This is for the guys who have considerable experience at hacking the Aristo “PrimeMover” power blocks.
I just checked and an SD45/DASH-9/E-8-9 power brick WILL make it through an R1 curve, though there is considerable binding (surprising, right?).
I’m thinking of building-out a track cleaning car like that featured in this month’s GR, though I want to build it out to something that could “disguise” itself as a track maintenance vehicle.
Since i love steam power, I’m thinking of using the bulk of a Porter engine as the boiler, a flat car as the frame and building up a cover for the battery to make it look like a rail-inspection vehicle. I was thinking an Aristo Commonwealth truck for the back half and either a cut-down mallet block or a 45/D9/E8 brick with mikado wheels. Considering the axle spacing of the diesel brick, I’m rather hesitant to use one of my bricks for that purpose.
I was thinking that the Mallet’s drive bricks, which feature the ability to have the steam chest mounted around the motor, could be hacked down to either an x-6-x or even an x-4-x brick.
For those that have cut down the mallet brick…
a) is the resulting drive brick powerful enough to run a heavy flat car and maybe a heavy towed car? (think about the weight of a streamlinercar)
b) do you have any of these available? I definately know i am not interested in a full x-8-x brick, but I don’t yet know if I want two or three drive axles.
I’m working on designs now, which I’ll post later, but wondered anyone had any thoughts>?