Making a New Start
- Thread starter C&S
- Start date
The donor vehicle for the new RPO car arrived today - a Bachmann baggage car kit. The conversion will be inspired by Mik's "MOW ex-RPO" conversion, although work will not follow quite the same path owing to the slightly diffrerent ingredients. The first thing I've failed to take into account is the length of the baggage car's trucks, which is a problem as I need to shorten the vehicle's chassis. Luckily I was planning a trip to the Risborough model show this Saturday, so a side-trip to GRS looks highly likely.
My other thought was to use the baggage car underframe for a bogie caboose, but there's not enough swing behind the steps to have bogies close enough to the vehicle's end so as to use standard arch-bar trucks. I got this to work on the drover caboose, so know it can be done; I just may have to make another plywood floor/underframe for this vehicle. Just about all the materials for the body are in hand, just needing a little work to get them all to fit together.
My other thought was to use the baggage car underframe for a bogie caboose, but there's not enough swing behind the steps to have bogies close enough to the vehicle's end so as to use standard arch-bar trucks. I got this to work on the drover caboose, so know it can be done; I just may have to make another plywood floor/underframe for this vehicle. Just about all the materials for the body are in hand, just needing a little work to get them all to fit together.
If you're following Mik's general recipe and not having end balconies, you could shorten the coupler extensions and mount the trucks closer to the end of the car which would free up space in the middle (ie put the truck pivots in the same position relative to the ends of the body, and move the headstocks and couplers in by the length of the balcony).
J.
J.
C&S said:
JonathanJ said:
Quite right, Jonathan, that's probably the way to go. I haven't had time for more than a preliminary look at the parts to date. Because the long shank on the coupler extension is slightly tapered I'll need to be quite sure I can mount the coupler on the shorter shank while keeping it at the correct height. There's a chopped-off shank in the spares box, so there'll be something to practise on if necessary.
Had a few brief moments working on the railroad over the week-end........loco #4 has begun to get its new look. The cab's had side doors cut out and I've made a start with "metal" plates on the cab-side. Not quite sure if the effect's what I wanted; it may change to match-boarding, courtesy of some coffee stirrers if I've got enough all the same width in stock. Other changes have involved putting a steam generator in place of the bell, which is now carried on a bracket on the front of the saddle tank. I thought I had an electric headlamp, but it seems to have vanished - think I may have sold it by accident.
The conversion work's coming along well - should be a photo here by the end of the day as I'm "home alone" so it's train time. At present the new paint coat is on but it's all a bit too much of a black hole. Must go over the smoke-box in mid grey and probably the cab roof in red-brown like the rest of the company's locos. Then a bit of rust and weathering.
Getting there - as usual a photo shows up things not apparent to the naked eye - or at least to mine without glasses. Had to make the whistle from a piece of carved sprue on a scrap of brass tube. Still to add: some cab steps and the loco crew, plus coal in the bunker. And weathering.
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Many thanks, guys. Spent a bit more time today and thought I'd finished the painting, but there's still a trace of red showing round the wheels and in other crannies. Still it does now look like a loco that works in the real world and not in a theme park
Clyde and Ned are glad to get their engine back - they'd been getting bored doing odd jobs round the workshops.
Clyde and Ned are glad to get their engine back - they'd been getting bored doing odd jobs round the workshops.
Looking for something else I came across the electric headlamp I had in mind for #4. It's a bit larger than I remembered, but might be made to fit if I trim the base and come up with a new mounting bracket - should then be possible to use the cable and bulb off the present "oil" headlamp.
steven large
USA G SCALES OF 30 TO 50S THEMES.ASLO KIT BASHING
hi mate so loves yr layout so b the way i have been post a new thread on sale for sellin my own kit and scatchbuiltin a small mack switcher..so it mite suit yr layout....wink,,,,
have a look at my sale thread.cheers.ASLO loves yr idea on layout...it brillant.warm indoor!!
have a look at my sale thread.cheers.ASLO loves yr idea on layout...it brillant.warm indoor!!
steven large said:
Steven,
Many thanks for your kind words; have to say in the current weather it's nice to be able to run trains no matter if rain is streaming down the windows. Also thanks for the offer of ther Mack for sale. Afraid I'll have to pass on it, though - already have more locos than the layout has room for, and my modelling funds are low at present.
Today was the C&S's Annual Stockholders' Meeting so all the locomotives were brought down to Cattewater for inspection.
The layout is now virtually complete - the only outstanding projects being to shorten Reefer #10 and build the RPO car. With a load of work looming round the house and garden these look like getting postponed until later in the year, so things on this thread will probably get a bit quiet for a while.
The layout is now virtually complete - the only outstanding projects being to shorten Reefer #10 and build the RPO car. With a load of work looming round the house and garden these look like getting postponed until later in the year, so things on this thread will probably get a bit quiet for a while.