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Discussion Boards => On30 => Topic started by: Burlington Route on December 29, 2012, 11:16:56 AM

Title: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 29, 2012, 11:16:56 AM
Well, we here are in need of an On30 diesel for the roster and I just got our donor chassis, a bachmann GP40 w/dcc...was only $38 so the price was right. I just contacted Mount blue about they're diesel body size{s} to see if they'll fit over the slightly longer chassis -  they suggest an S4 switch chassis and by looking at my modelrailroader vol2 diesel locomotive drawings the GP40 runs alittle longer than the sugggested SW/S4.
In the mean time I'm looking for ideas of what to scratch in case those bodies won't easily work...what's some good ideas folks....I'm not a rivet counter so prototype correct isn't a neccesity...we just want a decent looking diesel.
I do have a williams FM trainmaster O scale shell, but that would be alot of cutting to narrow and shorten her up...it'd probably be easier to just scratch a new body I'm thinking....
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 30, 2012, 12:53:54 PM
Common folks....don't be shy...60+ views and not one idea?
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: darryl1936 on December 30, 2012, 01:26:55 PM
Well   ahhh    I don't know !   You got that one Harry ?
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 30, 2012, 02:55:55 PM
Well, I appreciate the thought...let's start with the chassis I have.
I carefully popped the fuel tank off and then removed the 2 body screws under that to get the bare rolling chassis as shown.
Truck centers come in at 18 1/2'
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/on30dieselproject001.jpg)
Inner frame and weight structure comes in at a scale 2 3/4'...3' would leave some breathing room...and the height of said structure is at 5' tall at the highest LED point. "That" point was measured from the horizontal flat of the top of the chassis for reference sake. Nice and tidy unit overall!
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/on30dieselproject002.jpg)
To use the horizontal flat of the chassis platform as a body base I'd have a minimum of 28 1/2' to work with, but that won't leave alot of free air room for breathing so I'll probably shoot for roughly 30' of body sans any step platforms yet. I'll shoot for a 7' wide body...maybe 8' tops...and the OA length will be whatever looks right and not to leave too much room outside of either truck.

Now here's a question...ok...another aside from "what" diesel to build- how does one hook up any sound chips to this dcc board as I don't see any means of a plug with which to do so...I'm planning for a sound chip and speaker while I'm at it.
Just a reminder for those who may have missed it- this is the bachmann GP40 dcc chassis I'm playing with and if may have missed it any measurements given are in 1/48th scale.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: TimR on December 30, 2012, 03:21:02 PM
How about an MK 48?
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 30, 2012, 03:28:32 PM
Now, not to toot my own horn here, but I still remember...at least I hope I do!...which end of a scale ruler to hold....the "flanger" was a week long project of whatever I had on hand for the G scale modular group I was in my early 20s - we needed it for the wisconcin train show - MDC trucks and the rest is styrene and parts box...earned me the knickname "flangerboy"{lol} and the G scale SW was tossed together weeks before USA trains brought out they're SW's...dropped that project and ordered a CB&Q cow and calf when I could...pardon the eons worth of scale dust on her{I'm 47 now}- Aristo U25 power trucks- the rest is styrene.
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/gflanger001.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/scratches001.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/scratches002.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/scratches003.jpg)
So, I can and will follow thru on this new scale venture...at least my evergreen stock won't take such a big hit in this scale.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 30, 2012, 03:37:53 PM
Quote from: TimR on December 30, 2012, 03:21:02 PM
How about an MK 48?
Guessing your not talking about the Mk48LVS...yeah, I still build models but not so much armor anymore- mostly semis, cars and sci-fi...not bad, but maybe a tad too euro for my current train cars.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Bas on December 30, 2012, 04:12:28 PM
Hello Burlington

I'm about to start this bash:

http://sbiii.com/rrpix/Ircodemo.jpg

It could also fit your GP40 body I guess...

Best regards from Switzerland

Bas
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 30, 2012, 04:17:59 PM
Quote from: Bas on December 30, 2012, 04:12:28 PM
Hello Burlington

I'm about to start this bash:

http://sbiii.com/rrpix/Ircodemo.jpg

It could also fit your GP40 body I guess...

Best regards from Switzerland

Bas
Nice, an old boxcab, I showed my son that one and the CLW 400hp version but he said they look too old...everyone's a critic...he wants something close to a shortened F40 that "looks strong"...this is why I'm here for ideas!
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: alainc on December 30, 2012, 06:10:44 PM
Hi,
I've scratch this with a GP40... for the fun :)

(http://0n30.ch/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/conversiongp40s20.jpg)
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: the Bach-man on December 30, 2012, 11:58:05 PM
Dear Q,
Try this site:
http://www.mountbluemodelco.com/products.htm
Scroll down for the diesels.
Happy New Year!
the Bach-man
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 31, 2012, 10:49:20 AM
Quote from: alainc on December 30, 2012, 06:10:44 PM
Hi,
I've scratch this with a GP40... for the fun :)

(http://0n30.ch/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/conversiongp40s20.jpg)


Neat, is that just a "reCab"...I saw the dynamic brakes and then quickly noticed the exhaust stack thru it and that's when it hit me that you may have used the main body plus a new cab.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 31, 2012, 10:53:34 AM
Quote from: the Bach-man on December 30, 2012, 11:58:05 PM
Dear Q,
Try this site:
http://www.mountbluemodelco.com/products.htm
Scroll down for the diesels.
Happy New Year!
the Bach-man

Admin/B-man, I sent an email off to them about the realtime size of they're #18 seires bodies to see if it would fit but haven't heard back from them as of yet.
While your looking, can a Bachmann sound card be added "after the fact" with this chassis, or am I commited to another source? It's a #60303 with DCC on board...but no sound....yet.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 31, 2012, 11:11:20 AM
I spent most of the afternoon yesterday researching narrow gauge diesels and got the "nod" on a few of them from my son...this, by no means, means that the search is over. We here seem to like the export GE's at the moment....the GE UM6B tops the chart at this momnet in time along with the GE UM10B. The UM10B pic that I have has quite a bit of realistate in front of the cab and that would interfere with the inner workings just a bit, but then again, most proposed engines will no doubt have some sort of issue like that...I/we are looking for "something close".
The fact that I'm limited to the use of the supplied EMD trucks will make most engine ideas off the wall, so to speak, anyway...this is more for fun, as I stated in the beginning, but I'm going to try and make it believable too.
Another engine my son liked was a LeW DE IIS...."that looks like a strong one dad"

The biggest problem I'm facing is the lack of line drawings for these and alot of engines...the main body length can be shortened or even stretched to fit over the inner chassis, but "height" is what I need a reference to...so what sounds good for cab height....6'....7'....8'.......? Ideas?
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on December 31, 2012, 12:03:06 PM
Here, I'll make my reference pic finding easy for you-
The UM10B idea-
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/GE_UM10B_1969_CSN.jpg
...there you can see the open area in front of the cab that I kind of like....
Here is the other idea...that's the UM6B-
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1849566
Here's a DE601 -
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/The_Pacific_Ocean_coal_sales_transportation_DE601_side.JPG
Guess I'm on a GE kick lately...
...oh, and for your or my reference sake, I did just find this on the web...no line drawings but it has the basic specs given which helps- this is the GE section but you could backtrack thru it to find others!
http://www.thedieselshop.us/GE%20DataIndex.HTML
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on January 01, 2013, 01:23:03 PM
While waiting for the new year to come, I started messing with what a body would look like over the chassis. This is a drawing of a GE class 91...I kind of like the lil hood on it.
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/class91engine001.jpg)
The trucks are crude in the drawing since the emphasis is on how the body fits over the chassis and I'd probably keep the EMD side frames for ease of the build. "If" my conversion specs are correct and the line drawing was right, this is what I got. You'll note I drew up a 7' and an 8' cab width...according to my conversion of metric and by the line drawing the cab was to come in at 8' 4" realtime...I knocked it down to 8' on the one drawing to simply round things up. I kind of like the 8' cab width.
I really wanted to do the UM10B but the large flat area in front of the cab is too hard to do since the drive assembly would get in the way...the frame could be redone, but that truck drive can't - unless I really fudged the body longer to accomodate that.
Ok, thoughts/critisms/opinions on this one with either cab.....I've got 1-2 more to draw up yet...this is just one idea of a semi modern engine- if you'd call late 50s to early 60s a modern motive power.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on January 07, 2013, 09:55:11 AM
Alright, my son and I have decided last night to just start this off with the drawn up plans as posted above.
I bought a dcc on board SD40-2 last night for another bash when I'm done here. "TFS" on ebay- $45 BIN and only $33 after my aquired ebay bucks were applied- I had to do it...anyway, with that one I want to try a version of that UM10B but it'll have C trucks and be a tad longer.{wouldn't that make it a UM10C then?}

Still haven't totally nailed down a replacement dcc sound board for the current project, but it'll most likely be one of the TSU-1000 boards that has the optional ditch/mars lights - I'm thinking about either ditch lights or do the end and cab side by side lights as alternating flash. Speaker and enclosure will no doubt be in the top of the main body somewhere behind the cab...time to grab a sheet of .040 and start cutting the main body pieces.

I'll post progress pics for those who wish to see the build and for anyone elses amusement.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on January 07, 2013, 08:33:42 PM
I've got the deck and main body cut out now but still need to square things up and cut out the nose pieces...it's a start.
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/On30diesel001.jpg)
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on February 03, 2013, 04:53:03 PM
Sorry, I've really neglected this thread- but not the build!
Main body was started-
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/on30dieselbody_zpsaeacde62.jpg)
Got the doors and latches done on the RH side-
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/bm6001_zps1949bc65.jpg)
Cab is started as well as the LH side doors and latches-
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/On30/0n30otherside001_zps86561f5f.jpg)
...she's gettin there...
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on February 17, 2013, 06:50:46 PM
Got alittle more work done on her-
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/diesel4sides001_zps159e4cc9.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/diesel4sides002_zpsfd09fafc.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/diesel4sides003_zps028924e6.jpg)
(http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/70cougar/diesel4sides004_zps59a05d52.jpg)
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: on30gn15 on March 04, 2013, 03:03:16 PM
Edit - okay, I'm late to the party and didn't realize there was page 2 here  :-[
Oh well  ;D

How about an interpretation of this. Funky truck sideframes.
www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=426645 (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=426645)
QuoteLocomotive Details    Location/Date of Photo
   » Administración de Ferrocarriles del Estado (more..)
» Alsthom BB 56 Ton (more..)    » ANCAP Portland Cement facilities (more..)
» Paysandú, Uruguay (more..)
» February 16, 2013

Or this.
Warning - sunglasses required for viewing - that's a bright yellow!
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=426434 (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=426434)
QuoteLocomotive Details    Location/Date of Photo

   » Deutsche Bahn (more..)
» BR 203 (more..)    » Recklinghausen Hbf. (more..)
» Recklinghausen, Germany (more..)
» February 22, 2013

Something more US hood unit looking but still unusual
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=425024 (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=425024)
QuoteLocomotive Details    Location/Date of Photo
   » United States Army (more..)
» GG20B (more..)    » DGRC Yard (more..)
» Hill AFB, Utah, USA (more..)
» February 14, 2013

"And now for something completely different."
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=423092 (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=423092)
or
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=398517 (http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=398517)
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on March 06, 2013, 07:27:49 PM
I like the army engine alot...and while I like some of the euro engines, I'm stiucking to a "no buffer" type...at least for now{maybe someday with the correct matching cars for that}. 
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: GG1onFordsDTandI on March 12, 2013, 08:26:11 PM
Hey burlinton any progress? New  pics? As quick as you were moving I thought you would be done by now. Looks good so far. 
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on March 13, 2013, 09:23:19 AM
It kind of got pushed off to the side...hit 2 snags,
1]..haven't picked out a speaker so I can't install the top of the body till then.
2]..lost my job of 26yrs last friday...need to address that issue 1st before any train stuff.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: GG1onFordsDTandI on March 13, 2013, 04:24:20 PM
Quote from: Burlington Route on March 13, 2013, 09:23:19 AM
It kind of got pushed off to the side...hit 2 snags,
Sorry to hear that, looking forward to hearing it was a blessing in disguise! Doors are now open for better things. Good luck to ya!
While not nice, Bachmann, or On30, its all I got Burlington to make you grin. Relax, take a look and read the forum.
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u570/GGa1lin/Snapshot_20130313_zps4c9a7306.jpg)
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u570/GGa1lin/gondolaburlington9140top_zps38ce329d.jpg)
(http://i1322.photobucket.com/albums/u570/GGa1lin/gondolaburlingtonnorthern9141carno1_zps147909ae.jpg)
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on March 13, 2013, 07:35:20 PM
Thanks, I'm hangin in there...was refurbishing my old ZW today{I run O scale too}...speaking of which, I have that very same pre-merger Q gondola that you have....still funny to see cascade green on a Q car.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: GG1onFordsDTandI on March 15, 2013, 03:26:15 PM
Yes my love for the old is a definite influence on my ability/failure, to not rivet count most times. Got any less than prototypical postwar to On30 conversion bashes to share? I think some of the short, cheap, mpc stuff, would make a decent start point for a low cost, custom, narrow gauge lash (rivet counting aside,detail can be added). Leaving me more cash for a good narrow gauge, On30 steamer loco to compliment my Og line. Especially important to me, when a blue and yellow Virginian rectifier is running around the mountains competing with it, the geared, external piston loco will still hold your attention via moving mechanicals, charm, and of course "smoke and steam". 
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on March 15, 2013, 06:09:42 PM
Hmm, funny you should ask...I have this lil pile O stuff that wants to be something different in On30;
-HO scale rotary snow front piece{auger/housing/directional deflector}
-On30 long caboose or an On30 boxcar{long}...leaning towards the caboose.

...need to check my soon to be available ebay bucks...think a speaker could be had with that!{free is a wonderful thing and the wife can't complain}
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: GG1onFordsDTandI on March 15, 2013, 07:02:20 PM
Quote from: Burlington Route on March 15, 2013, 06:09:42 PM
.leaning towards the caboose.
...need to check my soon to be available ebay bucks...think a speaker could be had with that!{free is a wonderful thing and the wife can't complain}
How about a leaning caboose? :D (Elephants work for peanuts, I do it for the "cheese", "corn", or "the pun of it" ;D)
Hey did you happen to check out the "whimsical" post I did in general disc. Large scale oriented but lots of bash ideas on the site I found.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,23133.msg182881.html#msg182881
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: Burlington Route on March 18, 2013, 10:03:34 PM
Yes I did....replied on your other post.
Now you got me eyeballing my lone S scale 4-4-2 for usablility in On30...the spare G scale pacific drivers would be waaaaay too big for anything in On30, even an 0-2-4.
Title: Re: What On30 diesel do I want to make?
Post by: GG1onFordsDTandI on March 19, 2013, 12:16:18 AM
Quote from: Burlington Route on March 18, 2013, 10:03:34 PM
Yes I did....replied on your other post.
Now you got me eyeballing my lone S scale 4-4-2 for usablility in On30...the spare G scale pacific drivers would be waaaaay too big for anything in On30, even an 0-2-4.
Those giant drivers of the 1800s are cool, but unless vv"this look"vv appeals to you for a train, I agree, too big.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=cutlass+on+50s&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSYAkD2oGVneuYFxpMCxCwjKcIGjoKOAgBEhKLAZkBjAGGAakBSYUBsgF-tAEaIJ7DyFBXGxcE2KNgp9rL6UV9P_1yLa17A2PiZe_1t3dYocDAsQjq7-CBoADCEbSIY9fFxnjQ&sa=X&ei=V-RHUd__F6PmygGWmID4BQ&ved=0CCkQ2A4oAA&biw=1366&bih=613