Got mine last week. This is *really* small oval, may up in the radii for a better diorama look. Run well, looks PRIME for a 2 truck switcher !!!! Repackaged the R046 to hold 2 straight tracks by removing the plastic part of the joiners and placing them in the horizontal bulge in the blow-mold. Need 2 axle freight. Maybe MOW type ?
Jeff, Thanks for the initial report - do you think it would be easy to split the shortie in two to use it to power a longer wheelbase train? Would love a close-up photo if you could manage that. Thanks, Carim
Dito here. I picked up a quote somewhere on a German N scale narrowgauge forum stating these dimensions of the R-shorty: "Chassis overall length 40.1 mm width 10.8 mm ale [axle?] spacing is 9.6 mm truck center spacing is 16.8 mm height above rail to top of motor in chassis is 15 mm back to back spacing of wheels is 6.2 mm height of bottom sill of chassis above rail head is 5.1 mm" Can anyone confirm this? Thanks, Matt
Thx for the drawing.! Would it be possible to remove the top cover to fit it in a switcher long hood?
OK, I got mine today, and they are tiny jewels. To give you an idea other than the small measurements, they are small enough to fit in a Z Scale bobber caboose. I think you could fit 2 of them under a Z Scale 60' gondola. These are SO project worty size wise. I took the power pickup truck off, and the truck has Kato caboose truck sized 4 wheel electrical pickup. Exquisite. The driving truck is also 4 wheel electrical pickup, small as an MTL 953 roller bearing truck, yet as functional an N Scale Kato F7 driving truck. The electrical wires soldered to the driving truck are solid single strand bell wire, and look like they could break easily, but if you have soldering skills, no problem. I'm ordering another half dozen to keep in my junk box for future projects. Remember Lajos Thek's tiny mechanism, or Searails tiny mechanism, well at 1/6 the cost, these are mechanically equivalent and electrically superior. It will fit in a switcher's long hood, and it would fit in under the calf of a Z Scale SW1200 Cow/Calf pair. Where's Chris Schmuck, Where's David K Smith? These are game changers!
I have tried my shortie under my Z scale SW1500 shell it 46foot in Z scale and the shortie is just what they say short. I would have to shorten my shell a bit. Inside space is 36 feet z scale. side are just 1/32inch short a little sand paper may do that problem! I wanted a walk way small but it's there! my shell has the holes for a push in style coupler. the shortie is about 30 feet long end to end without couplers. I designed the SW 1500 Cow and Calf and there both the same size.
Considering the wheel base, it seems to me that one should be looking at an ALCO S1 or S2 or an SW1, or an industrial switcher like: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2271461
Trucks are too close as is. You need to find a way to create more is space between the trucks. I understood only one is powered.
Clearly, only one truck is powered. You can see the horizontal axle which holds it to the chassis and it prolly has a gear through it. I'm also interested in the wheel size. Could be tough to extend the wheelbase, I don't think it's impossible.
New member. Have modified couple of projects to accept shorty.Hallmark ornament GG1 and Stony Smith streetcar. Both tested. Jerry
Changing the distance from center of truck to center of truck is possible you would have to cut the chassis in 2 using a very precise cut. Once cut a little reinforcing and a support to hold the end of the can motor in place would have to be fabricated. I think it would be better to cut the powered Chassis at the green line this would leave enough of the cross brace to better hold the motor in place. then sacrifice a non powered chassis and make a similar cut then you could graft the 2 half together to create whatever distance you want between the trucks the circuit board from the discarded half of the powered chassis could then be glued into the non powered unit to create power pickup or if your good with a soldering iron you could just solder wires to the tabs on the truck