| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| littledave |
Posted - 02/29/2012 : 11:25:30 PM
While perusing my NGSL Gazettes I ran across articles written by Gordon North on On30 using HO mechanisms and scratch building and or kit bashing the rest from what was available in On3, at the time. My favorite was a motorcar (rail bus, doodlebug) using an Atlas Kato RS-3 diesel mechanism with scratch built styrene body and grant line doors and windows (Sep. Oct. 1986). As I studied this and several other articles from other people who had been inspired to build motor cars, it dawned on me that I had the materials to build one. I had bought two N&W RS-3s when I joined a Ho club. I also had an On30 Bachmann Wonderland Express set collecting dust. Hmmmm. The combine would make a great rail bus and a shortened passenger car to drag behind it. Great for a tourist line.
[img]http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/data/littledave/2012229232259_IMG_6883.JPG[img] |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| littledave |
Posted - 04/14/2012 : 01:33:24 AM
Hand rails,ventilators painted and back on. Some LP going for a ride.
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| littledave |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 11:17:54 PM
Some hand made detail parts (except bell)
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| andykins |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 04:25:01 AM
looks great dave! and you have reminded me to add pilot steps to my ever growing lists :D |
| desertdrover |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 10:47:45 PM
Looking good Dave. And yes, as you found, looking through Les' stuff you can find many good ideas for these types of builds. Including the perch to mount them on:-) |
| littledave |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 10:42:09 PM
I also took a 2x4 and cut it up on my band saw, and made a handy dandy jig to work off and photograph projects. Got the idea looking through Les’s threads.
A friend picked up some brass loco pilot steps from Wiseman. I took mig welding wire (.023) and made studs for steps and cow catcher. I also bent some bent up some for grab irons.
Working on the blue bus so that I can run it at the show On Sat. I am setting up with the Jacksonville modular group. At least 100 Feet main line. First Coast Model Railroad Society. More pictures.
Dave
Ocklawaha Valley |
| littledave |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 9:41:46 PM
I finally got the baggage door the right size, framed it out, squared the front and back, and glued it them together
In mocking up the front I extended the frame and added a piece of sheet plastic across the top. I sanded the seams smooth and primed it. From the side it looks like one piece, thicker, beefier, and longer frame. I worked in the pilot beam and spacers for the hood trying to get all the proportions just right. As luck would have it scrounging through parts boxes I found a cow catcher (what if) cut the section out under the coupler and glue the two halves together. Perfect.
I also found a 1/24 piece of brass etched diamond plate.
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| andykins |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 09:50:15 AM
still a brave thing to do :P im dredding fitting larger wheels a little bachmann ballast crame MOW thing chassis, even if it is easy, i just hate messing with chassis.
yup hindsight is a wonderful thing. most of my models ive thought "darn i could have done that" but then that idea of collecting power is a farily oldschool british modellers kit building idea, so i guess its always been back in my head somewhere collecting dust :) |
| littledave |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 09:36:11 AM
Andy, the chassis was not hard to do. The Gazette articles describe cutting and lengthening a chassis.
Sometimes I get wrapped up in a project and miss the obvious solution (pickups). (Hindsight is 20 20)
Geezer, still working on the final details.
Dave
Ocklawaha Valley
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| Geezer |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 07:19:37 AM
N ice work Dave....Judt drill a hole in front of the bell
(blue bus) and run the cord down to the cab and you have it!
Good engineering....The "cow catcher" is a good idea, I used a brass
one on my conversion. Good start on the other car.... |
| andykins |
Posted - 03/23/2012 : 05:18:49 AM
cool work with the chassis. brave man to rip apart a chassis :D
another thought on the front truck, although too late
you could have just make brass pick ups on the insulated side, just insulate it from the metal of the frame, and then gain power from the other sides truck frame. saves messing about with the wheel sets and making two picks up |
| littledave |
Posted - 03/22/2012 : 9:34:38 PM
The Atlas Kato RS 3s I have bought brand knew old stock in the box for as little as $20 + shp. off of e-bay. They run great.
Dave
Orlando,Fl.
Tug & Grunt RR |
| littledave |
Posted - 03/22/2012 : 9:26:30 PM
I pulled the decoder off my other RS 3 and put on here so I could run DCC. A word of advise when taking the original plastic plate off. Pry the wire out the clips to release the straps. They are hooked to brushes on the motor. The strap acts as cap to hold the spring and brush. Two designs. With one design it is easy to pull the cap off. You immediately have two problems: #1 the spring (about the size used on Ho couplers) launches into the Bermuda triangle, never to be seen or heard from again. #2 the three tabs that hold it on usually bend and do not like to clamp back on. Ask me how I know this.
As you can see the second design has a finger molded into the motor mount to prevent this from happening. But you don't know until you pull the plate off.
IT'S ALIVE !!! |
| littledave |
Posted - 03/22/2012 : 8:11:22 PM
In order to put pickups on the front truck I needed four insulated wheels. The Bachmann truck has two insulated and two that are not. I disassembled the two trucks, pressing the wheels off the axles, carefully, easy to bend axle and the non insulated wheels are hard to get off. I then pressed all insulated wheels back on. So I ended up with one truck with all insulated wheels.
I did a mock up and drew them up on a sheet of bronze and cut them out. I bent them up and installed them using the screws that held the trucks together.
Warning: I had to put a piece of electrical tape between the pickups and the frame to prevent a sort. Ask me how I know.
I test ran it useing the front and back pickups separately and front work much better. |
| milocomarty |
Posted - 03/22/2012 : 8:04:07 PM
I'll watch and learn, love these railbusses ! |
| littledave |
Posted - 03/22/2012 : 7:28:07 PM
The second busses wheel base being longer made things a little more complicated. I removed the motor to make it easier to work on. Because the motor block is going to be permanent in this bus, I cut one end off removing one set of drive trucks. I pulled the fly wheel of that end with the notch for the drive shaft.
With another motor this gives a whole drive unit for another rail vehicle
I marked the Bachmann frame, cut it out, and machined the inside frame rail down test fitting to check clearances and matching height with front Bachmann truck. With the clamps holding it together I was even able to do a test run. Ooh yeah.
I drilled holes in the corners of the metal frame, clamped it to the plastic frame, drilled the plastic and bolted them together using 0-80 bolts and nuts.
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