real shape, what motor blocks are you useing??my guess is aristocraft. ben

Ben , Yep, its running, check the earlier posts here for info on the blocks, they are Aristo centercab blocks with archbars from HLW fitted to them. Vic [8D]

[vsmith]

New pics with the roof on!

This is what I'm bringing to the BTS, unfinished so potential new kitbashers can get a look at how easy it can be done. i might add a few more details if time allows.[8D]






picked up a few hitchhikers...[:D]

[Anonymous]

"Get off me cheese!! "
Great job Vic.
If Gommit likes it ,it's a winner with me.

[vsmith]

Teaser Pic, basic painting completed. Weathering remains to be done.

[van buren s l]

Vic
Earlier in this thread you mentioned that you wired the power blocks together. Is there any advantage to doing so? I've built a couple of locomotives using the same Aristo block and I've just soldered the wires so that each block runs independently. It hasn't been a problem so far but if there is an advantage to your method I can always rewire the blocks. Don't keep me is suspense.
Bob

[vsmith]

Bob
The primary advantage is in multiple power pickup points that allow both blocks to continue running together as all 8 wheels are pulling power together. I have had trouble with these blocks independantly stalling on switch frogs, with both wired together, even if one block hits a stalling point where there's no power pickup, it will continue to recieve power from the second block and keep rolling, and visa versa.

If they were not wired together, one block would stall, leaving the other to shove it over the stalling point until it was picking up power again and then dragging the rear block over the stall. tying them together eliminates this.