Guys, I have been toying with the idea of making a ALCO C-415. Here is my dillema. Which chasis would one start with for this project? I was thinking the RS-3, but it might be a little too long. I know I will not be able to get the Hi-Adhesion trucks that my protype has but I will have to live with that. What are your thoughts for you kitbashers and Alco experts out there? Ryan
With a 37' 4" truck centers you would do better looking at an Atlas Dash8... here's a data sheet that might help... http://www.thedieselshop.us/DataC415.HTML
If you do Rock Island or Southern Pacific, you won't need hi-ad trucks. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/5233/3344.jpg
The trucks are not my worry. But the protype that I am planning on modeling does have the Hi-Ad trucks on it. I plan on building the Chehalis Western #684.
Here is a link to a shell I cast a few years ago. Sorry the pic is so small, I didn't save it in a larger size. The wheelbase for these is short. This one is sitting on an RS1 mech, but the mech should really be about 2 scale feet shorter. Maybe one of these days I will get back to it. C415 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
John, Is this shell something you would be willing to make another one or 2 of and make a few $$$ off of? I am definitely interested even if it 2 ft too long.
Hi I had a guy machine down a Life-Like FB-1 chassis for a future C-415 project. It has the right trucks for my project and can be thinned right down. Sadly he also removed the contact strips, so I'm going to have a problem to overcome. The FA-1/FB-1 wheelbase of 28' is spot on. Can't think of another N-scale chassis that would work as well. Good luck with your model. Cheers Steve Modelling NJ in NZ
The cab is the easy part! I was thinking if I was to do this project myself, I would need to get a RS 11 shell to get cast a portion of the ends by the headlights. Then you come into the other problem about the doors. Building the doors and then casting them and so on and so on. I think you get my point. The cab is easy. Just sheet stryene and cut it to fit. And I have TONS of stryene.
FA-1 huh? If you used the OLD Life-Like mechanism you would not have to turn down the chasis. I believe the old mechanism was a spring drive with weights on each end over the gear tower. This might be a better approach! :thumbs_up:
"The FA-1/FB-1 wheelbase of 28' is spot on." Despite what the spec sheet says it would have to be considerably shorter... there's no way you could have such a wide spacing for the engine. As far as a chassis goes what about the Atlas VO1000? It should have the 28' truck center spacing... and the MP15DC might as well, though the height of these chassis could interfere with the hood itself.
The wheelbase is over 28'. The VO-1000 is too short (around 26') and the trucks are not the right axle spacing (AAR-type B versus AAR-tyoe A for the VO-1000). IIRC, the MP15DC is between 24'-25' Oops, there is also the hi-ad truck, which I believe shares axle spacing with the AAR type B
Honestly, I am normally a rivet counter when it comes to building something. I have the motto "due it right the first time" But with the Hi Ad trucks, I would be willing to overlook this. Sometimes we need to make compromises when we model.
The FB-1 chassis I have, has been milled to the same thickness as the motor, 9.3mm. For comparison, I just measured an Atlas SD-50 chassis at 9.6mm. The problem with mine is that the machinist was supposed to leave a 1.0mm section the full width, which is where the actual C-415 walkways would sit. Sadly, he milled the frame right down and through the fuel tank. It is thin enough, and it is about the right height, though I'm still to confirm this. The height can also be reduced. To me the FA/FB will make the best starting point. I'll take a photo at the weekend and post it if anyone wants to see it. Cheers Steve
Just a thought on the old plastic framed Life-Like FA's. They were FA-2s, so are too long for the C-415. Cheers Steve
I would not junk the chasis just for that one reason. I would think that you could make some type of shim on the top of the chasis to hold the body at the right height. I would think a lil drop of epoxy on the metal chasis and a styrene shim would do the trick. Then if you wanted to hold down the shell you could use some flexible glue like Hobby tac or something along that lines to hold the body to the chasis. By using a glue like that it would enable you to remove the body with a lil finese to release the bond of the glue to make repairs to the chasis. Just a thought.
