Is Intermountain SD45-2 Shell on Kato SD40-2 Chassis Direct Fit?

[pmpexpress]

According to Mark's Spookshow website page for the Intermountain SD45-2 locomotives; "Trivia - SD45-2 shells will fit on IMRC's SD40-2 chassis (a quick and easy way to add DCC-Sound to your SD45-2). Kato's SD40-2 chassis is reportedly a good fit as well."

Does anyone know if the Kato SD40-2 chassis is a direct fit, or are some interior shell modifications required?

[chessie system fan]

This comes up every now and then.  Kato locomotives are wider than they should be, so a little milling will be required in order to get the shell to fit. 

[kiwi_al]

Search and you shall find:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55139.msg781956#msg781956

Covered in detail. No the Kato Mechanism has to be milled, kiwi_bnsf has a very detailed post (above) on what is required

[jagged ben]

Yeah I think Mark @spookshow should really maybe update his site on this one.

[pmpexpress]

Search and you shall find:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=55139.msg781956#msg781956

Covered in detail. No the Kato Mechanism has to be milled, kiwi_bnsf has a very detailed post (above) on what is required

Thanks...

My Railwire search did not yield any results.

[pmpexpress]

This comes up every now and then.  Kato locomotives are wider than they should be, so a little milling will be required in order to get the shell to fit.

Thanks for your reply.

[pmpexpress]

Yeah I think Mark @spookshow should really maybe update his site on this one.

With this being said, are the recently released Intermountain SD40-2 chassis swappable with the earlier (i.e., circa 2008) production SD45-2 shells?

[ryan_wilkerson]

I've done it but it took a lot of time and it's a tight fit.

[randgust]

I did it, and very much worth it.



Link:  http://www.randgust.com/5649_Flagstaff_2.jpg

I'm DC on the big layout, and all Kato for six-axle power, this chassis has the same motor and drive as the Kato SD45's and U30/C30's that are my backbone power.   

Filling up the leftover spaces with lead also produced the new record for tractive effort on a six-axle, non-cowl unit.

As you can see, I repainted,  decalled, and redid all the handrails as well.

[pmpexpress]

I did it, and very much worth it.



Link:  http://www.randgust.com/5649_Flagstaff_2.jpg

I'm DC on the big layout, and all Kato for six-axle power, this chassis has the same motor and drive as the Kato SD45's and U30/C30's that are my backbone power.   

Filling up the leftover spaces with lead also produced the new record for tractive effort on a six-axle, non-cowl unit.

As you can see, I repainted,  decalled, and redid all the handrails as well.

Thanks for your response.

A really nice locomotive conversion, I noticed in one of your previous posts that you "...didn't have to mill anything except the shell interior with a Dremel....a little off the frame edge above the tanks with a Dremel as well."

Like you, I prefer the flawless operational and mu characteristics of the Kato mechanisms.

As long as milling current production Kato Early SD40-2 frames is not a requirement, have been contemplating replacing all of the chassis on my IMR Clinchfield SD45-2 locomotives.

Given that it has been a number of years since IMR began taking preorders for its second run of Clinchfield SD45-2 locomotives, should the new run fall through, I don't want to risk the destruction of the working models that are currently on hand.

Would you happen to have any photos of the areas in the shell and the Kato frame that were trimmed with a Dremel?