Cheap Builds?

[Randy Earle]

Here is a section of this Forum that will come into play more and more I fear. You take the average Joe with a job and kids...how many $100+ locomotives can he buy, plus gas is almost 4 bucks a gallon. The Athearn route is the only choice for some. I'm disabled, can't work, but I need something to do right? This is where the scratchbuilder and kitbasher end of the hobby comes into play. Maybe we should do a clinic on a low buck build up? Anyone have input on this? Who's gonna do the first... LOW BUCK BUILD?

[sarge]

LOW BUCK interests me. I have always been on a tight budget, that may get tighter since I may be retiring sooner than I planned.

[DRLOCO]

I'm a big fan of on the cheap!
Once I get a few other projects out of the way, I'll be doing a fleet of SW's for my railway...Hopefully posting pics along the way.

[Randy Earle]

Sept 27, 2008 7:34:50 GMT -5 @sigfanusaf said:

I've been feeling the pinch foar a while, I'm a single father of two.

That's why I have a big sale on Ebay every once in a while and refuel my locomotive budget ;D

Well list it here first Dave so us other Poor Folks can have a crack at it.

[Deleted]

I have been trying to do a cheap build for years, but I keep justifying adding more parts until it no longer resembles a cheap build.

So I will take on this challenge. I'll do a cheap build for the group, but we need to set the criteria and limits.

As a group, what would the budget be? The locomotive is going to take the biggest bite out of the budget. So is $50.00 reasonable or would the group agree that anything under $100.00 would fall inot the heading of a cheap build?

I'll set the criteria that only hand tools or a standard Dremel tool can be used. I will not use my mill on this project.

Any manufacturers model is fair game as long as it is within budget. Most likely though it will be from Athearn.

I choose the anyting under $100.00 as the cheap budget. What does the group agree to?

I'll start shopping EBAY for something and will let the group know when I have secured a model to start this.

[Randy Earle]

I always start out around $50, but those pesky detail parts get me over. This is a great plan Brian.

[Deleted]

So do you agree that teh anything under $100.00 as a budget?

If so, then I have more to choose from. We need to hear from other members on this list as to what a reasonable budget would be.

Brian

[CIOR]

Under $100 sounds good. We all know how quickly even a handful of detail parts quickly add up!

[Randy Earle]

I have made the appropriate changes to this Board. This was a great idea, and I'm glad Brian is getting involved. I like the thought of getting back to the roots of this hobby...making it not only fun, but bringing it back where it should be. ;D

[graftonterminalrr]

Under $100.00 is good, too. But here's a thought.

Usually, when starting with a stock model, we remove whatever needs removing and add whatever needs to be added. This assumes we are happy with a given model's basic dimensions and "hard qualities", i.e. things like long hood doors, walkway sills, pilot backing plates, fuel tank, etc.

It's easy to start with, say a Kato SD40 and pitch everything except the sill and drive unit, and wind up for all intents and purposes scratchbuilding a body shell. Mr. Banna's website shows how he does this (not meant as criticism against his work, trust me!)

I think the purpose of a "cheap build" like this would be to provide more of what's been described as a "club runner" than a contest-winning model. I'm going to do a similar theme with a Proto 2000 GP38-2, knowing that there are slight discrepancies in cab and hood height but choosing to live with that.

Also - let's not discount the possibility of starting with a used model, too. The HO Yard Sale is a good place to find stuff like that.

As for a possible subject? Let's do something distinctive. Say a CN pre-rebuild GMD-built high-hood GP9. P2K models are good starting points, but there are so many differences vs. a stock EMD built example. Different louver placements. Flexicoil trucks. Big winterization hatches. Differently-bent handrails. Etc, etc.

[Randy Earle]

I don't think it would hurt for the Cheap Build models to represent any proto or freelance road as long as it's a Cheap Build. Anything from an Alco to a BLH, Generous Electric or EMD. The K.I.S.S. priciple would weigh heavy in this Cheap Build Catagory. Build what you like, keep the expense low, and above all...HAVE FUN!

[Deleted]

I envision the "Cheap Build" concept to be any model from any manufacturer and it does not have to be new. it can be bought second hand. The whole idea is to spend as little as possible to attain a respectable representative of the prototype.

My concept is not to be cutting the crap out of the model to rebuild it, but rather find the best off the shelf representative model, buy it cheap and add whatever commercially avalibale parts are needed to build a "Club Runner" RPM model. Also p[art of the concept for me is to build a model as I would have when I first started building HO models on a limited budget. That means basic tools. Getting a Dremel back then was a stretch on my dollars so as a tribute to the king of tools in the day, I wanted to include the Dremel. Soldering irons are OK as well since they are pretty much a basic tool.

So I think there should be simple rules to follow.

1. $100.00 limit (includes any taxes, shipping charges and so on associated with the purchase of the model and parts needed).

2. No high end, high dollar tool usage (mills, lathes and such).

3. You do not have to incluse the cost of parts you already have. Being a modeler, you will naturally have bits and pieces left over from othe rmodels you can use. It is fair game to use them. If you do have to buy new parts, refer to rule #1.

4. Rule #3 does not apply to a model that you might already have because that model was not left over from building a previous model. You must include the cost involved with obtaining that model.

The idea is to keep the cost as low as possible and use your imagination when building the model to cut costs. Build a "Club Runner" and not an "RPM show model".

I suggest this be a sort of an ongoing contest. Not to see who can build the best model of course, but to see who can obtain the necessary model and parts as cheap as possible. Be fair. Freebies are legal, but not to the point where you have a distributor friend who will get you everything for free. I do not think we can discount freebies though. We all get them from time to time from friends who want to help us out.


I'm doing this to bring back the old days of modeling and to make it fun.

Brian

[danraitz]

Oct 7, 2008 13:27:52 GMT -5 @6axlepwr said:

4. Rule #3 does not apply to a model that you might already have because that model was not left over from building a previous model. You must include the cost involved with obtaining that model.
Brian

Does this mean the cost of the loco when I bought it (i.e. 20 years ago ;D), or what it would cost me now?

Dan

[Deleted]

I would be agreeable to whatever you paid for it when you aquired it.

I just secured the model I will be working on and I got it for a lot less than what it would have cost me new and it is new. Also for the person is throwing in a Cannon & Co. tread plate set, a non-dynamic brake hatch and new handrail set. It is an Athearn GP38-2 (Blue Box 2002/2003 vintage). The cost to me is whatever it takes to ship it to me.

All we are trying to establish is a cost for the model. You had to purchase it sometime. Even if you had in in your collection for 20 years, it still cost you something to obtain it unless it was truely given to you at no cost.

Does that sound reasonable to the group?

Brian

[Randy Earle]

Sounds good to me Brian.

[Deleted]

When I get everything together, I will post a BOM and the costs involved.

Just a note to the group about my "cheap build". I apologize for my straying from the concept a bit. Since I will be selling this model, there are certain things I need to do to it. These certain things are NOT necessary for the model to be built on a budget and the model can be built WITHOUT doing these things. I will note what they are when I post photos. As far as the cost goes though, I will stick to the budget and try to beat it by quite a bit.

The protoype I have chosen to model is an MKT GP38-2 unit #315 in the mid 1970's. I chose unit #315 because it has all the different types of journals. I have wanted to model an MKT unit for some time now and this is a good excuse to get one done.

Brian

[nysw240]

I dont have a cheap build on hand but i did get a great deal for 4 Proto 2000 2 NYC E8As and 2 PA1s for 24.00 . My first cheap build was a Athearn F7A that i got from my Clubs old stock that i striped and i used some wire i had for the hand grabs and i bought cal-scale grabs for 1.25 a DW beacon for .68 and mv lens for .89 a bottle of testers platom mist 1.68 and microscale NJ and a few parts from my junk box and Transit decals total cost 4.50 I will post pictures later

[CIOR]

I've got a Atlas GP40HH that I got for $45 undec, and all the parts I purchased a junk grab from a local hobby supply that closed, all for $25, should be everything I need to do it when I get to it.

[sarge]

All my diesels so far fit in this category. My half built challenger won't even come close.

[graftonterminalrr]

In approximately a week, I'd like to start Project Cheap Build: NBSR GP38-2 2319.

I'll be starting with a Proto 2000 GP38-2 that I acquired off the HO Yard Sale in a trade involving some Proto GP9's and GP18's. If I had to put a price on the unit, I'd say $40.00 taking into account shipping. The GP38-2 was factory decorated for Conrail, and the previous owner added these Details West parts: antennae, ATC box, plow, horn, and ditch lights. I can re-use the plow, horn and ditch light castings in the build.

The RailFlyer NBSR decals cost me $10.00 IIRC; bottles of Tamiya Lemon Yellow and Tamiya Semigloss Black are $2.49 each; Athearn Blomberg-M sideframes and a non-dynamic brake hatch come from the parts box, I'll be using Cannon fans and a set of DW Banna-adaptors for the truck sideframes, because the P2K trucks look like pretty close clones of Atlas trucks.

The whole project won't cost me more that $80.00. I'll be posting pics every step of the way.