Large Scale Central

Greetings Large Scale. I'm building a 1:20, 4 wheel, Climax A en

General Discussion
#1

Hello,

My name is Scott and I’ve previously been a member on mylargescale forum for a few years. I still enjoy MLS but have recently thought to check out another forum.

My current project is bashing an HLW railcar into one of the 8 ton, four wheel Climax engines the Climax locomotive company made about two of. I recently reviewed Climax books and discovered this little locomotive and realized it shared many qualities with the HLW railcar that was available for a very affordable price. I think it would be a very affodable kitbash for folks who may be looking for an inexpensive winter project. the locomotive itself may have been a little light to be very servicable but that doesn’t make it an interresting model to try to build, especially with the cheap price of the HLW railcar as a platform.

I’m trying to document the project if others might think it could be a cheap, fun winter modeling project.

http://s1065.beta.photobucket.com/user/flatrat1962/library/8%20ton%20Climax%20engine

#2

Mornin’, Scott and a BIG welcome to you from gloomy East Anglia, England. You’ve come to the right place here, and that’s a fact. Most everybody who does anything is a poster here, and I’m sure you’ll see names that you know already from [ahem] other places, as well as the magazines.

As such, you can bet that one of them has done something like you are doing now, and if you need any help or advice, all you have to do is to ask. Getting on with it yourself is also an option, too, so don’t think that you are going to be hassled by a bunch of ‘don’t do it like THAT, do it like THIS-ers’.

Since I’m at least five hours in front of any of you except for our Tony down in Oz, I just thought I’d get my lick in fust. :slight_smile:

tac

#3

Welcome…and what tac said…:wink:

#4

Being the resident in OZ on this list closest to the Byron Bay Lighthouse (the most Easterly point in Australia) making me further in front time wise, of any other OZ residents.
So Tac is correct. :wink: So there!!!

Welcome to LSC Scott.
Nice choice for a kit bash. Look forward to seeing the pics.

#5

welcome Scott. Im the one of the ones who built a Class A Climax. I believe I spoke with you on the other site. I think you will like this site more. Please show us your progress. Picture posting is ten times easier over here. Just go to here to learn http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/view.php?id=96

#6

Nice model Scott!
I’m a long time MLS’er as well…still a nice group over there, but I find this site a little easier to follow with my limited time these days.

#7

welcome, and yes, nice looking model…

#8

Hey, Guys - if you look at this at about 1:50 you’ll see a live steam Climax with a correct-style twin cylinder marine engine MPU!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdj2hx_m8Kw

Oh yes, AND A Catatonk Climax as well…

tac

#9
tac said:
Hey, Guys - if you look at this at about 1:50 you'll see a live steam Climax with a correct-style twin cylinder marine engine MPU!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdj2hx_m8Kw

Oh yes, AND A Catatonk Climax as well…

tac


tac I love the Catatonk climax. Its a perfect size for my RR. Jay showed me his and I fell in love with it. One went for sale on ebay not to long ago but at $3500. I little over my budget.

#10

I built a Class A a few years ago using an HLW flatcar, I will be looking forward to seeing your take on the subject. Be advised - the Railcar doesnt have much Ummph! but it does run very nicely by itself or with a couple mini-cars behind. I used Aristo centercab bricks (now hard to find) and modified the HLW archbar frames to fit them, as they have the same wheelbase. but it ment carving out the bolsters on the flatcar to accomodate the AC bricks :smiley:

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/Class%20A%20left%20front%205-16.jpg)

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/Class%20A%20final%201.jpg)

#11

VERY nice job there. Great dribbling of env.

tac

#12

Welcome aboard Scott! I look forward to the progress on your class a climax.

#13

Welcome aboard Scott. Nice looking loco.

#14

Thanks folks. The real 4 wheel 8 ton climax didn’t have much pulling power either apparently due to lack of weight so I don’t plan to pull more than one log disconnect or maybe get some hlw mini ore cars. It just looked like a very inexpensive and relatively easy bash. I’m trying to build a hollow boiler now to cover the motor and I need to cut down the sides a bit where the engineer sits. Next will be scratchbuiding the two cylinder marine motor climax made as I have not found a source for anything like that yet.

#15

Welcome Scott!

#16

The boiler on mine was two heat tape roll centers from work and a little plastic “lampshade” thing off a liquid wick type air freshener that I found in the dollar store. It’s also nearly full of BBs and glue for weight

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P3250004.jpg)

A short bit of plastic pipe and a cut down funnel would probably work just as well.

#17

welcome over here - and keep in mind the basic rule of this forum: Pics, pics, pics!

and it is easy to put them.
no <img src…something
no [img…

just copy the URL of the pic and paste it into your text.
http://…whatever… .jpg (or .gif, or what format it is)

#18

Looks good to me, Mik. Kind of thing that our Paraguayan innovator, Korm Kormsen above, makes look so easy.

tac

#19

Victor Smith said:
I built a Class A a few years ago using an HLW flatcar, I will be looking forward to seeing your take on the subject. Be advised - the Railcar doesnt have much Ummph! but it does run very nicely by itself or with a couple mini-cars behind. I used Aristo centercab bricks (now hard to find) and modified the HLW archbar frames to fit them, as they have the same wheelbase. but it ment carving out the bolsters on the flatcar to accomodate the AC bricks :smiley:

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/Class%20A%20left%20front%205-16.jpg)

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/Class%20A%20final%201.jpg)

Vic that looks great. I dont remember ever seeing that one.

#20

Hmm, good stuff everybody. I previously figured the correct interior tube diameter of the boiler to surround the electric motor of my railcar/mini Climax to be exactly the same as the, [ahem], standard toilet paper roll. Perfect fit! I raised the sides of my HLW railcar by adding styrene sheeting to raise the roof to a 1:20 scale of 7 feet. The boiler that will fit under that roof would be 3- 5/8" tall. Serendipity came into play today when I used the last sheet off a paper towel roll in the kitchen. I cut one length to the afformentioned height. I then cut another section equal length and sliced it vertically and glued it inside of the first tube with Elmer’s. I did that one more time after that. It has given me a perfect boiler, sturdy and round and if I can figure out how to seal or cover over the spiral line that exists on any paper tube I may have found my perfect boiler tube and at a price you can’t beat with a stick. Just add dials, valves, and a firebox door.
I gave it a quick coat of flat back acrylic paint and placed inside the loco and it really looks like it should work. We’ll see if i can cover that nasty spiral line with some sort of spackling and maybe a sheet of kraft paper to create my vertical boiler.

I added a photo of the mockup on my photobucket site. Doc Watson gave me a smoke stack from one of his engine projects. I’m thinking of inverting it and cutting it down, and milling it to the radius of the cab roof for the smoke stack. I posted a mockup on my photobucket site. I’ll make some time here soon to learn how to post pictures directly to my posts…

http://s1065.beta.photobucket.com/user/flatrat1962/library/8%20ton%20Climax%20engine