Best Of The TP56/TP70 Kitbash thread N scale

[u18b]

A semi- semi- recreation shot.

[newt749]

Wow!!!! What you have achieved in this small engine is something to behold. I am amazed at the ingenuity and workmanship. Truly at the leading edge of what can be done with N-scale. You've brought the scale up to a new level.

Rob
Hampton, New, Brunswick
Canada

[u18b]

Thanks Rob.  I'm honored.

To those building or interested.....

I was contacted by the CEO of Tractive Power Corp. (response to my email a while back).

Was gratified to find that they plan to build more.

That will be a great benefit to the modeling community!

Maybe more people should consider a TP56/TP70 for your layout!

[randgust]

I hadn't realized how effectively you'd staged the comparison shot.  Nice touch! 

I ended up tearing my entire Roco truck apart and redoing the pickups, as well as redoing the sideframes as I'd really messed those up in an effort to thin them out to the minimum.   You CAN go too far, and when they snap, yeah that's the sign.

The other thing I'm running into that you don't have with a Kato truck is the excess lateral movement of the end axles in the truck frame.  Washers will fix that this attempt.  First one had a nasty habit of crabbing, which on this, completely mis-aligns the coupler off the centerline.  My priorities for this are first, a reliable performance switcher, low speed/tractive effort, and then whatever detail level is left after 1 & 2. 

I'm in the middle of several custom customer builds now so this is back-burner.

Ron, I'm glad you are getting positive reception from the company.   The modeler/operator that saw mine running at Altoona certainly got a kick out of it, and mine was just the raw shell on the rough frame.

I'm still doing the green one. 

[u18b]

Randy,

Any plans on the decals for the green one?

[randgust]

It appeared to spend some significant time in testing with no lettering at all, and then showed up with the gray stripe 'Curry Rail' which is the way I saw it in Hollidaysburg.

I'm leaving it green with basically no lettering on it other than the reflective conspicuity striping.    It's a demo.  Works for me.

The issue of the 'right green' has certainly come up.  I actually was sent a picture of the paint can - it's Dupont Imron, and it's a custom Imron mix called "TPC Atlas Green".     To me, it looks very much like PC Jade Green.    There's no chromatic code for matching, you're on your own.  But it's not like it's a commercial / industrial standard paint color.

[u18b]

There are at least 3 or 4 people working on one of these. 

I look forward to seeing progress people's progress. 

[keeper]

Although I ordered Pete's decals, I'm not sure how I will paint it. It would be a foob but I think a CNWish scheme might look nice....

Thomas

[keeper]

Ron, what did you use for the sun shades?

It is a bit difficult to get all the parts. It seems I can't get any stanchions...
No one has the Gold Medal Models ones.

Thomas

[u18b]

Here is my detailed parts list:

Shapeways shells of course   http://www.cescalemodels.com/n-tpc-tp56
No longer there.

Find them now at: https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace/miniatures/trains?facet%5BpdcId%5D%5B0%5D=141&facet%5Bprice%5D%5Bfrom%5D=1&facet%5Bprice%5D%5Bmax%5D=2500&facet%5Bprice%5D%5Bmin%5D=1&facet%5Bprice%5D%5Bto%5D=2500&q=Wasatch&sort=&s=0#more-products

K20 long shaft mini motor      http://www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Mini-silent-K20-Motor-1-5v-6v-Long-Shaft-Micro-Solar-DC-Motor-For-DIY-Parts-/122061383748   If this listing is expired, search k20 long shaft mini motor on ebay.

Kato SD40-2 mid production HT-C truck  (hardest part to find-  Honestly, I took them off a whole loco    but maybe one day they will return).  Black- 929341  or  silver- 929343  They also make BNSF green   http://search.cartserver.com/search/search.cgi?cartid=s-1078&keywords=NSD402MID&maxhits=100&go=List+Parts&bool=AND&bool=AND

Digitrax DZ126 decoder

TCS 4 pin micro-socket soldered to decoder.   http://tcsdcc.com/Zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=45&products_id=534

TCS  2 pin micro socket soldered to decoder.  http://tcsdcc.com/Zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=45&products_id=519

TCS 2 pin micro plug - I used 3.   Two plug into the 4 pin socket- one plug for the gray and orange motor wire, and one for the black and red truck wires.   The last is for the read headlight.    http://tcsdcc.com/Zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=45&products_id=519

TCS or other brand of decoder wire.   Digitrax wire is thicker.  I like thinner.  Esp since space it tight.

Coated magnet wire for rear headlights.

Micro LEDS, golden white.  I buy them by the 100 on ebay from Asia.  Search ebay for: 0402 LED smd white.  Some come pre-wired with magnet (and saves soldering such tiny things!)

Gold Medal Models  Stanchion  160-32

Gold Medal Sunshades and mirrors (on same sprue)  160-7.   I trimmed the fine tips on the end to match prototype.

Fiber optic 30 mil  Circuitron makes some - 800-8030

Microtrains 1015 brown couplers  now, 00102004

BLMA 96 windhshield wipers.  Make sure you get the set with BIG wipers.  I did not use these and you can see mine are a bit too small.

BLMA-60  18" drop grab irons

BLMA-90  lift rings.

BLMA-13  uncoupling bar

Brass sheet for the frame

8 mil  (.008") guitar string for handrails.

Lead weight.

Thin circuit board for the front headlight and the resistors for the headlights.  See thread.
Paint
decals
misc screws and styrene (Atlas coupler screw works well).  00-90 screw through truck to frame.
superglue and epoxie
clear acetate for windows.

[JanesCustomTrain]

a custom Imron mix called "TPC Atlas Green".

Interesting, does that mean they did mix this paint for TWO companies ? Paul, will it come in N as well or only HO and O scale ?

Jane

[keeper]

Thank you for the detailed parts list.

Today the motors arrived....

Thomas

[u18b]

Thank you for the detailed parts list.

Today the motors arrived....

Thomas

Wonderful!

I look forward to seeing your progress.
Keep us posted!

[keeper]

Wonderful!

I look forward to seeing your progress.
Keep us posted!

Wohoo, I just uploaded the file for the brass frame to Shapeways.
This is exciting!
The drawing doesn't contain the holes but this is intentional.
They say it takes about 8 business days to produce.



Thomas 

[Philip H]

Wohoo, I just uploaded the file for the brass frame to Shapeways.
This is exciting!
The drawing doesn't contain the holes but this is intentional.
They say it takes about 8 business days to produce.



Thomas 

I will be very interested to see how this prints. Finding sheet brass in the right thickness around here isn't easy. This could be a great alternative.