Class A Climax building log-FINISHED

[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

[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!

[vsmith]

Some progress pics as promised

[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]

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.

[Anonymous]

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

[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 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

[Anonymous]

I vote for the traditional[tup][tup]

[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]

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[;)]

[toenailridgesl]

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

[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