Best Of The TP56/TP70 Kitbash thread N scale

[mmagliaro]

Chris, I like that power truck, but I'm not keen on the cheap motor that's in it.

As for the motor that all cool kids are talking about... I'm not sure what you mean, but there is a square Minebea 6-pole motor
commonly available on eBay these days that is killer.  I bought a few and they are super powerful, can turn ultra-low RPMs and are only 10mm x 10mm SQUARE x 15mm long.    If you bought that power truck, I bet you could make a Minebea motor fit in there.
You'd probably have to sleeve the shaft up to take the pinion gear, but that's not a big deal.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/262652620913?hash=item3d2750f071:g:xwoAAOSwZelcOF1p

[u18b]

Chris,

Can you place the shell on a Kato truck- like the SD40-2 truck?

If you do what I did in this TP56 thread, then this is the motor I used and it mounts tight to the truck and the worm goes right on the shaft.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284326072597

I've also been very impressed with the Tramfabriek coreless motors.  The 7mm has been a WONDERFUL motor for the brass Shay.

https://tramfabriek.nl/motors.html

[Jim Starbuck]

So Mack trucks made a few locomotives. I think they only made 21 total. A few of them were 6 wheeled. I made this 3D body and stuck it on a Kato E unit truck.

This is only a first test print. Have already added more detail and will make new sideframes as well.

Question is what is the best motor to put in it these days?  I'd like a big gear reduction, so either a gearhead or double worms. What's the new motor all the kids are talking about?  @u18b @mmagliaro

That’s extremely cool Chris!

[Chris333]

Everything I saw on the SD40-2 truck showed that the center wheel was offset.

[Lemosteam]

Everything I saw on the SD40-2 truck showed that the center wheel was offset.

This is correct. @Ed Kapuscinski shared dimensions with me when I designed the truck frame kit for the IM sd40-2.

[Chris333]

I ordered the motors Max listed so they are officially on the slow boat from China. Maybe they will show up before 2023.

I wonder if I can just use the SD40 axles (or the ones from the E unit) and make my own chassis with 3 worms and a lay shaft. Then mount the motor vertical with another worm. Should get me over 100:1 ratio. 

[Chris333]

Might have to foobie this up. The one drawing I have says this locomotive is 21'2". With 36" wheels spaced 6'6" apart. But the drawing body doesn't look like the real photos I have. When I scale the photos to be 21'2" long the wheelbase is not right at all.

It is a Mack AY locomotive, but later they were just called what they weigh. This one is 45 tons.

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_lv110.jpg
https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-16320-0-51323300-1385535751_thumb.jpg
https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-16320-0-39134600-1385536069_thumb.jpg

[narrowminded]

Hi Chris.  Just looking at your Mack model compared to the pictures, it appears that the cab side windows might be just a little bit wide.  If they were shortened by that little bit with the door and cab dimensions shortened the same as the windows it would shorten that center body and place the body lines closer to the axle C/L.  Would that be helpful to the dimension problem you're seeking?

[Chris333]

My side windows came right from the photos.


I will keep it in proportion, but that either means the drawing is wrong or my model is too big, or both.

[narrowminded]

I tried.    I'm sure that whatever you decide it will come out just fine!   I've seen you do it!

[Chris333]

It will look right, but not be right. 

[Chris333]

I will start another thread when I get this going. But I designed 2 chassis for this using the Narrow Garage parts. I have the parts on had for testing, but would need to order smaller wheels to finish. I ordered some Kato SD40-2 wheelsets and might be able to just use them and have blackened wheels.

First chassis uses a layshaft and spur gear up to the longer motor and would be 51:1 ratio. If I used the Kato wheels it would be 60:1.

Second uses a layshaft with a small pinion to a vertical worm and a small stubby motor and would be 204:1 ratio. Or 240: with Kato wheels.

Might go with the 60:1 option, but will test them both.

[u18b]

Time for some updates.

The smaller demo TP56 has gotten a paint scheme- though only a herald.






Also, my TP70 has found a home.  Now Railway Support Services.  Looks nice.










Tractive Power Corp has made another 4-axle TP90.

[u18b]

And lastly,

After 5 years from submission, my article just appeared in the current issue of Model Railroader (June 2023).
They printed it almost exactly as I sent it.

Someone said he was surprised they also printed the plans since they don't publish as many as they used to.

[Mark5]

And lastly,

After 5 years from submission, my article just appeared in the current issue of Model Railroader (June 2023).
They printed it almost exactly as I sent it.

Congrats Ron - this kitbash was very cool and entertaining.    Too bad that it took MR 5 years to figure that out.