ATSF #2611

[norm66]

Started with building ATSF's #2611 - a transfer switcher that was rebuilt from 'Andy', one of the one-spot-twins that powered the 'Super Chief'.

ATSF #2611

Scale is 1/29 in order to get usage of components available from USA-Trains and Aristo-Craft.
For the body (shell & roof) I used an old Aristo Heavyweight - the prototype body was built by St.Louis Car Company.
After a B-B-truck of the original was changed to 1B-B and then a 1B-B1 set-up for better high speed tracking, the transfer switcher received Blomberg B -trucks. So a F3-truck set from USA-Trains was my choice.

The first assembly looked like a tin-plate nightmare


After some additional work on pilots, side skirt and roof one can imagine some resemblance



#2611 has only a front cab, the rear cab's windows were plated over; additionally the roof design of front and rear differs in several details
Now with some more work on the roof and revised side skirt:
front end



rear end (blanked out windows still have to be cut)



The model will represent the initial design with a separate headlight on top of the front roof (like a steamer) and the rear light mounted on the center plate of the roof.
With ventilation hatches as well as the front headlight attached to the roof.



Regards
Norman

[simulatortrain]

Interesting, and nice work!

[gevo]

Neat looking beast

[icghogger]

SWEEEEEET!!

[slowfreight]

That is as fascinating as watching a highway accident. In one way, like you said, the first picture is horrifying. But the transformation is nothing short of amazing!

[norm66]

Thanks to all of you for the nice comments - it helped to overcome the embarrassing feeling when posting the first photo (my first impression was that I was wrong with several dimensions of trucks and body...)

Here are some new photos showing some further progress

Front



Rear


And a look onto the roof


Regards
Norman

[gevo]

Man can't wait to see it done

[mandealco]

Hi
Nice work. What really impressed me with this project is the vision in seeing what you wanted to make and finding a starting point. That's a good skill in itself. You must have started as an N-scaler?
Cheers
Steve
NZ

[norm66]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the nice comment. However, although I have a small collection of N-scale rolling stock (as well as 0- and H0-Scale, the latter being my start as a 4-year-old boy) my first steps in scratchbuilding were in 1/29-scale - the smaller scales are to fiddly for my fingers.
Today my modeling efforts include even bigger stuff (1" and 1.5") with prototypes of (more or less) streamlined 'rarities' like gas turbines, an Aerotrain, a Krauss-Maffei ML4000 prototype unit and currently a M-10005 (apart from the McKeen and PRR's doodlebug already shown here).

Regards
Norman

[norm66]

Now with a basic paint job (unfortunately a flash was necessary for taking the pix)

Front end



Rear end




Side view



Upper silver lining & decaling is still missing as well as the bell on top of the roof (hard to discover on the prototype photos)

Regards
Norman

[gevo]

Really turned out nice