Kitbashes, scratchbuilds, you name it!

[Sandpatch1]

What is the pride of your Locomotive shops? Whats the finest piece of rolling stock ever to be built by you, If you don't mind sharing of course! I am currently constructing an Central railroad of new Jersey 4-4-2.

[rogertra]

As practically every steam loco I have has had some form of surgery done to it in order to give it a GER "family" look no single loco stands out as prize kitbash.  And that is the whole point of my kit-bashes.  I don't want any one loco to stand out. I want them all to look familiar and, other than switchers, where you'd commonly see single versions assigned to a yard, I have multiple copies of each class with a minimum of two of any class.  Where I have more than two, I have already kit-bashed some of them to become subclasses, with detail differences.

Many of my steam engines have kit-bashed tenders, usually to shorten them, as Canadian tenders tended to be shorter than American tenders.

Here is an example of sub classes.  These locos started of as "President's Choice", re-branded Rivarossi engines, that came in Christmas toy train sets available only in Canada.  I kept the locos and threw all the track and rolling stock away.  

The original ugly tenders were scrapped and replaced by kit-bashed Bachmann Hicken oil tenders that were shortened, converted to coal from oil and had the front end modified to mate with an all weather cab.

The engines have two different all weather cabs, the sandboxes have been repositioned, bells are in different positions, air tanks added to the pilot decks and some minor plumbing changes made.  The idea here is that we have an older version and newer versions of the same class.











The anachronistic script letter CPR boxcar in the background has since been redecalled, CPR script wasn't around in steam days.  

[AGSB]

Roger, where do you get your all weather cabs or do you scratch build them?

[jonathan]

Ooh tough call. I like all my little projects.  Like Roger, I have modified/detailed every locomotive I own.

Here's a few piled together:


This one got so many mods, hard to tell it was ever a Spectrum Connie:


This is a Sunshine Craftsman Flat Kit.  I was kind of proud that you couldn't see the seams where the sides meet.
Can you see the little dog just to the left?


This is a scratchbuilt (mostly) Scale Tool Car.  The roof panel and base underframe were the only parts that were taken from a prefab box car:


Like I said, tough choice, but these are a few of my babies.

Regards,

Jonathan

[rogertra]

Roger, where do you get your all weather cabs or do you scratch build them?

Can't recall who made them.  I purchased them about ten or more years ago from our now closed LHS.

Google "vestibule cab kit" and you'll get some hits.

One I used was brass and the other two were, IIRC, plastic.

[AGSB]

Right up here in Canada in good old Manitoba - Minatures by Eric. 2 styles of CPR and 1 CNR, and they are correct for Canadian engines, straight fronts not sloped. Prices are decent.

[WoundedBear]

Uhhhhh.....Miniatures by Eric is not Manitoba based. They are in Busby, Alberta.

Sid

[ebtnut]

Favorite loco project - the Kemtron On3 Shay kit.  Sorry, don't have any pics available.  I built it probably going on 30 years ago now.  I installed the Grandt Line Micro-mo drive and it still runs like a watch. 

As for HO all-weather cabs, Kemtron used to make an all-weather cab kit in both brass and styrene to fit on the Mantua Mike. 

[AGSB]

Uhhhhh.....Miniatures by Eric is not Manitoba based. They are in Busby, Alberta.

Sid

Don't know now where I came up with Manitoba, possibly the address of a Hobby Shop link I clicked.

[rogertra]

I see this thread is going nowhere, which is too bad as I was hoping there'd be a few more "modellers" on this board willing to show us their work.  :-(

I know there are at least a few of you out there who are beyond the toy train layout phase so come on, don't be shy, show us your work.

It doesn't have to be up to magazine standards, just show us your creativity.

[AGSB]

OK, you asked for it, so here is my contribution.

I am getting back into the hobby after a hiatus of approximately 18-19 years. Here are two pictures of a project I completed back in the mid 1980s.
She began life as a Model Die Casting (Roundhouse) 0-6-0 and has been modified to a 2-6-2 Prairie. A can motor was added along with a scratch built brass snowplow, all weather cab, running boards and detail parts. The tender was modified, new wheels added and Kadee couplers. This engine is definately slated for DCC and sound.




After having been stored away for so many years she needs a bit of a touch up to remove some blemishes.



I only hope I am still up to the task. Age is creeping up on me fast, the eye sight is going, my hands aren't as steady as they once were but, I am going to give it my best shot.

[rogertra]

AGSB.

Nice work there.  

"Canada Central"?

Isn't that the road name of the Montreal Railroad Modelers Association?

Have any more examples of your work you can post?

[AGSB]

When I packed everything away, I was in the middle of assembling 2 Mantua Hudsons that I was converting to Royal Hudsons and assembled an MDC 2 Truck Shay that kept melting the top gear in the gear box. I am currently waiting for delivery of NWSL regear kit to try and fix this problem and try to realign the motor.

My biggest projects, at the moment, are cleaning and getting my locos back into top running order on DC and then converting to DCC. I have done 2 Athern BB SD40-2s to DCC (no sound) but just purchased a Bachmann sound loco  (CN #409 Mogul) and and like it so much I am thinking of switching to sound in all my larger locos.

Then I will start resurrecting the layout, but by the looks of it I may have to start from scratch.

The camera is at the ready though, but be advised, I am not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination.