Hey, now that looks familiar. Oh right, I was just working on it!
And … now that the cat is out of the bag…
I haven’t said anything about this project for fear that it wouldn’t get done, and folks would think I was all talk and no work. Given that it’s been a year, nearly, in the making, you’d have been justified. I’m learning to model while I do this project, which is something like learning to fly shortly after takeoff. But, it’s coming along.
There have been a lot of interesting things to conquer along the way, even beyond my having to learn HOW to do a lot of things while I was doing them … but I think we have most of the details worked out.
This is probably where everyone will want to see pictures … and I don’t blame you. I’m going to ask you to be patient, and give me a little while longer to work on this before anything gets posted, just so that I can have something to post that isn’t as scary as the “work in progress” shots …
To me, the big advantages of this are, 1.) The engine “rides on” the existing Bachmann 45 Tonner (though, heavily modified) and therefore retains the structure and operational properties of that engine (with the plunger contacts removed, etc.) and 2.) It’s mass produced, so that if someone has more than one, they’ll be, for all intents and purposes, identical. I myself have spoken for the first three, and a friend will have two more.
The locomotive is the correct width, and height for the SPNG #1 in 1:20.3. The hood is shortened a bit to fit the 45 Tonner frame. There’s discussion of a second version that would maintain 1:20 dimensions across the board, and use a frame and bolsters generated by Alan, and probably ride on Aristo trucks (which would still be a bit short, but better than fabbing one’s own.)
Again, patience, please, until I can get something respectable to post, and I will.
Matthew (OV)
