Selling my first N Scale loco: MRC Alco RSD-15

[jjb62556]

I have done that same thing many times a shows...Nothing better than watching that kid's eyes lite up and GOD knows he might stay in the hobby...
Maybe he will do the same to someone else....Jim

[cjm413]

Heres a radical idea. Find a willing and worthy young person at a train show. I think you'll know the type when you meet them. For me, its usually a mom going around the show shadowing their well behaved and interested young son. Tell them your story and how much it would mean if you can use it to help them get started in the hobby. Offer it to this person for free. I have done similar things and always received great satisfaction. You won't be out a lot in terms of money. I think you'll find you will receive more in terms of senimental rewards and the satisfaction that it went to a good home. Just food for thought.

Doesn't have to be a "son"...my youngest daughters are more enthusiastic than either of my sons when they know a train show is coming up...

[Angus Shops]

Heres a radical idea. Find a willing and worthy young person at a train show. I think you'll know the type when you meet them. For me, its usually a mom going around the show shadowing their well behaved and interested young son. Tell them your story and how much it would mean if you can use it to help them get started in the hobby. Offer it to this person for free. I have done similar things and always received great satisfaction. You won't be out a lot in terms of money. I think you'll find you will receive more in terms of senimental rewards and the satisfaction that it went to a good home. Just food for thought.

I’ve recently dome something similar. I’ve cleared out a bunch of old models that I’ve decided do not have a place on my layout, including some items that might be considered to have retained some “value” in the market (old Kato F7b’s, a pair of LL ‘lead sled’ C Liners, and etc.). They have no value to me and the effort to get a few dollars out of them seemed pointless. I’ve taken to my local hobby shop and asked the proprietor that , unless he can find some significant retail value, he give them away to young modellers, or at least price them at giveaway prices. It would be a good way for the shop to develop a new loyal customer base.
Geoff

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Heres a radical idea. Find a willing and worthy young person at a train show. I think you'll know the type when you meet them. For me, its usually a mom going around the show shadowing their well behaved and interested young son. Tell them your story and how much it would mean if you can use it to help them get started in the hobby. Offer it to this person for free. I have done similar things and always received great satisfaction. You won't be out a lot in terms of money. I think you'll find you will receive more in terms of senimental rewards and the satisfaction that it went to a good home. Just food for thought.

That is super touching, but I wouldn't give a beginner something from Mehano. We want him to get INTO the hobby! lol.

[w neal]

Its a seed. Some die, some grow. The quality of the gift isn't really the point. I can't always afford to give away the best. I do what I can. It all depends. To each their own.

[peteski]

That is super touching, but I wouldn't give a beginner something from Mehano. We want him to get INTO the hobby! lol.

I agree with Ed.  I think that giving such an old N scale model (even if it was "tweaked" to run better than factory-stock) will likely discourage them from getting into N scale.   More appropriate would be one of the smooth running reliable models we have today.

[dougnelson]

An appropriate home for adoption of this locomotive was found in Wilkes Barre, PA.

[Mark5]

Those RSD15s from MRC were good runners - I got rid of the traction tires and the five pole motor crept nicely. I later was going to kitbash an Alco C630 so I extended the frame a bit:

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Eventually I dropped this and other projects while in college.

Here is my actual first N scale loco - an Atlas SD45 from about 1970:

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Sorry looking compared to your RSD15 Doug!

At one point I had Precision Master Flexicoil sideframes and another mechanism lined up for this shell. Not sure why I've kept it all these decades.

Mark

[dougnelson]

Yes, pretty good for a vintage 1969 N scale loco.  MRC was only in N scale for a few years.  They had an Alco FA.  Their passenger cars, based on the C&O Chessie cars, were very nicely detailed (Con-Cor eventually marketed them).  Certainly good efforts for the early days of N scale.  Somehow, other manufacturers started producing crap during the 1970s and 1980s.

[cjm413]

Those RSD15s from MRC were good runners - I got rid of the traction tires and the five pole motor crept nicely. I later was going to kitbash an Alco C630 so I extended the frame a bit:

/>
Eventually I dropped this and other projects while in college.

Here is my actual first N scale loco - an Atlas SD45 from about 1970:

(Attachment Link)

Sorry looking compared to your RSD15 Doug!

At one point I had Precision Master Flexicoil sideframes and another mechanism lined up for this shell. Not sure why I've kept it all these decades.

Mark

Put the Atlas SD45 shell on the proverbial Minitrix U30C chassis (don't know why they called it a U28C), swap the sideframes, and sell it to someone with a "retro" layout

[Mark5]

Put the Atlas SD45 shell on the proverbial Minitrix U30C chassis (don't know why they called it a U28C), swap the sideframes

That actually was my plan. I even milled the "U28c" chassis to better accept the shell. One thing I hated about the Minitrix chassis though was the white "idler" wheels on each truck. Good times!

Mark

[randgust]

I had FIVE EMD-six-axles; three SD45's and two converted Lima FP45's to F-45's running on Trix chassis.   Never did solve the sideframes.  The two F45 bodies are now on Kato SD45 frames, no surviving Trix.

I do think you're beating up on the RSD-15.   I've got four of them still in service.  There's a magic procedure to make these runners, they made some basic mistakes in the design:

1)  Take the traction tire middle axle wheels off and swap them with the inner axle (idler) wheels.
2)  Bend the contacts over so that that ridiculous pickup on the idler axle hits the middle axle instead of sliding around.
3)  Put the solid wheels from the idler axle on the inner axle that is powered.

That gives you solid 8x8 pickup and no traction tires to wobble.  The old traction tire wheels just roll around on the idler.

Then, if you want, you can swap out the motor; I've used old Sekiesku (sp?) Con-Cor/Kato five-pole motors that they had in the PA1.  Those are a SOLID low-heat, low rpm motor, and have just run forever. 

While you're in there, rewire the trucks, and tune the pickups so that they are just right; not dragging, not hanging, etc.

They now run so well and pull so hard that they are still in service.  I've made several attempts to come up with a chassis swap/conversion, but the Atlas components are so much lighter and slipperier that the tractive effort drops by 50%.   If you really can't stand the flanges, you can cut those own easily by chucking them in a Dremel.

For the body shells, complete makeover with new paint and decals, front sills, wire handrails, constant lighting, etc.

I keep looking for a replacement, but these old girls are still running with no end in sight.

[Point353]

Then, if you want, you can swap out the motor; I've used old Sekiesku (sp?) Con-Cor/Kato five-pole motors that they had in the PA1.  Those are a SOLID low-heat, low rpm motor, and have just run forever. 
I've made several attempts to come up with a chassis swap/conversion, but the Atlas components are so much lighter and slipperier that the tractive effort drops by 50%.
I keep looking for a replacement, but these old girls are still running with no end in sight.

@Cory Rothlisberger promised that Atlas was going to make an RSD-15 model.
That was over 10 years ago, at a Springfield/Amherst show.
But, a model made today would likely be designed to accommodate (DCC and) sound, so it wouldn't have nearly the pulling power of earlier locos.

Did you ever try the method that @atsf_arizona used to repower an RSD-15 with an Atlas B40-8 mechanism and C628 trucks?
https://pbase.com/atsf_arizona/n_scale_rsd15&page=all

[wm3798]

I'm sorry now I didn't fight harder for this one.

[randgust]

@
Did you ever try the method that @atsf_arizona used to repower an RSD-15 with an Atlas B40-8 mechanism and C628 trucks?
https://pbase.com/atsf_arizona/n_scale_rsd15&page=all

I'd first tried to 'stretch' an Atlas RSC chassis and while I got it to run, it wouldn't pull much of anything.  Gave up and sold it.

I have an Atlas C630 that I had big dreams for and turned out to be a complete wimp in performance.  One of my rebuilt RSD15's weighs in at 115 grams and pulls 24 grams for 20.8% adhesion.   The Atlas C630 weighs in a 82.4 grams and pulls 9.5 grams for 11.5% (slippery wheel syndrome).   So four of my RSD15's can hit almost 100 grams of tractive effort, I'd need 10 rebuilt Atlas locomotives to do the same.     That's why I didn't even bother even though from an a theoretical standpoint it should be equal.  I'm pulling a 35-car unit coal train up a 2.5% grade and around a 13" 190-degree curve - that's the performance expectation that's already met and easily exceeded with four rebuilt units.

GIven the tendency toward DCC and sound cutouts and lower-weight alloys for frames, I don't see any solution on the horizon.   When I designed and tested this layout this whole tractive effort problem was nonexistent, normal power was converted Trix six-axle chassis and Trix F-units, and some Rapido GP's and some N scale of Nevada frames.  Remember my first surprise when was the Atlas SD24 was first introduced, I've scuffed up the wheels, added all the weight I can, and its up to 14.5 grams of TE with 17%, big improvement, but not enough.  That perplexing exercise led to the development of my 'dynamometer car' so I could measure TE, train drag while in motion, etc.

Normal trains on my layout that take it up to the 35 car max length for storage are three units capable of around 20g of TE each.   That's typically 3 six-axle Katos or equivalent, and that's the standard power assignments on ATSF in the era - three six-axles typical.     I've juiced up a Kato SD40-2 chassis under an FP45 body for 130 grams of weight and 28 grams of TE, that's the kind of thing I need.