1/8" PVC board ( included in box with enough for mistakes )^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Gotta have cross drilled rotors !!!
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Update:
I shared the recent idea generation posts. They did little to alleviate a bit of sulkiness that someone had to disassemble AM-Critter to reverse those trucks. We got that done today. Someone was just as sulky to find he had to move the weight back over the powered truck. He made preparations to do that today, too.
Meanwhile, he has been slowly shaping the front of the body to clear the rails. I talked to him about the couplers. He nodded. I talked to him about closing up the back. He nodded. I reminded myself “His project!” My better self nodded…
Updates as progress merits!
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
Mr. Mueller and Mr. Mueller spawn,
When you boys are finished with the pouting and headbutting may I ask you gentlemen to both have a peek at my recent addition to an “Amtrak Bashing” thread ".
I would like you to note that I am currently using and primarily have used the same materials you received in a modeling care package and they can and will work very well.
Just think simple and “take your time”. No need to rush as Rome was not built in a day.
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Update:
OK, we took @Rooster 's advice, took a deep breath, and reviewed his AMTRAK Bashing thread. I set a goal this weekend to get the couplers set up, but first we had to make space on the lanai. There were any number of almost finished, not really started, and where-were-we projects on the table between trains, rockets, planes, Halloween costumes, and stuff. All excellent, but it was time to finish some things, clear some parts, and focus on the main effort - AM-Critter!
I did think it was important to get some “wins” on the board, so we repaired Diesel Dan and swapped out Bumble Bee’s bottom plate to allow for a stock pilot (Still grinds as it rolls, but at least it doesn’t derail! We’ll putter with the homemade pilot later…maybe…).
In between this activity, I caught him modifying the shell interior to allow the weight to center over the powered driver.
His plan, his execution, his success!
Flush with victory, we took a pair of hook-and-loops from the bit-box, and had a good “think.” I noted a little screw on the back of the USA Trains motor block. He rifled through my box of leftover home improvement doodads, and he found a picture hangar. I bent it to an “L” for him…
…and he set-to with a DREMEL to enlarge the holes to accommodate the various screws.
We laid a quick test track, and, after he corrected for installing the “L” bracket upside down, mounted the coupler…
…and tested his rig.
He had to put the shell back on to better picture the finished product.
He wants to explore using a long bolt to hold the forward coupler in place. I am suggesting we go with Roster’s donated PVC boards. His project, and, he has been right before. Next Saturday is coming, and we’ll see what he comes up with by then
Looking ahead, we have to figure out how to light the interior and power the smoke generator. Kid-zilla correctly noted we could run power off the tabs we used to jump from the power intake to the motor. I have a bunch of 7mm LEDs sitting around, but I know 24V DC will fry them. I have a slew of random resistor I could solder in place; alternatively, I have some LGB headlamp bulbs ready-to-hand. The smoke generator? No clue…
On behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
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To use a Navy term I learned while serving '63-'66:
OUTSTANDING
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Not optimum however just about the perfect number that is very forgiving with LEDs.
@Rooster , a belated thank you! We’ll get on it…next weekend.
Last weekend, we temporarily suspended this project for prototype inspiration.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this delay may have caused!
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
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Super cool! Now KZ has a prototype for a skeleton on the front of his critter!
20 yrs from now same bat time same bat channel. Sure you can photo shop but not as much fun as paint. I like simple things like Amtrak.
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Update:
The coupler issue has been a real hold-up for Kid-zilla for about two weeks now. He had carefully crafted a block of wood to serve as a mount…
…only to forget to drill pilot holes and causing the thing to split! Kid-zilla being Hull #4 in the Mueller-class, he benefits from the fact I recognize when it is time to intervene to prevent catastrophic failure. In this case, it was the “failure” of a engineered solution to which he could not see an answer. Long and short, I got him to use some TiteBond III and a clamp to put his mount back together. Then, because moving things show progress more than static things, I had him take the chassis to the rails to test everything.
After he reconfirmed the rear coupler work, he 0-5-0’d the test car to the front, but…
…it didn’t align. This provided an opportunity to show him how to work with styrene (Careful, @ctown2 , he’s coming for you 
) and liquid plastic glue to slowly build up his shim sheet by sheet. In the end, he got it, drilled the pilot holes, and mounted the forward coupler.
There was some more jiggling of shims and screws, but it’ll pull!
I knew he needed some more small victories, so it was off to the Palm of Spray Painting with the chassis and some of the sideframes.
Some hipster ants got a bit of flare as part of the effort.
I also let him make hasty field repairs to the cow-catcher of his brother’s long-since forgotten railtruck, Charlie of Onward the Pequod – Getting a B’mann Railtruck to Work Permanently fame.
Old Charlie had not been on the pike for a while, so Kid-zilla had to evaluate some wheel slip and weight “him” before enjoying this poor thing take ride the rails.
These feathers now in his cap, he was ready to tackle AM-Critter’s (Still working on a name, @Rooster !) body using Rooster’s rough template:
I showed Kid-zilla how to score and snap this stuff, whatever it is, and he soon had it tack to AM-Critter with contact cement.
Again, as rolling things motivate better than static things, power was applied to the rails (video). You’ll note the masking tape and empty window frames. I told him AM-Critter can get his silver paint as soon as the back wall is done.
Somewhere over the weekend, we puttered with some electronics. Rooster had provided a smoke generator; I am sorry, but, courtesy of a recent reorganization of the bit-boxes, I do not recall who sent the sundry wires and boards with which we tinkered. Mea culpa, and thank you. My lack of consideration for the generosity of others aside, after I smoked an LED, we figured out how to give AM-critter lights and a smoke generator. As a consequence, Kid-zilla decided to leave off the screws that hold the roof in place. He is busily fashioning a piece of plastic to serve as the exhaust grill. The part caome from a box of “junk” Pete (@PeterT ) had sent along a couple years back. Now to figure out how to mount the smoke generator, lights and circuit boards…
That, though, is in the future. The various small victories got Kid-zilla moving again, as the following candid shot of him smoothing the seem for the after bulkhead shows.
He’s been puttying and filing all day. This may be the last shot of this beast in Pennsy colors…
Thanks to all who have contributed skills, bits, and encouragement so far!
Updates as progress merits.
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
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“Ratatouille” what with the variety of scavenged bits. A Rat-Rod for sure
When he asks for a bottle of glue for a gift along with some sheets of styrene I’ll start to get worried.
I don’t think I have photos, but I recall around 6th grade having to do a “research project” on a Pacific Rim country. Anyways, I decided to compare mass transit in Japan to the then planned mass transit in Seattle. As part of the project we had to have some sort of display. I managed to convince my parents to buy some sheet styrene, glue, paint and a chunk of flex track so I could build a model. Worked out good for me. 
Keep it up Kid-zilla!
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Guess I’m gonna have to dig out my unit so I can play along. There are four 3mm LEDS but I reverted to two 5mm ones. Either way they are just sitting in holes drilled for them out of the white 1/8" pvc board you have.
BTW …once again the material is marked PVC and Styrene. Styrene likes score and snap but PVC not so much.
Eric , could be the boards and smoke generators I sent last year? Maybe, I think?
Pete, you are correct! Thanks! We spent some time organizing our bit boxes, and I lost the provenance of those bits! Sorry I was not able to provide thanks where thanks was due!
Eric
No big deal, just letting you know, I thought I sent them to yall!!!
Update:
Progress in fits and starts…He is starting to see the end of the project, and he is learning that it only comes if you budget time to putter away at it. Estimating the time of each sub-step is a lifelong learning process, I imagine!
Over the course of last week he filled and sanded the seam between the new after bulkhead and the original locomotive shell. Along the way, he filed down that plastic bit to fit the curve of the roof.
A good bit of the this weekend’s intermittent puttering involved mounting and testing…and retesting…and reretesting…the smoke generator. There were some plastic fittings that were for some long-lost function that served as mounts for the generator following some quick X-acto work by yours truly. These are just above and below the red dot that marks the location of the exhaust port.
The tests were because, well, making smoke is fun! We discussed the rest of the wiring, but there were other things to do this weekend.
I don’t think Kid-zilla sees how close to having AM-critter on the track he is, but I have to keep remining myself, “His project, his pace!”
Updates as progress merits.
On Behalf of Kid-zilla,
Eric
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OK,
First off excellent work!
I’m actually impressed with the file work (we call a rattail file) and thinking if that boy had some of the simple and (sometimes expensive) hand tools Mr. Rooster has in his coop he would be dangerous (in a good way).
However I also semi remember what I had tool selection wise when I was his age. So in that department he is MILES ahead of me.
Now lets go back to the “smoke generator”. Honestly it is an ALCO so you can mount it to the floor then pull out the metal screening ( little metal bend tabs inside the model) and let her smoke away. Possibly refill the smoke fluid through the back side doors or keep the roof removable.
I would also recommend “focusing” on this much of the locomotive as that is about what you have to work with. Also note that Amtrak and Santa Fe were heavily connected and nothing wrong with Platinum Mist (aka… Silver)
Nice work young man ! Remember you do you and I will try and be JAO.
“Just An Observer”
Oh, and 8 is afraid of 7 cause 7,8,9.
We gotta get the boy bending brass soon as he is ready!!
He gets it! And, “Thank you!”
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Eric, do you still want the bachmann circus stuff?