Centralia/IM N passenger car changes

[nkalanaga]

That's why I kitbashed an SDP40 years ago, rather than an SDP45, which I would have preferred.  I had the Kato SD45 chassis and handrails, and a Kato SD40 shell, so, with some styrene, I made a "quick and dirty" SDP40.  It's in BN, no steam generator, so is a freight unit, but everything fit perfectly.

Why did I have a spare shell?  The chassis is under a brass F45, which I simply could NOT get to stay on the track.  Put a Kato chassis in it and it runs perfectly.  This was long before Athearn released theirs, so I have three BN and one GN brass F45s, all on Kato SD40 chassis.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's why I kitbashed an SDP40 years ago, rather than an SDP45, which I would have preferred.  I had the Kato SD45 chassis and handrails, and a Kato SD40 shell, so, with some styrene, I made a "quick and dirty" SDP40.  It's in BN, no steam generator, so is a freight unit, but everything fit perfectly.

Why did I have a spare shell?  The chassis is under a brass F45, which I simply could NOT get to stay on the track.  Put a Kato chassis in it and it runs perfectly.  This was long before Athearn released theirs, so I have three BN and one GN brass F45s, all on Kato SD40 chassis.

Your fans demand photos.

[Ike the BN Freak]

I'll probably get around to designing an SDP40 eventually after I finish the train someday.  The SDP45 will be much more challenging because although it has the same wheelbase as an SD40T-2, SD40 trucks don't fit on the Intermountain mechanism.

Truck center comparison info:
http://coscia-espee.info/sp_ftc.html

Someone years ago was kitbashing one and I believe they used a Kato Dash 9 frame.

[nkalanaga]

Ed:  It will take some digging, as it hasn't been out of the box in years!  It really isn't anything fancy, but I'll see what I can do this weekend.