Rock Island motor baggage car #9006 in 1/29

Started another motor car in 1/29.
Rock Island's #9006 was shop-built using a PS heavyweight, two diesels of 400hp each and a pair of  two-axle power trucks.

A picture of the protoype can be seen here:

RI motor car #9006

As usual (and in this case, prototypically) an Aristo HW was used for the shell & roof (the rest of the HW will be used to stretch another one to prototypical 85' length). Trucks are from an USA-trains NW-2 with several modifications.

Peoria & Pekin Union RR #200 - a powerful streamlined switcher

Davenport & Besler's one-of-a-kind streamlined center-cab switcher built in 1938
Peoria & Pekin Union RR's #200 has two 190hp-diesels under each hood, so 760hp in total. It has full width hood with nicely rounded edges.
The cab has inclined front panels pointed towards the center where the exhaust stacks are encased.
Unfortunately there is not much information in books or in the net - all photos are a 3/4-view at best which making an dimensions' estimation rather difficult (with no 'reference' in the photo)

Prototype photo from Don Ross collection

Model is built in 1/29 scale using parts (trucks, frame & cab) of USA-Trains' GE 44t.
- frame was extended app. 1.5"
- two cab were cut & spliced together
- plain side walls and slightly rounded top of hood are from 0.80" styrene
- interfaces of side walls and hood's top panel are made from card board tube
- All areas will be covered with GRP to stiffen and smoothen the surfaces

Basic subconstruction

ATSF #1: further progress on trucks

Almost finished ATSF #1's trucks.
Power trucks from USA-trains SD-40, using the side-frames as a basic subconstruction with electrical pick-up and fastening provision to the unit's body. Equalizers were made using parts from LGB Alco trucks' side frames.

Some overspray as well as some just added details (back-up light casinf, rear door (missing on Hallmark's H0-model) ans door latches (missing on the H0-model as well) has to be revised.
Finally more resemblance to the prototype...

In between: SF baggage-mail combine in 1/29

A more or less generic Aristo-heavyweight baggage car was modified to a Sante Fe prototype:
All-steel baggage-mail combine #2024-2038 of 1927, with Pullman-style trucks.
Main spotting feature of most (later) SF heavyweights is the lower channel side sill (simulated by a L-shaped profile fabricated from stayrol strips and attached to the car's floor.
Trucks were moved to prototypical position towards the end of the car. Doors' and body's windows were modified to resemble the protoype. Underboy details were added (e.g. steam traps, generator)
Lettering and paint touch-ups are on the to-do list.

Progress on ATSF #1 rebuilt

Some progress to show on the bulldog nosed ATSF #1. Unit is placed on USA Trains' SD-40/2 trucks which have the correct wheelbase and will be used for this project.

M-10005's B-unit with paint job finished

Finally the B-unit has received its paint, too

A-unit assembled

Put together the A-unit - however, after some research I noticed that the lower red line is too thick so that area has to be re-painted.

Painting M-10005's A-unit

Paint job on the A-unit is finished including the front logo and side badges - the shell's lettering is still missing

M-10005: A-unit in the paint shop

Some pictures from the basic paint job on the A-unit and its trucks

Next step will be the red stripe dividing armour yellow and leaf brown
Additionally decals for the front and side badges have to be designed

ATSF #2611 with basic paint job

Still missing upper silver lining, bell on roof (it was hard to discover on the prototype photos for #2611) and - of course - decals

ATSF rebuilt 1-spot progress

Front area of the roof remodeled, pilot attached and side-skirt trimmed down.

ATSF rebuilt 1-spot

Now after some progress a few photos of the first assembly steps (side skirt and roof not shaped now). Set-up is on Aristo's HW-trucks for demonstration purposes.

Streamlined ATSF #10 or #1 in 1/29

Started with the first 'rebuilt' design of Amos & Andy - the streamlined bulldog-nose set-up with the cab on top of the nose.
There are slight differences in the bulldog-nose' shape between #1 and #10 the latter having a more slanted nose above the herald and a different window arrangement.
Up to now I'm not quite sure which unit I'll build...it depends a bit how the  bulldog-nose will emerge from the trials.

Once again, body and basic roof are from an Aristo-Craft HW.
The bulldog nose is quite a challenge - compound curves in every direction!

I haven't make up a final decision on truck arrangement - either the earlier 1B-B or the final 1B-1B version. Additionally I'm not sure whether I should use the A1A-trucks of USA-Trains as a substitute (actually a 1B, too). There are a few differences in appearance between the 1B (asymmetrical axle distance, about 14' 6" wheelbase) and the A1A (symmetrical axle distance, app. 15'6" wheelbase).
Pictures of first assembly will follow

Update on ATSF #2611

Some progress on shell & roof

Further progress on ATSF #2611

Installed the ventilation hatches on the roof, head and rear light and couplers.

M-10005 - new pictures of the aux. power-baggage car

Some progress on the baggage car (trucks' sideframes started, most of the rivets on the body set etc.)

Further progress on ATSF #2611

Window & door openings roughly cut and roof modified to asymmetrical design of front and rear

 

ATSF #2611 - further progress

Basic pilot design and side skirting as well as roof shape were finished

ATSF #2611 in1/29

Another project: ATSF #2611, a transfer unit rebuilt from one of the one-spots.

ATSF #2611

Body will - once again - consist of an Aristo-Craft HW. Shortened, with the HW's end slightly inclined.
Roof will be a bit more difficult due to the different intake grills on each end and sides as well as the two 'counter-sunk' exhaust/muffler arrangements (quite similar to those of the M-10005) and the several cooling intake hatches.

Trucks of an USA-Trains F3B will be used.

First pictures of the basic body & truck assembly (I have to admit, looking really strange & ugly). Body height seems to be rather small in comparison to the usual F-units and the trucks - however, it is according to the app. 6'10" listed in the drawing in 'Santa Fe early diesel daze'.

M-10005: electrical controlling system installed

Since I use four motors of app. 750W each (36V) I had the choice between two controlling systems:
- a single, very powerful controller with long wire harness to the motors and the two 36V-packes (12V batteries in serial connection)
- two smaller controllers one for each truck, connected in a master-slave set-up, with shorter wire harness and none of the problems of connecting two different 36V-packs

Well, after several months of consideration I decided to go with two controllers in a master slave set-up (4QD Pro-150).
The front truck is the slave, the rear the master controller which is connected to the controlling box (with ignition, forward/reverse-switch and speed
pot).
For safety I put several fuses into the harness (ignition, battery connection and to each motor) -  maybe overkill but this set-up may help to locate a problem or to ease limping back into the station.