It's a work in progress, runs well, just needs lights hooked up...
But first you have to have places to put lights, just getting to that sort of really fun stuff, etc.
But the general shape is evident, needs a lot of detail and paint.
I tend to have a lot of leftover Kato NW2 parts and I had an old laBelle kit for a FW&D narrowgauge coach, plus more stuff from the parts bin. And this is the result when they are applied to a lame Bachmann GE 70-tonner. A little imagination and it's getting intereing.
The basic mechanism.
Pilot is from Blackstone, NCE N13SRJ (IIRC) decoder, rear truck is from Central Valley.
What's your Thing?
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
This will be a Build post eventually, but for now, where the basics are.
The 70-tonner is detrucked, once, and the remaining driveline runs best you can make it. YMMV. The loco had an existing decoder, good enuf to build with.
I measured things up, wanting to make a car not too much longer than a typical Rio Grande parlor or business car, but self-propelled. This is an example of the Durango for an idea.
My choice of overhanging cab is likely extreme, so I 'm over that, it works for me and allows me to easily change out what's there. It could backdate to steam, do electric, whatever. I'm thinking it's got an appropriate sized genset inside and can be used to provide power in the events of emergencies or special evemts,
The hardest part of the project - and most dangerous (so don't try this at home without safety being the first consideration) - is cutting the 1" wide hard brass bar. You need to come up with some thing straight and not twisted when cutting and it's hard to do. And Dangerous if not done carefully. I used a Dremel and cut-off wheels. Gotta be an easier way, but it's straight enough to work...
Once it's attached, anyway. Here's the harness, taking advantage of a protrusion on the Bachmann casting. You can see the small brass pieces cut and shaped from rectangular tubing.
For testing, they're tight enough to work, but then are epozied once things are tuned up..
The ends of the long arms on the frame extension then slide into the place I made for them up front. This ciould obviously work for a standar gauge version, so if you need a railcar...
I also took advantage of the same location to add forward extensions to carry whatever I decided to build....I was still digging to find out what I had available. It's a build I've wanted to do for a long time, I just never got the right inspiration. All things in good time, I suppose.
mlehmanWhat's your Thing?
Hi Mel!!
I think your creation is beautiful! I eagerly anticipate its progress!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks, Dave, plenty to look forward to. I've got lots more pics of what I did, so could inspire a few to tear something down then build it back.
And I just got done improving it by filing the two front corners of the fan assembly I just fitted. It was causing the cab to pitch forward a tiny bit and now is pleasing.
Cool! What paint scheme will you use?
Simon
Mike, that is interesting! The long front is odd to me. But, there is a certain charm to it. Can't wait to see it painted!
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
This project appeals to my instincts, and I like it a lot.
Nice work. I look forward to the build thread and the final paint.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I'm tempted to have him look into doing a Beep-style conversion of a Baldwin switcher, putting a suitable genset engine up at the cab and cutting down the old carbody and baggage room to fit on the shorter frame-- maybe no more than 4-5' of baggage and express and just a few rows of the coach carbody... heck, an Oscar or Piker is nearly the perfect length, isn't it? Should have no problem pulling an old-coach trailer, too...
Or go the ATSF M-190 route with one of the small switchers as the 'articulated power car' part, and a suitable coach siamesed onto the back... one power truck should do it even without Westinghouse motors...
Thanks for the comments, fellows. I plan to retain the black and yellow end striping, but paint the rest in standard Pullman green.
In this pic, you see the NCE N13SRJ decoder I swapped in. The wood blocks at mid-frame help level and lock things in place.
I made a sub-base for the cab that nestles into the top of the pilot assemnley from Blackstone using wood and plastic. It slips into the bootom of the cab.
With cab in place, it was time to do some operational and clearance testing. I thought I had enough clearance under the plow, but I ended up needing some filing underneath its lip to let it clear a sharp grade transition at the Lime Creek trestle.
The venting under the front windows is made from Cannon RS-1403 EMD radiator screens. I also sized up the ride height of the carbody in relation to the cab and motor.
I also started laying out the rest of the sides. I used some Grandt combine baggage doors to provide access to the engine and allow for large items to be lopaded. In front, I used some Cannon FS-1301 Inertial filter screens. It looked pretty good with everything mocked up in place.
mlehman I plan to retain the black and yellow end striping, but paint the rest in standard Pullman green.
This strategy works well. I retained some of the Black/Silver zebra striping from my SANTA FE geeps when I repainted them into SGRR colors.
This is the only picture I have:
That is definitely a critter. And very plausable too. Something a low budget short line might do to save money. Looking forward to seeing it finished
Shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
trwroute Mike, that is interesting! The long front is odd to me. But, there is a certain charm to it. Can't wait to see it painted!
Chuck,
The front overhang was in part dictated by what parts I had on hand, but also by some engineering guesstimates. I think for the weight distribution to work out for the best in regards to tractive effort you want some overhang when only one truck is powered.
And here it is in paint, although it ended up black instead of dark green. While it is sopmewhat taller than other equipment due to the need to get a drive underneath, it still fits as believable when compared to other rolling stock like these stock cars at the Silverton stock yard.
In several respects, it's not quite what I had planned, but it's still a very satisfying build. The taller deck height led to the need for lower rear steps for boarding, so I provided some step extensions.
Hi Mike!
You have created a truly unique piece of equipment, and I think you have done so in the finest traditions of the many railways that built what they needed without consulting myriad design experts and know-it-alls! It looks great and it 'works' in terms of fulfilling its modelling purposes.
Cheers!!
NVSRR That is definitely a critter. And very plausable too. Something a low budget short line might do to save money. Looking forward to seeing it finished Shane
Shane,
Thanks for the kind comments. Yes, plausibility is exactly what I lean on in building fun stuff like this. I want it to be believable so I try to keep it real. I tend to think of it as inside the box thinking if the box was just a littlle bigger.
A couple of more pics of it substantially finished.
Thanks, Dave! That's high praise from someone who knows his critters.
I'm first tempted to say for a motor car, the clerestory roof part just looks wrong, who would do such a thing...but then again - Goose anyone? I think for any other railroad, unless a complete fantasy one, it would be out of place. But it's perfect for DRGW narrow gauge.
Overmod - you mean like the old Walthers Shuttle-Jack?
If you haven't got the whole dang floor
Build your layout on a two by four
To small radius lay your track
And add a Walthers Shuttle-Jack!
(no I didn't make that up, someone at Walthers (quite possibly old Bill himself) did, it's the caption to a cartoon in the 1957 catalog).
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerOvermod - you mean like the old Walthers Shuttle-Jack?
That seems to be more along the lines of an M-190 built for freight, as if you did in fact articulate an early boxcab with something... but a boxcar or express car rather than a full coach. Perhaps there were Shuttle-Jacks based on short combines -- that would certainly be a good solution for something that could haul a reasonable peddler consist or holiday trailers (albeit with a fuller crew) but still give reasonably low-cost service...
rrinker I'm first tempted to say for a motor car, the clerestory roof part just looks wrong, who would do such a thing...but then again - Goose anyone? I think for any other railroad, unless a complete fantasy one, it would be out of place. But it's perfect for DRGW narrow gauge.
Hey Randy,
Part of the backstory is that this is a modern doodlebug. This applies to the technology, but also to the regulatory environment. ThUs the need for a safer cab than on an old time wood-framed critter, although the BLE would like to see a side door, rather than the front door, marked as an emergency exit.
That also accounts for the frame and car body being steel, too. The Rio Grande did this on some coaches it built in the 1960s as the final narrowgauge passenger rolling stock. In part, this is to preserve the historical character of the remaining railroad line. That's exactly the reason for the celestory style roof, plus it draws on the existing range of shop skills, spare parts, tooling, etc.