Well here of the pictures of the first test engine that Adam -drasko and I are working on together. This engine still needs a lot of final work but the casting is done and installed on the modified Kato GS4 frame. For the record- These castings are not produced using a Bachmann shell or any other mass produced locomotive body. These are my castings. The mech is kato GS4. The tender trucks, trailing trucks, pilots are Bachmann oringinal parts parts and have not been reproduced. Trainboard has contacted me out of concern and I take full legal liability
Very nice! Hey.. that reminds me... I'm WAAAYY behind sending you something. Let me send you a PM real quick...
These look very nice. May I make one observation and if I need to be corrected, please do. It looks the like the rear truck is somewhat too far forward, just a bit. If I am off the mark, please point it out and show me something that strengthens the models accuracy. Besides that, very, very well done !!!!! After trying to find a side view of the real deal to compare the model to, it just looks like there is something missing underneath the cab, it looks a little void on the model, does anyone see what I am trying to point out. I DO like the model though. fatalxsunrider43
Yeah it is, problem is its a Kato GS4 frame, I have a lot of adjusting to do perhaps I will shift the body forward a scale foot to offset the difference between the front and back of the engine. Good observation tho. Thanks
In all honesty it looks like the shell is just a smidge too long in the front and even more of a smidge in the rear. Maybe somekind of modifications to the front and rear trucks would apprehend the length of the shell. It looks like there are a pair of air tanks or something directly below the rear window of the cab, are those something that can be added to the shell as a secondary part of the kit ? As the mold cannot be easily changed, adding the tanks and/or lengthening the trucks would be the next place I would make any change. Other than that, very nice job, congrats on your skills and workmanship. fatalxsunrider43
There are multiple different classes of Santa Fe Northerns. Not all Northers look like 3751. This engine is the same boiler as 3776. This engine will have the long tender. Boiler is not too long for 3776. I may extend the trailing truck
The shell is far enough forward and it actually needs to sit down a little farther on the mechanism. It looks out of place because the cab and firebox aren't down enough to fill in the gaps.
A problem with using one mechanism to model another engine, every 4-8-4 was as different below the running board as they were above, the only thing definitely shared between all was the wheel arrangement. Good looking model just the same that fills an N scale void.:thumbs_up: Bachmann don't seem interested in upgrading theirs and Santa Fe steam doesn't have enough pretty colors to get Kato interested.
Engine (only without tender)wheelbase for the Daylights is 45'10". SF3751 class (80" driver version) 46' 9", 3765 class 48'10", 3776 and 2900 class 50'00". Wheelbase of trailing truck: Daylight 5'00", SF3751 5'00", SF3765 5"04", SF3776/2900 6'2". Overall engine length(no tender)aylight 60'6 1/4", SF3751 60'05", SF3765 64'09 3/4", SF 3776/2900 65'01 1/4". (All data obtained from Dale Worley's Iron Horse of the Santa Fe Trail..except the Daylight data of course, that was from the Locomotive Cyclopedia). So, by reducing the length of the boiler casting to produce a 60'05" engine shell, a very very close approximation of the SF3751 could be produced. Please let us know some price ranges for the shells, if you will be offering them separate. This looks like a great chance for SF fans to have a nice running model.
Regardless of any fine tuning/placing of the shell on the frame, this is a terrific effort and shows great engine-uity, applaud your efforts and your work, well done sir !!! And.....thanks for having an open mind to constructive critiquing. fatalxsunrider43
weve fixed the issue of the trailing truck to dare i say it, by adding a BACHMANN trailing truck in place of the GS4 truck!!!!!!!! Space under the cab should no longer be an issue. Adam Draskovich Signal Dept. ATSF(BNSF) Railway
Just a little more work to the engine, the front and rear pilot extended. Uploaded with ImageShack.us
