Kit bash of new Alco 2-6-0 underway

[Patrick Durand]

Want to know how to get into the new Alco 2-6-0?

Follow my kit bash of this model into Alaska Railroad #208 cir 1916.   The first two sections are already posted, the third is ready to post and there will be one final chapter on finish detail and painting.  Just check back from time to time or I will post when the next section is available.

Just go to:    http://alaskarails.org/creations/PD-208/index.html

In short I think this little gem is a very sophisticated piece of engineering that lends itself to many adaptations by kit bashing.      Best of modeling to you all.

Patrick Durand

[RobBob]

Nice, very nice.  Very cool man! Can't wait to see how it turns out.  I'm sure it will be most totally excellent.  Bravo!

Robert
Brass Hat "Belt Line Union Railroad" 
Ship it in a BLURR

[Bucksco]

Very nice work and thanks for the kind words. It's such a breath of fresh air to hear somone who is so positive!

[the Bach-man]

Wow!
Great job!
the Bach-man

[rrbob]

Very nice job!
I detailed one too, and it does run like a dream.
But what about the headlight?  I didn't take mine apart to detail it.  I want to replace the headlight and
still have it work. Can the LED be saved and can the headlight casting just be pulled off?

Here's a link to my Photobucket with pictures of a Mantua 0-6-0 camelback I changed into a 2-6-0 and my
Bachmann Alco 2-6-0:

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n408/tenabob/01-04-2012trains470.jpg

Bob D.

[Patrick Durand]

Thanks for the kind words on the mogul project.

Bob D.   The light source front and rear are small surface mount bright LEDs conducted through a light tube.  In the photos of the deconstructed Mogul you can just see it mounted on the front of the sub structure.   No heat, very small but difficult to create a new light tube.  I will give it a try when the final order of PCS parts with the old style Arc Headlights get here.   

If you have a front mounted headlight, you could come in the back side with a round light tube.  On the top like mine its more difficult.

By the way,  when making light conducting plastic tubes, having highly polished surfaces for the light to enter and exit is very important.    Pick up some buffing surfacers for artificial nails from the cosmetic section, they do a great job.

I am anxious to get on with the additional parts and start the painting.

My goal is to build one of each class of Alaska Railroad loco in each color scheme.  Ive done a few already.  Here is another Bachmann product that went under the knife.

http://alaskarails.org/creations/PD-801/index.html

Glad to see folks actually building something not just pontificating on line.

Patrick

[Tom M.]

Patrick,

Fantastic work.  It appears that you are using a Minatronics surface mount LED which is quite large.  I have been using super small surface mount LEDs in my projects.  This eliminates the need for any light tube or fiber optic light transmission.  They are available from Richmond Controls, Litchfield Station, and TCS to name a few sources.  The 0603 size is small enough to fit within the headlight casting.  You can obtain them with micro filament magnet wire already attached.  This wire is just slightly larger than the thickness of a human hair, so routing the wire is not a problem.  The 0402 size LEDs are small enough to fit into marker light castings.

While these SMDs are super small, they produce a tremendous amount of light.  Depending on how bright you want the headlight, a 750 or 1K ohm resistor is all that's required.  For marker light applications, I usually use a 2.2K resistor to keep the markers from being as bright as the headlight.

Keep up the excellent work.  It's great to see that true modeling in model railroading is not dead.

Tom

[Patrick Durand]

Tom,

I described the design of the little mogul as sophisticated.  In so many ways it is.
To eliminate wires between the chassis and the plastic boiler shell they opted to use the light tubes.  I did not add the LEDs. that is what it came with.  The average user would have destroyed the headlights the first time they opened the assembly if they had been hard wired.

Thanks for the suggestion on the prewired surface mount LEDs and the resistor values.  I am not up to doing marker lights with power in those little lamps with chimneys.   I will stick with white and green lenses.   

I usually have two or three builds on the bench at one time waiting for parts or inspiration.  Many times inspiration comes from an old photo matching up with a kit bashing candidate.  Such was the case with the mogul.

This is "model" railroading and a missing rivet or stay bolt is not cause for concern.  We need to lighten up and just treat it as the art form it is.  I like broad strokes that paint a detailed picture.   

Have a great day building something, however small.

Pat Durand

[NevinW]

More information about how you converted the cylinders to slide valves would be great.  Very impressive kitbashing and modeling.  -  Nevin

[Patrick Durand]

There is a more or less step by step guide for this kit bash at the link offered up in the first post.

The conversion also includes going from Walscharts gear to Stephenson gear.  Both conversions consist of deconstructing the offending parts.    On the cylinders use a sharp zona saw and just cut the steam delivery line flush with both the cylinder block and the side of the smoke box.   With the D slide valves the plumbing is all internal to the cylinder block and saddle castings.   Take a slice off the outside of the cylinder block flush with the valve chest to make room for a new .020 wrapper that will increase the diameter of the cylinder block.   Use .040 styrene to punch out the cylinder head covers.  The front one stays whole while the one at the rear looses about 80 degrees of the circle to a pie cut so it will fit around the cylinder rod and crosshead guides.  After you have sawn off the original covers from the block both front and rear glue on the new ones.   Careful on the rear with the glue!  Study photos of your prototype.   

If you can follow these instructions, when you run the loco the Laird crosshead will almost hit the rear cover, just like the real one.   

I do welcome question.   Kit bashing offers little steps of instant achievement.  Ah ha moments and the end goal of seeing it all in final paint and weathering keeps one at the task.

Pat Durand