Question on best RS-3 Shell availble?

[lourjr33]

Hi;

I have a question on HO scale RS-3 shells. AS I am in the planing stages of modeling a Pennsylvania Railroad Hammerhead RS-3. is the Bachmann shell the best rendition? or is there a more accurate shell based on hood contour, cab rendition etc. As for the running gear, I was thinking of using the Kato/Atlas RS-3

[marknycfan]

Kato/Atlas hood should work just fine unless you can get an old Stewart kit which will eliminate all the cutting

[c415rock]

HI lourjr33,

The Bachmann rs3 is the most accurate shell on the market. One of the members of the PRR modelers group did a over lay of the Bachmann cab on the prototype and it is perfect. He also measured the shell for prototype dimensions and found it to be spot on. The only short comings on the Bachmann are the lack of detail on the trucks and the poor decoder. With that said I plan to graph on a set of Atlas side frames to fix that short coming and if you replace the decoder with any good decoder the Bachmann unit will run as good if not better than any Kato or Atlas unit.

Hope this helps and post some photos of your project once you start on it.

Erik

[iomalley]

How are the bolsters on the Bachmann truck? Are they top bolsters (above the driveline) like their blomberg trucks?

Why not swap out the entire truck with Atlas? It would be a bullet-proof setup...

[Packer]

I thought the old MDC/roundhouse RS3 was the best one? Guess it got beat out by a newer model...

I have an Athearn RTR RS3 (roundhouse shells on athearn drive). I can't comment on it being new as I bought it for cheap in non-running condition. New motor curtosey of athearn and it ran fine. I tried a DH123 for a decoder and it was kinda noisy. A TCS T4 was installed and it runs great.

[CP_8530]

IIRC:

The Athearn/MDC was the best in the shell-dimension department
The Atlas was best in the running department, the shell has some minor dimensional problems
The Stewart had the advantage of being offered in later and multiple phases, but it's currently sold without a drive.
There's also the old Hobbytown of Boston RS3...


I think someone measured them on the now defunct Atlas forum and found none of them having the exact perfect long hood roof profile.

I haven't seen any posts on the Bachmann being measured to death yet, but those truck sideframes, yeeeeeeesh.

[jakeloyst]

saw one of the posts in here about trying to get an old stewart shell, bowser has them in stock. or at least they did last week. so I ordered one of each phase, for the cut and chop projects in the future. www.bowser-trains.com

[dekon]

With a minium of work they will drop right on an Atlas chassis.

[krobar]

I talked to Steve Stewart when he was showing samples of the PH1b RS shells years ago and he told me that they had taken measurements of a former D&H RS3 that was being used on the Anthracite RR. So I'd say that the Stewart/Bowser RS's are the closest in dimensions followed by the MDC/Athearn and Hobbytown bodies, which are also very close in size. BTW to get the Stewart shell to drop on the Atlas drive requires some carving and grinding under the deck of the Stewart kit for it to fit right. I found that out when I used 2 Stewart bodies on the Atlas RSD4 drives for the CNJ units I'm doing.

[bbrunell]

The big question I have is what are you going to use for the Hammerhead conversion? I have looked around for a Tiger Valley or other conversion, but I haven't been able to find anything.

thanks,

-bill

[lourjr33]

Thank you all for the responses, first I have a DA Hammerehead Kit. but I ran across this site:

www.yellowstonetrainrepair.com/ytrdetailpartmolding.htm

Yellow Stone Train Repair and he has for sale a hammerhead kit that includes the hood and hi-short hood as one resin casting.


Out of curiosity I searched the net for photos of the Western Maryland hammerhead RS-3. They are the later PHIV ?, maybe, looking at the sides the filters one each unit are configured differently, to be accurate it will be necessary to cut up the Stewart Sides and glue the filter screens in a configuration to match the particular WM Unit

I think at this point I will stick with the PRR RS3 Hammer Head. a lot less surgery involved.

Also I think the Bachmann RS-3 with maybe Kato/Atlas drive and truck sideframes.

Question Main Line Modeler had drawings MM 8-84, MM 9-84, MM 2-85 and MM 4/86. I also have Greg Martins PRR RS-3 in MM March & April 96. He does a good job on the 800 gal fuel and water tank with the long air tank.

Anyway I need to get past Hurricane Sandy, I do construction consulting and we have a lot of work with insurance companies on commercial claims.

again Thank's to all who responded.

[jakeloyst]

Did the same thing, I ordered from bower, one of each phase RS3, and all were in stock and now on the work bench for future cut and chop projects.. Also got a set of RS3 replacement sides from Ready Trains. Excellent casting and have the large square side vents on each side. Suitable for PGE and some CN units, but I imagine there are other roads that had similar ones

[c420]

www.readytrain.com

[jbilbrey]

Long story short, all of the HO RS-3 shells have errors. The Bachmann shell's biggest downfall are the end windows; they have too much of an arch instead of following the cab roofline. The MDC/Athearn cab's side windows are too deep. I fixed it on one locomotive by filling in the bottom with strip styrene. A lot of modelers have complained bout the Stewart's shell, especially the hoods having too much of an arch. And, there are numerous errors (the least of which is the exhaust stack, which has been retooled).

If you can live with [or replace] the trucks, the Bachmann RS-3 might be your best bet. You will be blocking off one set of windows, so the question becomes can you live with the other set being slightly off.

James Bilbrey
LaVergne, TN

[lourjr33]

Hello Members:

I attended the Amherst show last week and stopped at the atlas display. They had a sample re-tooled RS-3 shell. I was not able to compare but from the brief viewing It looks good, but is it accurate. The rep I talked to did not seem to have much knowledge about Model Railroading. He said it was a re-tool and was an accurate RS-3. It was an Phase-I shell.
Th rep I talked with indicated a 3rd Q release. We will just have to wait. Also it would be nice if they came out with other Phases, in particular WM Hammerheads were the later PhII and III with body filters.

Any way, hope everyone is

enjoys the super bowel.

Lou R.