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Post by americanlines on Jun 22, 2012 8:51:37 GMT -5
Hello All,
I have added a couple of Great Lakes Central GP35's to my project list. These units are ex-Ann Arbor and have old Alco/ARR trucks. I have purchased Katos and I have heard that you can swap the truck side frames from old Stewart U25B's that have the Kato mechanism. The old Stewart/Kato U25B's are going for a pretty penny and are in tight supply on Evil Bay. Since I was going to use only the truck side frame I wanted to consider other options. Is the Stewart/Kato ARR truck the same as the one on the Atlas/Kato older "yellow box' units?
Anyone done this conversion?
Thanks!!
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Post by iomalley on Jun 22, 2012 9:34:37 GMT -5
The stewart Kato AAR-B truck has the wrong axle spacing and thus is just Alco sideframes on a blomberg gearbox mechanism.
I have a SP U25B you can have for $45 plus shipping. The body's rough, but it sounds like you don't care about that...
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Post by Packer on Jun 22, 2012 10:41:48 GMT -5
You could mount some GP35 shell on a P2K chassis. P2k made GP30s with AARs that I think had the right axle spacing and fuel tanks.
I'm trying to fit 2 athearn RTR GP35 on P2K GP30 chassis just because I have them.
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spike
Chairman
They say I can't be Spike anymore, so Mr. Burns it is!
Posts: 561
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Post by spike on Jun 25, 2012 2:14:49 GMT -5
I have a RPP GP35 on an Athearn chassis. The sideframe swap was easy this way.
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Post by T on Jun 25, 2012 7:41:14 GMT -5
From what I remember hearing about the ANN ARBOR RR GP-35's on AAR trucks they were from ALCO FA's.
Tom
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Post by stillbre on Jun 26, 2012 13:50:09 GMT -5
The wheel base difference between the Stewart U25B/RS12/AS16 truck and the prototype is only about 4". If this doesn't bother you then the Stewart side frames will actually mount on the Kato GP35 trucks. Bob Harpe did this on a Southern GP35.
If you can find a Kato RS2 truck, these should have the correct wheel base. However, I believe the way the trucks are mounted are different between the RS2 and GP35. Several solutions were brought up when Bob started his group build but I don't recall what else was suggested.
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Post by poweredby251 on Jun 27, 2012 20:18:14 GMT -5
Not quite. Correct for the Alco/GE trucks compared to an EMD. The Baldwin and FM trucks were several inchs longer than even the Alco/GE type. John The wheel base difference between the Stewart U25B/RS12/AS16 truck and the prototype is only about 4". If this doesn't bother you then the Stewart side frames will actually mount on the Kato GP35 trucks. Bob Harpe did this on a Southern GP35. If you can find a Kato RS2 truck, these should have the correct wheel base. However, I believe the way the trucks are mounted are different between the RS2 and GP35. Several solutions were brought up when Bob started his group build but I don't recall what else was suggested. |
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dtinut
Chairman
Modeling the DT&I of the 60's & 70's
Posts: 661
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Post by dtinut on Jun 27, 2012 23:20:48 GMT -5
I would suggest - if you want to keep the Kato drive - then look for some cheap Kato RS-2 models, they have trucks that will work under the Kato GP35 with a little work, and will provide the correct axle spacing. Note: you need to remove 7 scale inches from the front and rear of the fuel tank, as the Annie units had smaller tanks because the trucks were a bit longer. I have done several AA GP35 models using the P2K GP30 drive with the AAR-B trucks (IC/SOO/MILW/GM&O models) abd fitted the Kato shell onto the P2K chassis. The best thing about this, is that this requires little work on the frame itself - a mill file and a dremel wil get it done in short order, and the trucks and tank are very nice. The weight requires a lot of work if you want to retain that - I cut off quite a bit to make room for decoder and wiring.  They run well when done (gotta replace axle gears with Athearn parts though) Regards, Brian |
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Post by Randy Earle on Jun 27, 2012 23:46:17 GMT -5
Brian, everytime I see that AA unit I think of Jim Hediger.
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Post by americanlines on Jun 28, 2012 8:07:31 GMT -5
Great work there dtinut!!!!
Thank you to all that have answered. I have some ideas now.
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Post by tcline on Jun 29, 2012 2:41:05 GMT -5
I have done a pair of AA units using "old" Kato GP-35's. ( 1990's I think ). Anyway, if you can find AAR type B sideframes from Bowser, they clip right in the Kato trucks.
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Post by poweredby251 on Jul 1, 2012 12:54:36 GMT -5
Just a side note about Bowser. The latest run announcement for the U-25-B say's the will have newly tooled trucks with the correct 9'4" wheel spacing. Hopefully they redo the trucks for the Baldwins with their even longer spacing as well!
John
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CSXT700
Probationary Member
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Post by CSXT700 on May 11, 2017 10:30:39 GMT -5
I know I am digging up a old subject, but would anyone know if the old Atlas/Kato trucks used on the RS-3's and RS-11's would mount to a older run Kato GP35?
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Post by jmlaboda on May 11, 2017 14:43:04 GMT -5
For starters what scale are you talking about?
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CSXT700
Probationary Member
Posts: 3
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Post by CSXT700 on May 12, 2017 7:42:21 GMT -5
Sorry HO Scale
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dtinut
Chairman
Modeling the DT&I of the 60's & 70's
Posts: 661
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Post by dtinut on Jan 17, 2018 10:39:33 GMT -5
For starters what scale are you talking about? Not really... The old style trucks used on Centuries aand Alco's have a bt different mount system than the standard bolster of most model locos. Specifically - the Kato has a lower bolster than most models do, and using other mfg trucks under their models tends to make them sit very high. You would need to cut out and create new bolsters to use those trucks under a Kato GP35 frame. The RS-2 trucks from Kato are the only ones that will work easily with the Kato GP35 frame, and it still requires making a pocket in the frame for the gear hump the RS-2 trucks have that the Kato GP35 blombergs don't have. |
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spike
Chairman
They say I can't be Spike anymore, so Mr. Burns it is!
Posts: 561
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Post by spike on Jan 20, 2018 10:34:19 GMT -5
Will the side frames, or the trucks from yellow box Atlas/ Kato Alcos work?
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