Large Scale Central

Aristo's FA & FB Diesels - Lowered & Body Mount Kadee 90

Modeling Motive Power
#1

Lowering & Body Mounting Kadee 907s on Aristo’s FA/FB Diesels

I am sure this seems like an old issue to many folks being Aristo and successor company Polk’s Gen Next are now gone, but numerous Aristo FA1 cab & FB1 booster units had been produced for decades in a whole host of road names that gives rise even at this belated time to making them more realistic and fitting them with Kadee couplers.

I, myself, have 10 of these locos, all too high from the railhead, that I had put off upgrading until recently, so they had been little used. To date, I have lowered 6 of them (4 FA1s & 2 FB1s) and fitted them with Kadee 907s; 4 locos remaining to be done.

One method to lower these locos is described on George Schreyer’s Web site, but it’s limited to about 0.2 inch. I chose to lower the FA1 & FB1 by “telescoping” the chassis within car body because it provides a greater amount of lowering - in my case being 5/16 inch (0.3125") whilst facilitating body mounting Kadee 907 couplers. This is the method I think Jerry Barnes used years ago. However, I could not find any detailed description as to how it was done other than to “cut some off the posts inside the body that the frame attaches to”. So I set forth documenting this method as I proceeded with the modifications. Whilst at it, I found some deficient factory assembly issues to fix.

Aristo FA1 & FB1 Lowering

Accordingly, full detailed information is now in a “vignette” (actually, a fairly large article) hosted for me by Greg E. on his Web site, title:
Aristo FA1/FB1 Lowered & Body Mount Kadee 907s

FB1s are included in the picture below.

Aristo FA1 FB1 FB1 all lowered and fitted with Kadee 907s

I hope this is useful info. for other folks,

-Ted

#2

Hi Ted,

I just recieved a classic ABA set of Rock Islands of REA vintage. Even though they are over 25 years old, they still look brand new. I will be adding battery and lowing them as soon as I get around to it. I’ve done both methods of lowering on my other F-units, and I agree your shell-lowering technique looks the best. That said, my NYC ABA set has the re-worked bolster method, and while I feel they could have gone lower, the advantage is that the steps and end doors do not need to be modified. They seem to be more robust than the ones I lowered the shell…but it’s probably just my poor technique.

Either way…Lowering these engines and adding the proper couplers (at the right height) transforms these seemingly toyish trains into proper scale models.

I can also admit to being an “ALCo-holic”…my new CRIP engines bring my roster up to 12 Fs!

RCRR ALCos

#3

Thank you Rockwall,

I favor the ALCO’s, too.

It just so happens the last locos I have to finish after doing my 3rd Union Pacific B unit are the ABA set of Rock Islands of REA brand in the gray boxes that I have had for many years - but hardly used. How’s that for a coincidence?

BTW, looking at your pictures, that ATSF warbonnet FA1 looks like a factory lowered unit.

-Ted

#4

Hi Ted,
That’s awesome about the Rock Islands…I always like the paint finish on those old REAs…they just seem bright and durable.
And yes, the ATSF unit is a GenerationNext era model…I bought four of the newer ones (1 SF and 3 Pennsys). The D&H models were old REAs lowered by the shells. I just recently added proper couplers to them this season.

#5

That’s a great picture page RCJ!!!

#6

The lowering & Kadee couplers installation of 10 Aristo ALCO FA1/FB1 locos is now completed, and the article is updated with a little more info.

Aristo FA1/FB1 Lowered & Body Mount Kadee 907s

The Rock Island units were my last ones to complete.

Aristo Rock Island FA and FB Lowered & Kadees

Video of 5 UP locos pulling 40 car train with fixed aspect ratio.

-Ted