Well finally time for me to join in. I have 5 cabooses that I want to kitbash, much like the ones Ralph and E-paw did, but they are stashed away for now and I can't get them. Then Nachoman started his passenger car bash and I thought "I have one of those and I really like that narrow vestibule... " but then I saw Sumpter's crane and thought "Hmm... MOW equipment has definite bashing possibilities..."

Well I decided to go my own way and not bore you guys by copying someone else's challenge. I am going to use leftover parts from a couple of locomotive kitbashes I have done to make an ALCo RS-11B unit. I'm not certain, but I don't think there were any prototype RS11 B units made.

Here is the Bachmann Spectrum Baby Trainmaster Chassis that I will be starting with. I have modified the frame by milling down the thickness of the frame rails to fit into the RS11 body.



I had an Atlas RS11 body in my junk bin...



My plan is to blank off the cab area and bend new handrails. I can use the FM trucks, which are similar to the ALCo trucks, or I have some Bachmann Spectrum EMD Blomberg trucks from a GP30. I am not sure which I am going to use but I am leaning toward the FM trucks.

Here is the RS11 body after I filled in the cab area using sheet styrene. When looking at prototype B hood units some have battery boxes and some do not. I decided to keep the battery boxes intact for visual interest.

This is very cool! Great joice for a project.

Now... I want to see you put a sound decoder in there!

A locomotive project! Nice!

Gary S Wrote:This is very cool! Great joice for a project.

Now... I want to see you put a sound decoder in there!

Now that would certainly be a challenge! The frame would have to milled more I think. I DO need to install a decoder at some point, and your comment picked my curiosity so I did a search on sound decoders. After seeing the prices I think I'll use a standard decoder and just hum the sounds.

Puddlejumper Wrote:After seeing the prices I think I'll use a standard decoder and just hum the sounds.

I saw that digitrax has a sound decoder with an MSRP of $49 and I saw them online for $39. That is pretty darned cheap! Now, on your project, it looks like it is going to be a challenge just to fit a standard decoder in there, much less a speaker!

Thanks for the tip on the digitrax sound decoders. I have probably 40 locos to convert to DCC when I build my layout this summer. I am not going to DCC this unit yet tho, will wait until the first tracks are laid on the layout before I start that task.

Here is where I have stopped for today. I managed to get the body together, grabs installed, glued styrene inside the pilots to mount kadee coupler mounting boxes to, and get the unit painted. Tomorrow I hope to work on decals. For the handrails I am going to use the Atlas rails and modify the portion where the cab would be.








I'm also considering doing something with that fuel tank to make it look more ALCo-like.

Nice! You are already doing such a neater job than I did with my attempt at a GP9B. Nice clean work with the styrene. Cool project!
Ralph

Great job...!! But....where do the LPP's go..??

Hey!!! This was supposed to be a challenge, not a "slug"fest!!

That is looking good, nice work!!!!

Puddlejumper Wrote:

Nice work, Dave, and nice and neatly done, too. I like those doodlebug-style trucks.


I guess I'd be stretchin' it a bit to enter this one, eh?


Wayne

That's a very nice doodlebug Wayne! Did it come with that style of truck or did you add it as part of the bash? I look forward to seeing your caboose bash.

Here are a few pix of today's progress. I got the main decals on and the stock handrails. I am waiting for delivery of some stanchions so I can bend new handrails, I may do both long rails but I plan on keeping the end rails as is. I also need a new jar of green paint before I can paint the handrails. I will also be changing the fuel tank to be more like an ALCo tank.





Here is a pic with one of the B&P's 401-class geeps. The scheme on the B unit represents the second incarnation of the B&P's paint scheme, with the simplified scheme on the geep being the third and current scheme. The original scheme was simply all green with yellow/gold lettering and no stripes.



More pix will follow after I recieve the stanchions and paint the handrails. Also need to put numbers in the numberboards.

That looks really good, Dave, although I prefer the paint scheme on the geep. I do like, though, the idea of showing, through different paint schemes, how "time marches on".

If you can get another Atlas handrail, it's easy enough to use just the stanchions, replacing the actual handrail with one of formed wire. I do agree, though, about keeping the originals on the ends.
This Atlas RS-3 got new battery boxes ahead of the cab, so I replaced the handrails on both sides, using wire with the drilled-out Atlas stanchions.


Wayne

doctorwayne Wrote:That looks really good, Dave, although I prefer the paint scheme on the geep. I do like, though, the idea of showing, through different paint schemes, how "time marches on".

Thanks Wayne. The geep represents the current paint scheme. My story being that the UP/R&N inspired scheme replaced the "plain" green scheme but proved too expensive to paint and maintain so the gray roof and silver trucks were eliminated. The trucks on the RS11B are supposed to be silver to match the official paint charts but I'm leaving them black... somehow this unit left Potomac Shop in PII paint but with black trucks. If it can happen on the prototype (AT&SF had units with black trucks during the silver trucks era) then it can happen on my RR.

Quote:If you can get another Atlas handrail, it's easy enough to use just the stanchions, replacing the actual handrail with one of formed wire. I do agree, though, about keeping the originals on the ends.
This Atlas RS-3 got new battery boxes ahead of the cab, so I replaced the handrails on both sides, using wire with the drilled-out Atlas stanchions.
Wayne

Dude... seriously... you drilled out the Atlas stanchions?!?!?! How in the He...ck did you manage that? I don't think I could handle a bit that small on a surface that small...