HO Scale - What's On Your Workbench?

RDGbuff56 Nov 17, 2009

  1. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

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    EMD GP/DD35 demonstrators operated over the Frisco, don't know where but I would assume over some mainline trackage and heavy traffic locations. One can certainly see where Frisco got its O/W paint scheme from huh? A lot of Red though, it would have been better with a Black fuel tank IMHO :eek:
    This has been one the more challenging kitbash/scratch building projects I have done for a long time. Had to modify about every single aspect of the original frame, trucks to work with scale width hoods. Used 2 motors with ball bearing motor bearings and machined flywheels so I could use Hex drive lines on the trucks that work so much better than the original drive lines.
    2 Athearn RTR shells and a lot of styrene went into this DD35. Managed to re-gear the trucks so it will run with all my other stuff too. That was a head scratcher for a bit in itself. There are almost $30.00 worth of Brass stantions on this thing. DA air tanks, and Cannon parts went into this as well as many other parts. Used the ends from SD40-2 side frames to graft to the metal side frames on this DD35. Working on the GP35 that mates with it now. Micro-scale decals, MM Sunburst Orange paint. Now a dull coat and some weathering is next and a few more pictures.;);)
    All kinds of additions and modifications to this frame.
    Thanks for looking.

    001 (2).JPG
    003.JPG

    A chassis ready to pull.
    008 (5).JPG

    Now with some paint and decals.
    002 (6).JPG

    And now with the GP35 being accepted by the SL-SF crews for inspection and put into service.
    003 (2).JPG

    And now after a couple weeks in service.
    009 (2).JPG

    And with a couple other GP35s
    GPDD351.jpg
    Anyway.
     
  2. astrotrain

    astrotrain TrainBoard Member

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    Haha good one' I did not even think about that. I have a bunch of those for our Home Theater pop corn machine.
     
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  3. astrotrain

    astrotrain TrainBoard Member

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    Wow Excellent work on that EMD DD35. Never seen one before. Its huge. Great pics also. Will check out your youtube. Thanks
     
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  4. dalebaker

    dalebaker TrainBoard Member

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    Speaking of videos Tom, would love to see that DD35 in one!
     
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  5. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    That DD35 turned out great!!!! (y)
     
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  6. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Tom I think your from Texas Where everything is larger lol.

    Those unit's look great.
     
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  7. Chops

    Chops TrainBoard Member

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    The Triang, later Hornby, Sn3, scaled to look like OO, Rocket had a notoriously rotten little motor. After about 16 hours of use, the brushes
    toasted out in 1995, and I've been trying to get it going ever since.

    Drawing upon Bachmann's John Bull's tender drive, I endeavored to fit a vertical motor into a coach to make a coach driven type set and
    leave the locomotive to spin freely as a dummy.

    Taking an AHM 2 axle switcher chassis, I removed the sides and ends, as the wheel base was precisely aligned to the existing coach bogies.
    Removing the overly large motor, I planted a wormed Hornby replacement motor, one with a worm to increase the ratio of the drive for
    slower top speed. It is a discovery that the drive gear doesn't care what the ratio of the worm is, as long as it is in good contact.
    Everything went swimmingly until I discovered that I had misjudged the top of the motor's height by a few millimeters.
    Back to the drawing board.

    rocket repair 002.jpg
    rocket repair 2.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  8. Paul Coats

    Paul Coats TrainBoard Member

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    This is my latest, a transfer caboose, to be done SP. Components are:

    Athearn "blue box" undec 50' flatcar
    Athearn "blue box" undec bay window caboose
    Centralia bay window caboose - roof only.
    Shapeways 1:50 truck toolbox.

    Work to be done, repaint the ends and front / rear facing side panels of the bay window. Paint used was a MRH recommended mix of two Vallejo colors (4:1 orange and beige), which looks yellow instead of SP Daylight Orange. I'll repaint with the Vallejo Air 71.130 Orange Rust only, no Beige.

    I may add a welding gas bottle rack, welding machine, and a couple of fire extinguishers. Or maybe just leave it with the toolbox only.
    09.JPG 09.JPG 08a.jpg 13 SP Transfer Caboose in progress.JPG
     
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  9. WM183

    WM183 TrainBoard Member

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    Something completely different! Detailing a little GWR pannier tank locomotive!!

    [​IMG]
     
  10. WM183

    WM183 TrainBoard Member

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    Whoops!
     
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  11. Mr. Trainiac

    Mr. Trainiac TrainBoard Member

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    More like “what’s coming off your workbench”: I am just about finished with a Kibri Kalmar crane. This is the one distributed and boxed as a Walthers model, and can stack containers 3 high. The mast is about 1 scale foot too short to reach a fourth container:mad:. The current Kalmar cranes on their website can stack 5 containers. I did some research to find some prototype photos, and for anybody that is wondering, the actual model of the crane is a DC 42-1200, since Walthers and Kibri don’t specify it.

    I painted it with a spray paint can months ago and it has been sitting in my garage for about 6 months now. I decided to strip it and repaint it in Tamiya gloss orange. I’m much happier now. I’m waiting to decide how to decal it, so the windows and beacon are not installed since I still need to put on a clear coat after.

    When I stripped it, I decided to basically start over with new details. I added new axles, patched the huge gaps in the fenders, added a new exhaust stack. My crowning achievement for this model was the new steps and running board. The running board had a diamond plate pattern like the top deck has now, but the steps were just smooth. I cut off the running boards and step wells and made new ones out of styrene sheet and an old boxcar image.jpg image.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jun 29, 2019
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  12. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

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    Thats some great work there. I never realized those would lift a container 5 high, thats like 32-33' high. Thats a lot of weight pretty high up there.

    I just looked and I still have one of these new in the box.
     
  13. southernnscale

    southernnscale TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'm not a HO scaler right now! but I did go and buy one of the HO EMD 567 prime Movers from Walthers and use it to scale me a 1:220 scale one for load on heavy duty flat cars. They are 3D printed! just got them! Have Put the HO scale together just need to paint and finish.

    IMG_4864.JPG IMG_4869.JPG
     
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  14. southernnscale

    southernnscale TrainBoard Supporter

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    I didn't see the container crane I did one of those also in 1:220 but Made it for coils it's the taylor reach truck! but it has a working boom and goes three high! do you have any photo of the top I would like to try to make one in Z scale!

    IMG_4534.JPG IMG_4684.JPG
     
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  15. Chops

    Chops TrainBoard Member

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    I do like that Pannier. Is that a Dapol model? Love the engineer in his matching tie and cap!
     
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  16. southernnscale

    southernnscale TrainBoard Supporter

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  17. Chops

    Chops TrainBoard Member

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    3D printed, remarkable! And you did the painting, motoring, side rods, wheels??
     
  18. Mopac76

    Mopac76 New Member

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    Old Proto2000 made modern, new motor with hex flywheels, replaced the old brass wheels with NWSL nickle wheels and new gears, painted the cab and crew, installed a Tsunami2 with Current Keeper on a 3D printed mount with speaker housing.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    For something so pretty as that DD35, it is almost sad to have it weathered. But it is still gorgeous all the same.
     
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  20. WM183

    WM183 TrainBoard Member

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    The pannier is a Bachmann model (Bachmann UK are very high quality) and the figures are from Modelu, a UK company. They are 3d prints of scans of real people! I have added etched couplings as well, and will be adding etched number plates and real coal in the bunker shortly. This is a wonderful little model; GWR tank locomotives have a wonderful charm about them!
     

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