Inspired by Tyson to get off my armchair, I've started work on my HOn30 climax. Using an N scale Model power six axle diesel, I had to come up with something relatively painless for sideframes. I first cut the middle drivers off at the axle. Then I modified the sideframes as shown. Using .030x.040 Evergreen styrene, I glued a piece to the two outside journals. After it dried, I cut out the middle bearing and the remainder of the frame. Using the bolster casting from a Roundhouse archbar truck glued to more styrene, I mounted it in the center as seen and finished it by capping it off with yet another piece of styrene.
HOn30 climax...
- Thread starter shaygetz
- Start date
Shaygetz are you going to be using this for ops? The reason I ask is because Model Power is famous (in n-scale anyway) for lousy running mechs. I'd hate to see all that work go into something that looks great and barely runs. 
Yes, I knew that from my N scale daze. The reason I chose it was two-fold; 1) the spareness of the mechanism lent itself to smaller components like the boiler and tank. It will have a lot of air between details and I'll be packing those details with my old reliable #8 birdshot. 2) the loco only has to pull a modified flatcar, detailed to look like it's carrying tourists, on a small loop of track. The Galloping Goose that I'm building on the other hand, is required to do more in ops and therefore received a beefier, more reliable Bachmann mechanism. I knew that alert N scalers would question the wisdom of the choice of locomotive and I hope that I made the right choices, based on the above factors and --drum roll please-- money on hand
I've now added the tee boiler and water tank. I was going with a verticle boiler but the mechanism is about a scale 10' too long. Even now the locomotive is about 3' longer than I wanted but the effect is still there and, eh, life is full of compromise. The boiler is made from 1/2' copper repair pipe, 1/2" and 3/4" CPVC and sheet styrene. The tank from 3/4" CPVC pipe and styrene. The boiler front is a modified street lamp base. The sand dome is the clicker top on a ball point pen. The stack came from the scrap box. It awaits the headlight which itself is waiting for its lightbulb, some piping and of course the cab.
(I really hafta put my shop crew on clear plastic bases, yeesh!)
(I really hafta put my shop crew on clear plastic bases, yeesh!)
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Looking great.
I really appreciate people who use their imagination and build great models from whatever material or parts do the job. This is half the fun. You and Tyson are both motivating us with your neat projects
Sure looking forward to more pictures as you add stuff to this little critter.
Bill S
I really appreciate people who use their imagination and build great models from whatever material or parts do the job. This is half the fun. You and Tyson are both motivating us with your neat projects
Sure looking forward to more pictures as you add stuff to this little critter.
Bill S
Thanks guys. I really do miss the pioneer daze of model railroading when you could find models like this all thru the pages of MR and RMC. The Big Blue Board gives a nice forum to show and share these things with likeminded modelers. Tyson's model plus the sudden influx of two nephews and a neice added to my two kids, all under the age of seven, have driven me to the workbench in a flurry of activity. I have no more room for inspiration, thank you very much....
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Very cool project you have going here. I see you already have some antlers for your new jewel. I'm looking forward to your finished master piece as is everyone here.
Keep up the good work,
Greg Elems
I'm looking forward to your finished master piece as is everyone here.Keep up the good work,
Greg Elems
Here you go, I managed to sneak into the OC&CC R.R. shop while the crew was out getting reshod with clear plastic bases. Side one is up and trimmed. This is side two in its final stage of assembly. The strip wood and scribed siding came from a box lot of HO kibbles and bits found at a flea market. I figure it is at least 40 years old judging from the contents of said lot. Set the shop budget back about 12 cents. Gotta nice musty, antiquey aroma about it, too. Amazing what you can crank out on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
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Thanks Tyson, you started this you know. I hadda whole summer of grass cuttin' and weed wackin' and car washin' and other assorted outside projects I coulda been doin' but no, you hadda get me started on this drudgery Anyhow, here's a view from above. From the beginning I had misgivings about how I was going to hide the drive train between the boiler and water tank. I didn't want to lose that airy, open porch feel that smaller narrow gauge climaxes had. Then I realized that the prototype never tried to hide their's either. I've test fired the mechanism and, eureka! it even replicates the monkey motion rather well, right down to the sparks from the motor brushes simulating an open firebox door.
Anyhow, here's a view from above. From the beginning I had misgivings about how I was going to hide the drive train between the boiler and water tank. I didn't want to lose that airy, open porch feel that smaller narrow gauge climaxes had. Then I realized that the prototype never tried to hide their's either. I've test fired the mechanism and, eureka! it even replicates the monkey motion rather well, right down to the sparks from the motor brushes simulating an open firebox door.Attachments
If I got you outta doing a summer's worth of mowing, weedeating and car washing you must owe me some serious $$$$$$$$$$
Thanks Tyson, happily the complex I'm supervisor at has renewed the lawnguy's contract and my nephew is currently washing the "Silver Bullet" as I type. You're gonna hafta find another way to finance your railroad. Here's another pic of it facing east bound. The plumbing is now complete although, unlike my example, I would highly recommend applying it BEFORE the sides go up. The whistle on the steam dome came from the aforementioned fleamarket box lot. The shop crew is currently getting ready to electrify the lamp and mount it as well as finish the roof.
The whistle on the steam dome came from the aforementioned fleamarket box lot. The shop crew is currently getting ready to electrify the lamp and mount it as well as finish the roof.Attachments
Poverty Acres wouldn't be anywhere near Alarka would it? I spent two weeks there some years back at a retreat run by the Alarka Baptist Church. Went rafting down the Nantahala River and drank some of the best peach soda in the world while I was there. Don't know that I'd get any modeling done living in them hills. Just gorgeous country...
You were probably on Upper Alarka and I'm on Lower Alarka (has nothing to do with elevation). So Poverty Acres is REALLLLLLLLLLL close !!!! Where abouts in Fla. are you? I grew up in the Ft. Liquordale/Cuba, er Miami area.
Thanks Robin, I must confess I sorta cheated on the light---see 9v battery to left in picture--- Tyson, I was born and raised in Baltimore, now I live just outside of Pepsicola...er...Pensacola, the part of Floriduh that can read punch card ballots