Large Scale Central

Shortening Connie Pilot Deck

Modeling
#1

Hello all,

I guess i’ll throw a short introduction here as it’s my first real post.

I’ve been around for a while, mostly lurking, reading, and trying to learn as much as I can.

I have 2 Connies, a 55ton 3 truck Shay, and probably 5 Spectrum gondola’s, 3 boxcars, and a few flats. I would like some log cars for the shay, but Bachmann doesn’t make any in 1:20.3 and Accucraft is too rich for my blood. I’ve been eyeing Bachmann’s long caboose in 1:20.3 as well. As you probably guessed, i’m a big fan of Bachmann’s narrow gauge F scale offerings.

I currently live in an apartment (only 25 years old), so my focus is detailing my models, modifying them how i would like, and converting to rc/battery operation. Looking to buy a house in the next 2 years, so that’s when the actual railroad will be built.

Onto my actual question per the thread title. I noticed most people shorten the stock pilot deck down quite a bit. It really does look goofy at the factory length.

For those of you that shorten the pilot, what is the best way to go about doing this?

Does it effect tracking on 8’ diameter curves?

Anything i should be aware of before i attempt to do this?

Anyone that has done it, and which they hadn’t?

Thanks in advance, and i welcome all comments, criticism, and leg pulling. I did 7 years in the military, so my skin is more than tough enough.

-Will

#2

William,

Welcome aboard. if you do a search of the site i think you will find there was a farly recent group of posts on shortening the pilot of the Connie, and i do not think it will effect the radius the locomotive will run on. while your waiting on the garden, you may want to give some thought to a module in your apartment, where you can experiment with track. there are folks that run on code 332 and others like myself that work with code 250. my layout started in my basment initially and that set the course for what now exists outside, but it was there that i learned what i wanted. in my case the basment layout now runs out a side window and into my backyard before ending in my barn. i run stricty point to point, not everyones cup of tea but i like it for operationa purposes.

Al P.

#3

Will, you may have already seen this Bachmanm Connie Bash Thread. If not, its worth a look or two. There are links to build threads for just what you are looking for contained within.

#4

Will,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for your service!

Most of the threads/information on the Connie pilot deck changes are pretty old and some of them will probably be difficult to find. On my Connie I shortened the deck about 1/2 -5/8 of an inch but also lengthened the smoke box and changed the pilot wheels to outside frame/springs and raised the headlight. Made a tremendous difference in the look of the front end.

I have the paper files on these changes around here somewhere if you can’t find what your looking for contact me and I can scan them to you if your interested.

Good luck on your mods,

Rick

#5

I’ve scanned through the Connie bash thread many times. I was looking more along the lines of where to cut. I’m new to drastically changing a model like this, and I’m concerned with degrading the structural integrity I guess. I don’t want to take too much out, maybe only a quarter inch.

I’ll take a look through any build logs I can find. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Also, is there any way to break down the bachmann glue? Trying to free the headlight from the smoke box door, but it’s glued down tight. But I looked at the window in the engineers door wrong, and it fell out. Ugh.

#6

William,

I’ve shortened mine by about an inch. It has a metal frame under the plastic pilot deck, so anything done is strictly cosmetic. It won’t effect the integrity of the frame. I had to refrabricate the pilot truck.

As for the headlight, I just pried it off with a hobby knife. Any damage done was covered over by a number plate.

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/August%20Ops%202013/AugOps33_zps0d19e599.jpg)

#7

I initially was going to trim my pilot deck, however, after investigating the locomotive I was modeling, I could cheat a little and add to the smokebox. It turn out pretty good…until…I step away from the workbench to grab a tool.

I say to myself, “That loco perched on the blocks is stable enough, I’m just walking 10 ft away for a second.” Well, it wasn’t stable enough! Down it goes to the workshop floor and I now have to rebuild the pilot deck and fix the dent in the smokebox extension. After a few choice words about my stupidity. I pick it up and start over…

#8

William Beck said:

Hello all,

I guess i’ll throw a short introduction here as it’s my first real post.

I’ve been around for a while, mostly lurking, reading, and trying to learn as much as I can.

I have 2 Connies, a 55ton 3 truck Shay, and probably 5 Spectrum gondola’s, 3 boxcars, and a few flats. I would like some log cars for the shay, but Bachmann doesn’t make any in 1:20.3 and Accucraft is too rich for my blood.

-Will

Welcome aboard Will. Though no help on the pilot question, but maybe some help on the log cars. A quick search for log cars got me this, but you might try looking harder than i did. http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/14403/build-log-the-cvsry-s-replica-l

#9

Shays can do more than just logging…they were marketed as revolutionary industrial switchers first and foremost…the loggers just took a shine to 'em…so don;t be afraid to put that Shay to work with regular freight cars…

#10

Welcome Will -

Hollywood’s link points to a build log I started many moons ago. The cars never got finished as I got hung up on how to do some details, put them down and haven’t gone back to than yet. If I ever do I’ll update the log.

EDIT: I went to fix broken link in the first post and somehow lost all of the picture URLs. The photos show as pictures, not URLs in the edit box. I had to find all the pics and spend some time fixing them, but it;s done.

#11

Sorry Jon. I just searched out log cars and yours came up. Didn’t mean to create a redo.

#12

you can see where I cut and spliced in this photo. It probably isn’t the “right” way, but it worked, and it will navigate 5 foot dia (r-2) curves, so 8 footers should be no problem.

(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp52/steamnut1917/P1010040_01.jpg)

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/P1010028-1.jpg)

prototype

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/sano1.jpg)

log cars are easy:

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/log1.jpg)

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/P2150002.JPG)

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/P2190001.JPG)

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/P6250005.JPG)