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Post by Randy Earle on Jun 2, 2008 22:46:49 GMT -5
I'm doing more work on my Kaslo M420R for those that are interested. This locomotive casting is nice, but Kaslo leaves a person wanting as far as the mechanism for it. I've been grinding and cutting for over a week now on the required ATLAS U23b chassis for this engine. I've had to do a similar cutting job to facilitate the area for the I-beams visible under the walkway that is supposed to represent the frame. I am using Evergreen 3/16 C-channel for this. I'll take some pics of my progress in a day or so. I have noted that the ATLAS C420 chassis has this detail (the I-beams) but the wheelbase is too short for the M420R.
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Post by Randy Earle on Jun 3, 2008 22:50:00 GMT -5
You may be let down, I'm Americanizing mine pretty good...it won't look like any 1:1 MLW ever built. I've removed that cockeyed off center nose headlight and moved it to above the windshield. Bell is gonna be frame mounted also. I'm building this one like the River Run had bought it new in 1976. I already have a line on another M420R and a pair of HR412s, and I just picked up an ATLAS RS-11 that will be built low nose in River Run.
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Post by Randy Earle on Jun 5, 2008 7:41:30 GMT -5
I look at it like this....just because there were only 5 imported to the United States when new in the "Real World" doesn't mean in the "Model Railroad World" small railroads couldn't have ordered new units. Montreal Locomotive Works of the mid 1970s would not have turned down orders for locomotives! SO.....I'm the owner of Regional Railroad, River Run, Coshocton, & Southern, it's 1975, and I've ordered 4 M420R diesels from MLW using 4 River Run ALCO RS-3s as trade in units for parts and trucks, and I order an additional 4 HR412R diesels and trade in the remaining 3 RS-3s and one RS-11 on these. That's whats nice about Prototype Freelancing and Model Railroading.....You can re-write history! Another thing that I've seen discussed by many railroad historians is the subject of Fallen Flag Railroads, and their demise effecting locomotive manufacturers. Case in point, the Nickel Plate Road was a railroad that had many ALCO Diesels, in fact, the last locomotive purchased in 1964 before the merger with the Norfolk & Western was ALCO C420 #578. Had the NKP not merged with the N&W, there would have been a need in the late 1970s for them to replace their aging fleet of early 1950s diesels. Had NKP put in a rather large order say in 1968 for new ALCO diesels, would ALCO have gone out of business? Had ALCO still gone out of business NKP would have sureley turned to MLW for their diesel needs. A 1970s era Nickel Plate would certainly have rostered new MLW M420 diesels! I have often thought of just modeling a NON-MERGER post 1964 modern Nickel Plate.
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Post by Randy Earle on Jun 6, 2008 10:56:29 GMT -5
I like to think of my River Run as an ersatz NKP.
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Post by Randy Earle on Jun 6, 2008 22:51:40 GMT -5
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Post by Randy Earle on Jul 15, 2008 23:08:15 GMT -5
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Post by superfleet93 on Jul 16, 2008 12:48:08 GMT -5
Looking great Randy! Can't wait for the SDF40-2's to arrive.
Perry
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Smoke
Chairman
The Ski Train!!!!
Posts: 753
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Post by Smoke on Jul 16, 2008 12:53:00 GMT -5
Looking good Bob uuhhh I mean Randy. I forgot Bob's your uncle.
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Post by Randy Earle on Jul 16, 2008 13:01:32 GMT -5
Looking good Bob uuhhh I mean Randy. I forgot Bob's your uncle. Was that you? ;D How do you know my Uncle Bob Pherapplez?
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Smoke
Chairman
The Ski Train!!!!
Posts: 753
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Post by Smoke on Jul 16, 2008 15:00:44 GMT -5
Looking good Bob uuhhh I mean Randy. I forgot Bob's your uncle. Was that you? ;D How do you know my Uncle Bob Pherapplez? No that wasn't me, but I thought it was funny. It says right under your post Randy. don't know how he missed it.
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Post by Randy Earle on Jul 16, 2008 16:34:36 GMT -5
I'm so forgetable.
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sarge
Chairman
Posts: 1,132
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Post by sarge on Jul 17, 2008 19:33:08 GMT -5
Look'n good. I like the grills too.
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bcrmlw
Superintendent
Posts: 186
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Post by bcrmlw on Jul 25, 2008 8:23:03 GMT -5
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Post by Randy Earle on Jul 25, 2008 9:13:00 GMT -5
Trevor, how about a few pics of your progress on that one?
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Post by Randy Earle on Jul 25, 2008 22:26:44 GMT -5
I fixed it for you Trevor. Photobucket has some confusing scripts. Looks like you got a ways to go yet on those.
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bcrmlw
Superintendent
Posts: 186
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Post by bcrmlw on Jul 25, 2008 23:59:29 GMT -5
Thanks Randy! I'm going to grind more metal off o fthe frames to fit the Evergreen C channel. I've been trying to work on these two for the better part of a year now, I've been busy doing decoder installs and painting for other people instead of working on my own stuff. (which will soon be corrected)
-Trevor
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Post by Randy Earle on Jul 27, 2008 22:06:39 GMT -5
Well, I spent today doing more work on mine. I installed the fuel tank hangers, the underframe bell (on the other side), the air filters and piping, the air dryer (had to make that piece from some Alco RS-3 parts), and the fuel fillers. Making that air dryer was a pain in the whozits...it's behind the air tank above the rear truck. My dryer is a little short, but it's a "what if?" unit, so I'm happy.
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bcrmlw
Superintendent
Posts: 186
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Post by bcrmlw on Aug 4, 2008 18:57:43 GMT -5
Hey Randy,
How were you able to grind off the metal on the Atlas frame and still keep it in one piece? The area near the rear truck is very thin and I'm having trouble figuring out how to remove the metal without breaking the frame. My best guess is grind one side down, add the evergreen channel, then do the other side. Am I close?
-Trevor
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Post by Randy Earle on Aug 4, 2008 19:53:01 GMT -5
I used a big fiberglass wheel in my dremel and went down the side like a buzzsaw. I marked the weight where the peg goes through the frame, then drilled #50 and tapped 2-56, then screwed the weight right to the frame. When I did my cutting, I went wide where the shell clips go, then trimmed it down a little. I filed the backside of the channel a little thinner so it would fit flush. For what John charges for those kits, he should provide a frame.
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bcrmlw
Superintendent
Posts: 186
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Post by bcrmlw on Aug 4, 2008 21:48:08 GMT -5
Thanks Randy, when I get a change mine will go under the saw. I agree that John should have provided a frame, however he would have to do 2 frames as the M420 and the M420R frames differ from one another. A fuel tank should have beeen included with the M420R kit, John was led to believe that the U23B tank could be cobbled into a tank, until I sent him some shots of the prototype! In his defense he did send me a BCR fuel tank free of charge for my M420R.
-Trevor
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