I am going to keep the same frame and use a Kato GM-5 replacement motor. I will also add NWSL uiversal drive lines. I intend on using silicone rubber to anchor the motor to the frame.
I am going to keep the same frame and use a Kato GM-5 replacement motor. I will also add NWSL uiversal drive lines. I intend on using silicone rubber to anchor the motor to the frame.
Jim Reising used an Atlas GP35, and just built out the inside of the shell with bits of styrene: http://jereising.tripod.com/ Find the F40s pic and click on it check out the looks, then click on "How I did it".
I am currently doing one in Florida Tri-Rail and used an Atlas GP-38 shimmed into the shell. I have stalled on the project until I can come up with a reasonably good looking fuel tank/air tank rather that the LL one.
I thought the LL GP 20 tank or the Geep 18 tank may work. Thanks for the idea! I wanted to know what I could repower with, but didn't mention DCC. The Geep 38's are DCC ready, which is a big step in the right dirrection. I would add weight, as in brass; to the inside, to add tractive effort. Styrene would not add much tractive effort.
I used a new generation BL2 for the chasis of my heavilly modified F40. While the truck centers are off by about a foot, they seem to be in proportion with the model. I used this chasis for a few reasons. First it is much heavier then a roadswitcher frame. Second, the truck centers seem to match the model very closly, though as mentioned both are a bit off. Third, the only grinding needed on the frame, are the tabs at the ends of the mechinism to be sawed off. This literally took 30 seconds. Forth, a few of the guide-chnnels on the mechinism directly line up with the tabs on the inside of the F40 shell. So much so, I belive LL origonally thought of using this mechinism under the F40. Two guides will need to be chiseled off, but that is a quick and easy job. Fith, the BL2 frame has the proper fuel tank spacing already made. There are two bulges, the forward one is used by the fueltank, while the rear houses the electrical cabinates on the left and airtanks on the right side. The electrical cabinates were cut from the LL F40 frame and filed to shape. the plastic is thick enough to alow you to just glue it to the metal frame. this also creates the illusion these are individual boxes and not molded on. The furltank is a cut down GP38 part with the airhoses removed. Make sure you keep the fuel level detail. Cut from the other end and the fuel fillers will actually be in the right spot. The airtanks are the end caps from an Atlas GP7/9. These mods are not represented in teh pictures. The BL trucks are wrong. i'm not sure what they are, but they arn't the ones used by amtrak or MBTA. I used trucks off a LL GP20, but the correct ones would be a Blomburg (spelling) M used on some atlas GP40-2s. Be aware these have the rubber snubbers and no leafspring. The proper type should have a leaf spring in the center. This should be a fairly easy upgrade. You may have to replace the thisck factory steps with etched parts as I did. This will help the trucks clear when swiveling. You may also need to trim the inside edge of the jack mounts for the same reason.
Thanks for the how-to!! I never considered the BL2, but considering the replacement of trucks, and DCC, I'll keep my options open.
Well if you dont mind waiting a year, Kato has announced these in HO, surely an N model would follow.
To DCC the frame, you need not cut a thing. The tapered frame and the cut out for the rear lights will fit a small wired decoder. The rear light is useless on the F40 anyway (there are no holes in the shell). I clipped the brass contact strips from the moter and wired it up in about 10 minutes.
