With all the talk about a Shapeways AS-616 shell in N scale I had to just wonder what would an Atlas RSD mechanism with Alco three axle trucks would look like if you could make those crazy Commonwealth truck sideframes, sand down the Alco truck sideframes, and glue the Commonwealth sideframes on. I just wonder.......
The bearings and the wheels don't exactly look lined up on the end axles on the truck, but that's me being nitpicky. Personally, I think it's a good start, and perhaps tweaking the length of the Commonwealth trucks a gnat's whisker shorter would do it. Still, I can easily see this on an RSD5 chassis, with an AS616 shell installed. Trona Ry. Baldwins, anyone? Yes, I'm being a bit picky about the appearance, but you know there are some that will have a wall-eyed fit by looking at the above picture. If you're OK with it, I'm OK with it. Now, what about getting that AS616 shell built? :wink:
I made those resin sideframes to fit the Atlas C-628 trucks (with the odd axle spacing) way back when Verne Niner and I were working on the six-axle Baldwin tranfer switcher project that never happened. I've still got the masters and molds.
Never seen Commonwealth trucks in any scale- these do look good. Please forgive my comments, and don;t take them as negative. As is, they'll fill the bill, but I'm just concerned about the nitpickers with micrometers in their eyeballs. Still think they'll look just find under an AS616 shell. And, what happened with the Baldwin transfer engine project?
I was waiting for randgust to confess. I bought those on ebay a couple of years ago and started an AS-616 project that never got done.
If you remember, Verne had close ties with Hayes Bros for the resin loads. I found out that if you REVERSED the trucks on a C628 you not only got the right truck spacing, the odd truck spacing and wheel spacing for a centercab transfer switcher worked. Or not, because it was still about 18" short. One of those 'perfection is the enemy of good' moments. I was still willing to go ahead on my own, but I could not figure a way to accurately master all those louvers in the carbody. Finally gave up. Mark Gasson and I had a couple conversations about it, he was perfectly capable of the tooling but the 18" was more than he could live with on the Atlas frame concept, and if you had to make an accurate cast split frame to reset the truck distances, you were really over the top costwise. This was well before the Chinese tooling and production issues hit the fan, too. I got fairly decent drawings, and remember that one of these is still alive and well out at the Illinois Railway Museum to actually measure. So maybe, accurately, the project is simply 'pining for the Fjiords' (Monty Python reference, look it up!) Those truck sideframes were as far as I ever got on actually producing anything. It did teach me skills that I learned to make the Climax sideframes, and that led to the Climax A project, and that now became one incredibly successful kit project that I'm still producing today. But, if anybody actually wants any of these I'll make some more this fall with my regular parts runs. The masters are still in good shape.
Not quite sure what you mean, but here's the concept I was working on with Atlas parts. Like I said, all I ever made was sideframe overlays. The fact that these look as good as they do on an RSC2 frame is news to me, let me tell you!
I would think a little "selective compression" on the sideframes would make them match up pretty well with some of the other trucks from Atlas.
Judging from what I've seen, making overlays like this on Shapeways would be even better. No vertical curves, fine detail, little material needed. In resin molding I'm tearing up the 'holes' on a regular basis, requiring new molds about every 25 sets. I got by the brake rigging by casting .015 wire right in the mold, worked great, but I still think that RP is the future of sideframe overlays with great precision.
Randy, I was asking if your Baldwin transfer loco is now an ex Baldwin 'pining for the Fjiords'...to bad, I love those locos and would foob up an Espee loco...it was stolen from the SSW, yeah, that works.....
Old thread , but this seems to be the most discussion of power options . I mocked my shell on an RS1 with RSD12 trucks tonight , no frame mods which pleased me . Paint and side frames will make me a happy camper .
So you're sticking with trimount trucks? Don't blame you; the Commonwealth was far from a high speed design. Just curious.
This is actually a return , I was here years ago seeking this shell and the center cab , both now in hand ! What little time I had was consumed by my ore dock project, I have finally had success casting chutes so I’m refreshing some old projects . As to the trucks, at this point I will be delighted to just see these move !
