I've yet to find a company that makes a Budd SPV-2000. I'm guessing since it isn't a popular unit, ever. I tried bashing a Bachmann Amfleet shell on a Proto 1000 chassis, but it doesn't sit right and that still leaves the ends and radiator hump to do. There is a fellow on Shapeways who makes the radiator hump, but what would you use as a chassis? I was thinking a Metroliner chassis with an Amfleet shell, but that would mean Walthers for good quality and that means expensive. And I still wouldn't have a proper cab. Any suggestions on putting together a nice Budd SPV-2000 that could be equipped with DCC?
Got my hands on a Bachmann Metroliner to experiment. Cab is glued or molded to the shell, which makes things difficult since the Metroliner pantograph is molded on as well. The Bachmann Metroliner drive unit is crap. Of course the Metroliner cab is different than the SPV-2000 cab, but it was a thought. If it had worked I would have bashed together a fictional three car Budd DMU.
The car looks like a powered Amfleet I car, since it has two vestibules. This picture I found shows the cab has a seam or weld line around the edge. You could take an amfleet shell and simply put two "cab caps" on the ends, and skip the metroliner shell modification. You would still need to extend the step wells lower, but the amfleet has the same gap where the vent is in between the middle two windows in the SPV, so that problem is solved. The SPV also has inside bearing trucks like the amfleet, (based on this picture) so if you could find a way to power an amfleet truck... (NWSL flea or Stanton?)
I got to play with one of the new Kato P42 locomotives that have the powered trucks. Definitely a nice unit, very smooth running. Of course, not a prototypical truck design.
It might be hard trying to find 36" powered axles, since most locomotives had 40 or greater inch diameter wheels. I think a powered truck would be best, instead of a central can motor. That way, the interior stays open.
Getting creative again. Proto 1000 powered chassis, so it'll have diesel under bits. Trucks won't be accurate and wheels will most likely be off for the prototype, but I found an Amfleet shell (not sure of manufacturer) that fits well nigh perfectly on the chassis. I went ahead and ordered the SPV-2000 radiator hump from Shapeways (my first buying experience with that website) so we'll see how it goes. The same fellow is going to be designing the cab ends in the future, supposedly, but in the meantime I'll try and sort out the chassis and body.
Having said that, I just got an update that it was being put way on the back burner. So no easy cab end part to glue on. In the meantime though, body on chassis and moving around under power.
You could try to take off the side frames off the RDC truck to represent the open wheel truck? Too bad the Amfleet (looks like Bachmann) doesn't have any truck detail to replace it with. The SPV looks like it has the same triangular part in front of the truck as the Amfleet. You could take that off and add it to the underframe of the RDC. I don't know what purpose it serves on the real train.
In this iteration I'm just going for general shape. I was honestly thinking of copying the Amtrak RDC style of cab and paint it red/white/blue panels on the end and paint a black cab window. Save the cutting for another day.