More thoughts: Ideally the "skirts" will come down far enough to cover trucks. This system could be used as a way to make dummy locos and stream lined passenger cars. While purist would understandably perceive them as "toy like" I 'see' them as an innovative way to cut cost. Weight will be an issue easily resolved Anyone see other potential issues?
The Zephyrs and the Aerotrains both had skirts when built.They were removed because they became a hassle to the maintenance departments. That's why most PCC cars did not have them.
Sir Topham Hatt had to get Toby, the manliest boxcab with skirts, because the red-faced policeman wouldn't allow Thomas to run a local passenger service down a line with in-street running.
The Victorian believed that the sight of any naked table legs would drive a man wild, so they put skirts on them. The British have very strange fetishes.
Given that my very first "Thrommer" had the appearance of a, well, never mind what it looked like, I think I'll stick to full skirts if possible. Wouldn't want to upset any sensibilities.
Hah! Thrommer 2.01 looks great. Maybe the skirts should be tartan? That'll be a kilt, laddy! :tb-tongue: OK, my son and I are ready for the challenge. We've even got an idea of how to do the pyramid thing on the top (maybe even a way to light it, too!). So bring it on!
One of a couple possible paint schemes: Canadian Pacific I'm also considering one in Grey and Grandure colors. I'm calling the "box cab" series "El Thrommer" as they are more "masculine" in appearance. The original had curves and was "La Thrommer". Here with a matching passenger car:
Now I know you had it in CP colors, but when you told me you liked the tartan "kilt" idea, I took it into my image editor ready to apply a nice tartan design, only to run into a safety stripe, and that gave my son and I an idea. Why not a Canadian National boxcab... of the future! For starters, the CN logo font is so NASA/Star Trek already. It just screams out to be parodied. We shortened it a little bit, to compensate for the wheelbase of the Kato critter. Then added the logo, adjusted stripes, cut a hole in the "scoop" area for intake and couplers, and tweaked it. I'll be doing some measurements to get an idea of how this will sit on the chassis, and it might need to be a little bit shorter for any chance of the couplers working, but we see some possibilities here. Feedback? Perhaps it'll be a Constellation National Railways loco?
That's not an air intake. THIS is an air intake: And for those of you with an extra Shay mechanism lying around: Apparently they were required to have a horse proceed them as the "safety squad". A thin piece of clear plexiglass under front will be a good mount for the horse
Gray One Boxcab can be any length. Many were over 50 fifty long. The B-Train Shorty chassis is only 35 feet long. Smaller than a SW class switcher. Your loco design would work better on a E unit or a P42 chassis.
Any length is fine, but the chassis he has is the Kato shorty and neither of us wants to chance messing it up by making it longer. Tomix makes some great chassis that are anywhere from a bit longer to a full length passenger car so there are options. Meanwhile, since this is what he's sending me, this is what I'm trying to do to make it work. I think it'll come out nicely. Though I may have a leftover RSD-15 chassis and motor that could work. Hmmm...
Okey-Dokey The quick and easy way to stretch the chassis is to pull off the trailing truck and mount it to a platform mounted on the body. Solder extension wires between the truck and otherwise unmodified chassis to get that extra power to the motor. I added the platform to the chassis to stretch the chassis to fit a Chicago L car. I found out that the Tomix TM-02 or TM-04 15 meter chassis are a better fit and can be converted to inside bearing trucks the Kato can't.
That's what it looks like to me, but again, it's not my chassis and not my boxcab. If I was to mess it up, I'd have to pay to replace it and I'm not floating in cash right now. Regardless though, it's Steve's call. Once the chassis gets here I'll be able to get a better look at it and understand what I'm working with. And hey, the RSD-15 chassis doesn't have a body anymore (that became a nice short 59-tonner) so I'm not doing anything with it...
YOWZA! Very Nice! Love the "wet noodle" and "Sargent stripes". Overall I'm not wedded to any one length. I *think* I'm mostly influenced by the AEM7s that race past my window with the Amtrak Regional. Chicago NW - E8? Ya, I agree. Funny you should mention that. About 2+ years ago someone here on TB needed parts from an MRC 2-8-8-2. I had one in non-running condition. It was my pleasure to send him the chassis just to help him out. He sent me what I believe is a Kato E8. which I have not touched since cept once to run it. PW and son, what do you think? While I'm open to all concepts I don't want to complicate matters. By the way, I realize making the top wider than the bottom may not be practical. Feel free to leave that on the cutting room floor. Straight smooth sides work for me.
ok, so between school for my daughter and college starting for myself, I have not had much "train time" although, I did get a few miniutes here and there, and have got this far: Basiclly, it still needs lighting (Both LEDs and the actall fictures), decoder, paint, grabs, windows frames, horns, and I am going to rebuild the radiators on the roof, to more reflect the style I am seeing on other projects. the thing that was "going to blow your mind" I was refering might get scrapped. what I was planning on doing is making the diesel stuff on the roof removable as one part, and making another roof module that had a pantograph and other electrical appliances on it. I may not do this afterall, I don't have any overhead wires, and I am not planning on any, add to that my home made pantograph is all I have, it isn't bad, and it does function, but I am not 100% happy with how it looks. if I can find a real pantograph, like something Great Northern looking, then I might continue with that idea. The Diesel module is already removable, and attached with a screw in the exaust stack. I am planning on trying a few weathering techniques to make distressed wood, with peeling red oxide paint. I may just say screw it, and paint the whole thing red oxide, and try to weather it. this is going to be a challenge, since I have never actually done any weathering.
Well hey, if you've got an E8 chassis lying around, put it in the box and we'll see what we can come up with! I can do a rough mock of it on both chassis and we can decide which one looks best. As for the top tapers, I don't think it's a deal-breaker. Since we'll be working in cardstock, we'll experiment and see how it goes. Bring it on!
Geez Delamaize, is that all you can come up with? (j/k) Obviously I've just scooped my jaw off the floor. Man that is amazing! And the swappable roof details is just nuts! Reminds me of my harbor layout. I say keep it. The pantograph came out terrific and with some paint will rock the hizzouse. :thumbs_up::thumbs_up:
I heard the "sea salt" method works well for simulating weathered wood. Dan Lewis has an article "Old & Dilapidated" in N-Scale Magazine (May-June 2010). BTW yr boxcab looks great. I really like the wood: headed there myself as I'm not hopeful at finding something rivet-y. See what I can scrounge at the Great Train Expo in Richmond in a couple weeks.
Ok, found all of the units. Looks like it is a Con Cor powered unit with Dummy, (why is it I can related to that?). I'll be happy to send both along with the Kato 11-106 and 11-107. By the way, you saved me some grief by offering to consider the E8. The foam it was packed in was beginning to deteriorate. Another year and the mechanism would be ruined.
