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Kitbashed locomotives

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  • Member since
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  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
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Posted by RR_Mel on Saturday, December 16, 2017 10:24 AM

railandsail

 

 

Marvelous work there Mel

Perhaps you would like to take shot at this.....:)


C&O H7

 

Sorry Brian, I’m a SP guy through and through.  Thanks for the good words on my AC-9.  I currently working on my fourth AC-9, taking more time on this one to improve the detail.
 
I kitbashed a couple of Y6Bs into AC-3s, they turned out pretty good but I don’t like them very much.  Just not my thing, they are way out of my era of the 50s.  The scratch built tenders did come out very nice.
 
 
As you can see from the dust it hasn’t been run in a long time.
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
  
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
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Posted by railandsail on Saturday, December 16, 2017 12:22 PM

RR_Mel
My second AC-9 was my first attempt at using dual Canon EN22 motors.  I had purchased an old Cab Forward at a local train show that had a cracked frame.  I took that on as another project and built a new frame from K&S brass.
 
 



I did a dual motor installation/experiment on an articulated Rivarossi a long time ago, but I can't remember the details, and likely I have no pictures,....pre computer days for me.

if I recall it ran rather well as I used identical motors,...pre DCC days (for me) also.
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Posted by railandsail on Sunday, December 17, 2017 7:21 AM

Kitbash Long Shark BP-20, and a B-unit for DL-109


Two Projects Utilizing
Proto 1K, DL-109 Locomotive frame/chassis




1) Creating a 'B-unit' or DL-110 for the SantaFe



There were several roads that had B-units for their DL-109 locomotives. I've chosen to model the Santa Fe one. I had to make a choice where I would cut the two shells such as to end up with a proper window placement, and a reasonable duplication in the roof details. I need to finish the diaphram on the one end and the coupler mount.

Then it needs to be painted and decals added.





2) Creating a 'plastic model' of the PRR, BP-20 Shark



I've always wanted one of these extra-long Sharks that PRR had...only ? of them as far as I know. So likely you will never see them modeled in plastic in a production manner.

The few attempts to provide a model for this BP20 never had a chassis of the proper wheel base. I've chosen the Proto DL 109 chassis. It has the proper trucks, and it has great weight and running qualities....even good speaker locations for a sound version. Had to do a bit of filing to get the shells to fit over the nose.
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Posted by railandsail on Sunday, December 17, 2017 7:25 AM

DL109/110 Project

Lets take this one up first since it is the easiest. Basically I had to get two DL109 shells so I could cut the front off of one and replace it with the tail of the other.

I did not desire to do horizontal cutting, nor individual roof segmenting, so I had to make a choice as to where to make the single cut and still preserve the closest possible spacing of the side windows. Here is my project so far.





Naturally this new 'b-unit' fits right onto the stock chassis. So both units will have power, and perhaps DCC and sound.

With the stock weight of these engines, the combination of the two should pull the walls down !!
Now I need to add a few more details including the door diaphragm, then paint and decal it. ...any good painting volunteers as I'm not well practiced


I took a LOT of care when I was cutting the shells to get them as 'square' as possible. And I cut them both just a wee bit long so I could then fine sand them down to as perfect a fit as I could get. It took time but I got a really good joint. It may be hard to tell that because of the two distinct colorings on the two shell pieces. I'm hoping a good painter can tell me how much 'filler' I need to add to the joint.

I was also being careful about the joints of the side body panels.


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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, December 17, 2017 8:18 AM

Brian, (railandsail) is there supposed to be pictures in your last two post?  I'm seeing nothing.

Sounds like an interesting project.

Mike

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Posted by railandsail on Sunday, December 17, 2017 9:37 PM

mbinsewi

Brian, (railandsail) is there supposed to be pictures in your last two post?  I'm seeing nothing.

Yes there are a number of photos that were included. I see them. Does anyone else not see them??

  • Member since
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 17, 2017 10:02 PM

Brian,

.

I cannot see the pictures either.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, December 17, 2017 10:09 PM

Well, just for the record, I'm using Windows 7 Professional, and Fire Fox as a browser, and not seeing any pictures.

The only pictures in your post(s) is the picture from RRMel, with the dual motors, that you added as a quote.  Huh?

Mike.

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Posted by railandsail on Monday, December 18, 2017 12:19 AM

Hmmm, I did a copy/paste thing there from another forum,...so perhaps thats the problem. I will correct it in the morning.

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Posted by GraniteRailroader on Monday, December 18, 2017 4:02 AM

It's because you linked to the photos from an outside website from where they are hosted. 

This is generally a frowned upon practice by the people who are hosting them - because you're using their bandwidth to post content from their site elsewhere.

The links to the photos aren't actually the photos themselves, but a reference to an ID number of the photo which is cross referenced in the forum database to the actual image file and location...

 

This space reserved for SpaceMouse's future presidential candidacy advertisements

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Posted by NormS on Monday, December 18, 2017 6:13 AM

Some models of rather rare protoypes

PPU #200 (still missing some decals), a Davenport switcher from 1938 - started as a GE 44T

GM&O #1900, the Ingalls' single venture in locomotive construction - started an Alco FA and an oldtime passenger car's roof

CB&Q's #9908, power of the early 'General Pershing Zephyr' - started as a passenger car

UP's M-23 rebuilt - started as a wooden passenger car

If this has sparked your interest - I have a some more unique models to show

Regards

Norman

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Posted by mlehman on Monday, December 18, 2017 6:51 AM

mlehman
Here's my Rio Grande SDL-39. SNIP... Still waiting on buying the air horns, because they were kinda more than I wanted to pay at the time.

Walthers got me the K5LA horns I needed and I stuck a set on the 3901 last night.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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Posted by railandsail on Monday, December 18, 2017 8:15 AM

GraniteRailroader

It's because you linked to the photos from an outside website from where they are hosted. 

This is generally a frowned upon practice by the people who are hosting them - because you're using their bandwidth to post content from their site elsewhere.

The links to the photos aren't actually the photos themselves, but a reference to an ID number of the photo which is cross referenced in the forum database to the actual image file and location...

I guess I am just not a computer wiz to understand this technology. Somewhat recently I had discovered this "copy image location" button, and used that often to duplicate photos on different forum discussions.

My thoughts were that it was already posted on a website so it would not be adding more bandwidth to the original posting site to just make a reference to it?

This forum encourages such action as it does NOT allow direct posting of photos itself,....which complicates matters.

I've always tried to edit my photos down to a small size for posting, having learned that from some boating sites that limited the width of photos posted to their site to 600-800 pixels width.

So what you are saying for posting photos on this forum, is that one needs to utilize a photo hosting site rather than using a photo of one's own that is posted somewhere else on the internet,....Oh joy, now we can end up with another Photobucket fiasco,...and render a WHOLE LOT of older, good knowledge, forum discussions obsolete.

That should put another nail in the coffin of model railroad forums, many of which seem to be declining in participation already.
...just my 2 cents

 

BTW how much bandwidth does the hosting forum sacrifice by providing .... "The links to the photos aren't actually the photos themselves, but a reference to an ID number of the photo"

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Posted by railandsail on Monday, December 18, 2017 8:23 AM

How is it that the photos in my posting continue to appear correctly whenever i review my posting, but don't appear visable to others? I would have been more observent of the problem had that occured to me.

I now have to think back about a good size number of my recent postings and wonder what might have been a similar problem with them????

Since everytime I revisted them, all appeared OK,...at least to me???

  • Member since
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Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, December 18, 2017 10:10 AM

railandsail

How is it that the photos in my posting continue to appear correctly whenever i review my posting, but don't appear visable to others? I would have been more observent of the problem had that occured to me.

I now have to think back about a good size number of my recent postings and wonder what might have been a similar problem with them????

Since everytime I revisted them, all appeared OK,...at least to me???

 

After the Photo Bucket thing I tried Google Photos.  I could see the pictures as well as others that have Google Accounts but no Google Account no pictures.  I now post from a page in my Blog.  I set up a page for just posting to this Forum.
 
 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
  
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
  • Member since
    February 2009
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Posted by railandsail on Monday, December 18, 2017 10:23 AM

Rather than disrupt thise very good subject thread any more with this discussion of posting pics, I figured I would go to another subject thread on this matter. I went to "How to Post Photos to the Forum",....but it would NOT allow any more postings,...locked or something,....frustrated

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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, December 18, 2017 11:27 AM

Great work Norman, I had to check out your blog.  I remember following your GM&O #1900 build in Diesel Detailer.

By the way, Welcome to the MRR forums!

Mike.

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Posted by mlehman on Monday, December 18, 2017 12:54 PM

railandsail
How is it that the photos in my posting continue to appear correctly whenever i review my posting, but don't appear visable to others? I would have been more observent of the problem had that occured to me.

The photos have either already been linked and cached on your machine or are possibly liknked to the originals on your machine. They work for you because of that.

When someone else tried them, the webste doesn't honor that request (for a variety of possible reasons), which is why others don't see what you're seeing.

Ain't computerz phun?Geeked

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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Posted by rrinker on Monday, December 18, 2017 5:35 PM

 The photos work for him because he is a member of that other forum and logged in. They theoretically would work for anyone if they went and joined that other forum where he posted them.

 For further explanation - if you post a photo on a forum running on server A, and then post a link to it on another forum running on server B - every time someone opens the message on server B it has to download the picture to that person from server A. Linking uses MORE bandwidth than posting individual copies on every forum you want to share in. That's why most forums prevent external linking, and some even prevent you from seeing pictures on the actual site without being a memeber - a non-member may read the text but the images won't display for them.

That Davenport is really neat- I always like oddball locos you don;t see around very often. 

                               --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by NWP SWP on Monday, December 18, 2017 6:01 PM

I am thinking about embarking on one of two kitbashes after the new year... One is a 4-8-8-4T with two tenders... the second and probably easier one is a centipede boxcab diesel styled like the NYC P-2 or T-2 electrics the wheel arrangement will be B-D-B+B-D-B I shall name my creation "Big John" it will have four motors! Mischief Maybe if it doesn't work I'll cut it in half and make "Little John" with a B-D-B wheel arrangement... I'll post a thread for the project when I begin.

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by railandsail on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 10:42 PM

I have not had time yet to make a new choice for a photo hosting site, but in the meantime I thought I would run another little experiment.

Can everybody see the photos posted below??
_______________________

These are a couple of more locos I plan on having in my stable. I was in the process of kitbashing them out of existing production locos rather than buying brass ones.

Two Projects Utilizing
Proto 1000, DL109 Chassis

 

 

1) Creating a 'B-unit' or DL-110 for the SantaFe

 

There were several roads that had B-units for their DL-109 locomotives. I've chosen to model the Santa Fe one. I had to make a choice where I would cut the two shells such as to end up with a proper window placement, and a reasonable duplication in the roof details. I need to finish the diaphram on the one end and the coupler mount.

Then it needs to be painted and decals added.
Can someone HELP me with this painting and decaling??

 


 

 

2) Creating a 'plastic model' of the PRR, BP-20 Shark

I've always wanted one of these extra-long Sharks that PRR had...only them as far as I know. So likely you will never see them modeled in plastic in a production manner. The few attempts to provide a model for this BP20 never had a chassis of the proper wheel base. I've chosen the Proto DL 109 chassis. It has the proper trucks, and it has great weight and running qualities....even good speaker locations for a sound version. Had to do a bit of filing to get the shells to fit over the nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
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Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 10:54 PM

Yep, I see'em.  5 images.  I clicked on them to see where they came.  Now I know where I've seen them before.

Looks like a cool project, and a good looking build. 

Did you ever hear of the Diesel Detailer?  Check it out sometime.  Although, they also require a photo hosting site.

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 6:21 AM

railandsail
Can everybody see the photos posted below??

.

I see them!

.

Great project. Glad you are able to share.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2009
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Posted by railandsail on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 6:46 AM

BP20 chassis

I determined that the 3 axle truck frames on the DL109 model chassis were the same as on the BP20, and that the nose of that chassis would fit up into the plastic shell of a normal PRR Shark without a lot of excess trimming (but some would be required).

I also determined that the wheel base of the BP20 was a little longer than the DL109. At the model size it works out to be a little less than 1/2 inches additional length needed. This nice robust cast metal frame of the stock DL109 needed to be extended a little less than 1/2 inch.

I've found what I think to be the perfect solution,....a 1/2 inch piece of square steel tubing at Home Depot. Two pieces of 'square tube' inserted between the two sections, either side of the cut frame, should act nice and firmly to rejoin the frame at that slightly longer length. At first I was worried about the loss of a certain dimension from just the width of the saw blade used to cut the frame in half. But now that I see the dimension needed in the final frame as a bit less than 1/2 inch, I believe things will work out using a normal hack-saw blade that will remove some extra metal for the full 1/2 spacer tube to fill and make a frame slight less than 1/2 inch longer.

I had to do some filing (quite a bit actually) on the cast metal frame to get reliefs I need to fit the 'Model Power' Shark shells to fit. So I've done that filing, and put together a 'temporary' demonstration BP20 shell to fit it. Here are some pics. I have not cut the frame and extended it yet, but I did make the 'drive shaft extension' I would need.

Some more photos here,...
http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?31120-Kitbash-Long-Shark-BP20-and-a-B-unit-for-DL-109&p=303580#post303580

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Posted by caldreamer on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 7:08 PM

I have completed three kitbashes.  The first is a Con Cor C636 which is actually a C430.  It came from my junk box.  I removed the damaged cab and installed a Bachmann GE safety cab.  It is now a BNSF C430W.  The second is an SD60 MAC.  I took an Atlas SD60M, removed the cab and battery boxes and installed a Kato four window SD70M cab.  Painted and lettered it in the special BN light green and white paint scheme.  I also converted an Atlas GP30 into a GP39-3 by removing and plating over the center fan.

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Posted by NormS on Friday, December 22, 2017 10:14 AM

@ Mike & Randy: thanks for the welcome and the nie comments

some more projects

RI 9006 - as the prototype it was made using a heavyweight car

RI late 601 - started as an ALCO FA

ATSF rebuilt #1 (bulldog) - started as a heavyweight coach

Regards

Norman

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Posted by Little Timmy on Thursday, November 22, 2018 6:44 PM

Well..... as long as this thread is back from the land of "Zombie's".

Here's my Alco SW- 425 road switcher.

I took an Alco C425 shell ( Im sorry, I dont remember the manufacturer.... possably Stewart ?) And added an Athern SW-7 cab.

The frame is from a Stewart AS-616 ( no picture of the frame .... I can't find it at the moment. )

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, November 22, 2018 7:01 PM

railandsail

 mbinsewi

Brian, (railandsail) is there supposed to be pictures in your last two post?  I'm seeing nothing.

 Yes there are a number of photos that were included. I see them. Does anyone else not see them??

 
I had no trouble at all seeing the pictures in the posts referred to in the quote.
 
If you're using pictures from photobucket, be aware that they're currently experiencing intermittent outages - when their site's down, the pictures linked from there won't show, but when the site comes back on-line, the pictures will re-appear.  My guess is that the new owners are making some adjustments, so I hope that things will get back to normal soon.
 
Wayne
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Posted by Mntrain on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 8:37 PM

Thought I would share two kitbash projects that I used a Mantua 2-6-6-2 as starting point

# 1            2-6-6-2 with a Lt pacific boiler

#2             2-6-8-0  with Hvy Mikado boiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noj4LmmeBDM&pp=sAQA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8SnzkZItlI&pp=sAQA

 

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Posted by mlehman on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 12:35 AM

Since this old thread has popped up, I'll add a link to my detailed build info on my NW2M that I posted recently.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/288953.aspx

This is the result:

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

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