Bart, I think that was on the list … as was using clapboard siding sheets with individually applied louvers, O scale stair risers with the louvers glued in strategically … ultimately Alan (www.thegalline.com) came up with the design you see in the photos because it still gave us actual louvers, but was less (if you can imagine) labor intensive, and made it realatively easy to allign all of them (as opposed to gluing on 25 individual slats per opening!) Once assembled, you can run your thumb down the front of them and flex them all downward a bit or you can leave them wide open … A word about Alan Friedland and his company: I’ve been thinking of ways to do things with the 45 tonner from the beginning … the Army engine I’ve had in service for years has added deck plates, etc … when Dave Funk won the Durango Dan contest a couple of years back with his USATC locomotive, the wheels started really turning. I’d had the idea that I really wanted to make the 130/140 former US Gypsum engines owned by the Ashbys, but never had any luck getting drawings … and the plans for the SP#1 were readily available. What I needed was someone to help me turn my ideas into a workable model. Enter Alan. He has the unique capability to figure out how to take my ideas and turn them into great big sheets of plastic. Lots and lots of great big sheets of plastic. In fact … he turned my first question into a locomotive I haven’t even built yet, but that his boxcab reminded me of. One of these days, after the “00” unit diesel is done, I’m going to have to put it together, and then wonder where on the Slate Creek to run some 600VDC trolley wire to run it under … it’s a Westinghouse/Baldwin steeplecab, and it looks like this:
(http://www.thegalline.com/files/freight%20motor%2020.jpg)
(By the way … while you can get your own kit to make one of these, my understanding is since Alan himself is a CNJ / Standard gauge guy himself, he’‘d be willing to sell you that one since a 3’ gauge Anyox Mining Co prototype locomotive is not something you’d see on the Jersey Central!) So from there, we started work on the diesel. The one in my photos is the “00” unit … first build up … and will, at least initially be the first of five I’m building. It’s built on the chassis of a Bachmann 45 tonner, with the idea that I had a few I wanted to make something I liked a bit better from … and that others who bought them up might want to do the same. I will be posting a build log when it’s done (and hopefully Alan will be able to use some of that in the kit instructions.) The thing that’s been the best part for me is that I’m pretty good at the research, photo and plans searching, and ideas (remember, I have a bit of a background in 1:1 shortline) of how to make the unit more “real” … and Alan takes those ideas and translates them into WORKABLE build ideas. (As opposed to things that would take me forever and still not come out right!) The other side is, my modelling skills were, well, more “theoretical” than actual building skills … just ask TOC sometime about stuff I’ve broken! I’m an electrician’s kid, so I’m not too bad at wiring … but the model building side of things often reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon wherein his imaginary fighter pilot goes down because everything in the plane is melted and glued to itself … Alan has proven to be a coach, cheering squad, and sounding board as I’ve learned how to actually build this thing as I’ve gone. So… a big thanks to Alan Friedland. From development to production to actually building this thing, he’s been indispensible … and if anyone’s interested in ordering something not on the menu, he’s the guy to talk to. I’m aware of some of his other endeavors that promise to be mind blowing when they turn up. Oh, and if folks are a bit patient, and wait for me to work the kinks out of the “00” maybe it’ll lead the way to a bunch of these little diesels floating around. More photos coming, as I make progress… Matthew (OV)
