7mm Poor man's Alamosa.
- Thread starter Scale7JB
- Start date
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
never judge a book by its cover ! Close inspection reveals seven ply without warp or twist, perfect for boomerangs……jp
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
Well, this is current progress.
I may have gone in with the paint a bit early as I need to add an extra length of rail down one side to have a bit of dual-gauge running.
I was going to lay the 3rd rail down the left side, but on the right side will be more of a test for Proto48 conversions through the crossing vee and theres a bit more space on the left for the larger K locos.
Many people will be asking why, so I’ve decided to call it ‘Wye Not?’
JB.
I may have gone in with the paint a bit early as I need to add an extra length of rail down one side to have a bit of dual-gauge running.
I was going to lay the 3rd rail down the left side, but on the right side will be more of a test for Proto48 conversions through the crossing vee and theres a bit more space on the left for the larger K locos.
Many people will be asking why, so I’ve decided to call it ‘Wye Not?’
JB.
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
Right then....
How to narrow a OW5 Weaver AAR B type truck 101...
The first bit is probably the hardest, or at least the riskiest bit. Separating the truck sides from the central bolster. At first glance it doesn't look like they will come apart, but with a little persuasion and a lot of care they do. Insert flat head screwdriver here and try to release. It is a plastic clip type affair. Pushing up or gently twisting seems to have the desired affect. Just don't stab yourself if the screwdriver should slip for some reason. And don't be tempted to pull on the side frame. I'm informed it WILL snap!
After you have unclipped both sides, pull the truck apart to its components. There aren't that many and its all pretty straightforward.
Now comes the first 'Point of no return' bit.
Inside the plastic bolster are the raised plastic side frame retaining mouldings that need removing in order to allow the spigot on the side frames to not 'lock in' when they are placed back on the bolster.
I used a 4.5mm drill bit in a very agricultural fashion to chop away at the two mounds in order to be able to eventually pass the drill bit all the way through creating a clearance for the spigots.
Next comes the second 'point of no return' though in theory if you did want to widen the frames again to go back to OW5 you could just add spacers as you're not actually removing any of the side frame spigot length.
An Alco AAR Type B truck is 70" wide over the outside of the 'truck frame' (not the overall width), which requires a width reduction of 5mm overall, so I marked the ends of the bolster with a 2.5mm line to which I sawed off the required material.
You now have a correct width truck.... but, how to hold everything in place now that the retaining moulding has been removed from the bolster???
JB.
How to narrow a OW5 Weaver AAR B type truck 101...
The first bit is probably the hardest, or at least the riskiest bit. Separating the truck sides from the central bolster. At first glance it doesn't look like they will come apart, but with a little persuasion and a lot of care they do. Insert flat head screwdriver here and try to release. It is a plastic clip type affair. Pushing up or gently twisting seems to have the desired affect. Just don't stab yourself if the screwdriver should slip for some reason. And don't be tempted to pull on the side frame. I'm informed it WILL snap!
After you have unclipped both sides, pull the truck apart to its components. There aren't that many and its all pretty straightforward.
Now comes the first 'Point of no return' bit.
Inside the plastic bolster are the raised plastic side frame retaining mouldings that need removing in order to allow the spigot on the side frames to not 'lock in' when they are placed back on the bolster.
I used a 4.5mm drill bit in a very agricultural fashion to chop away at the two mounds in order to be able to eventually pass the drill bit all the way through creating a clearance for the spigots.
Next comes the second 'point of no return' though in theory if you did want to widen the frames again to go back to OW5 you could just add spacers as you're not actually removing any of the side frame spigot length.
An Alco AAR Type B truck is 70" wide over the outside of the 'truck frame' (not the overall width), which requires a width reduction of 5mm overall, so I marked the ends of the bolster with a 2.5mm line to which I sawed off the required material.
You now have a correct width truck.... but, how to hold everything in place now that the retaining moulding has been removed from the bolster???
JB.
Last edited:
Big Train James
Western Thunderer
The beauty of 3d printing is that there aren't nearly as many "points of no return" as there used to be. The bolster is a great example of how 3d printing can be useful to replace damaged parts or to simply make new ones rather than modify old ones.
Not suggesting you're doing it wrong, just allaying fears that you will do irreversible harm if you snap something on the truck bolster. Although I don't think the 3d printing we are all doing here will solve the screwdriver through the hand condition, so that fear remains justified
.
Not suggesting you're doing it wrong, just allaying fears that you will do irreversible harm if you snap something on the truck bolster. Although I don't think the 3d printing we are all doing here will solve the screwdriver through the hand condition, so that fear remains justified
.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
To separate the sideframes from the bolster I use a pair of needle-nose pliers in where you have the screwdriver. Open them out with equal pressure to either side and both sideframes should 'unlock' quite easily, without risk of stabbing yourself!!
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
JasonD
Western Thunderer
Mike Calvert and I used Weaver trucks on the U-boat kits all those years ago. I have spares of the frames to accommodate our learning curve as introduced by JB, all I would ask is that nobody just throws Ow5 components away.
Our first kit was a U33C riding on Adirondack 6-wheel trucks with sprung axle-boxes, all UK sourced apart from the Central Loco Works gearbox/wheelsets. The 4-wheel trucks followed, but since most of the 4-axle U-boats could take the Weaver drives and they were cheaper to source for American sales, our AAR B-type truck tooling exists, but not used for a long time. I ought to check the brake cylinders.
Like all projects, the fun can evaporate as the length of time increases, but I still have basic tooling around for other diesel truck types. When Mike and I started, 2-sided etching had just caught on over here and David Parkins started us off with the U33C. There doesn't seem to be so much interest with kits any more, just RTR.
Well that MTH C30-7 with the shrunken sideframes could be cut down to a B30-7 with those FB2 trucks, maybe next week. Oh yes, this was to be just a brief note reminding you about spare Weaver AAR Type-B ((3 piece) frames.
Jason
Our first kit was a U33C riding on Adirondack 6-wheel trucks with sprung axle-boxes, all UK sourced apart from the Central Loco Works gearbox/wheelsets. The 4-wheel trucks followed, but since most of the 4-axle U-boats could take the Weaver drives and they were cheaper to source for American sales, our AAR B-type truck tooling exists, but not used for a long time. I ought to check the brake cylinders.
Like all projects, the fun can evaporate as the length of time increases, but I still have basic tooling around for other diesel truck types. When Mike and I started, 2-sided etching had just caught on over here and David Parkins started us off with the U33C. There doesn't seem to be so much interest with kits any more, just RTR.
Well that MTH C30-7 with the shrunken sideframes could be cut down to a B30-7 with those FB2 trucks, maybe next week. Oh yes, this was to be just a brief note reminding you about spare Weaver AAR Type-B ((3 piece) frames.
Jason
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
I'd be tempted back to etched kits, if it was a CF7.
Can't see one happening in R-T-R anytime soon.
JasonD
Western Thunderer
Thanks Jordan, of all the kits out there ... CF7s. So many interesting shortlines with them, I'd have a go too! Our excuse at the time was that Pecos River Brass had brought out their RTR brass version, so SW1500 kits followed instead.
Des Plaines Hobbies got stuck into providing nice etched add-ons for Weaver GP38s to make them into GP40s, that was O-scale back then - some still available. The Red Caboose plastic GP9 kit was as easy as an Airfix kit, all you had to do was get a scrap Atlas/Roco F9 for the trucks and motorise it...! Need a cuppa, I'll shut up
Jason
Des Plaines Hobbies got stuck into providing nice etched add-ons for Weaver GP38s to make them into GP40s, that was O-scale back then - some still available. The Red Caboose plastic GP9 kit was as easy as an Airfix kit, all you had to do was get a scrap Atlas/Roco F9 for the trucks and motorise it...! Need a cuppa, I'll shut up
Jason
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
A year and a month since the last post..
It’s been a funny old time with work and family stuff, had my head down a bit trying to change the course of life. Nothing has actually changed yet, but there’s still hope!
Modelling has taken a back seat, but the collecting is at an all time high, something I said I’d never do..
Those that have been following the US threads will know that I was lucky enough to have recently been out in the states for the March O Scale meet in ChicagoLand, and a lovely weekend had with the lads. And the bonus being, no food poisoning this year, though a Chorizo Burrito had me going for a short while, as good as the initial experience was.
I couldn’t help but post a couple of the items that I brought back.. one of them was slightly impulse, the other, I have been after for a few years now. There were other purchases but these are the bigguns..
The first, a ready machined for P48 USRA Samhongsa Light Mikado. It’s had a bit of a clout on the front end so I got it for a good bit less than I should have. I’m not at all worried as it needs stripping work to convert it into a Rio Grande K-59. Although it’s not really a prototype I was desperate to model, I’m sure it will look alright once it’s done. The search continues for a L-131/132.
Next up is the dream model, with an added brass auxiliary water tank on the back. The Overland Rotary OM. It’s going to be tough to pull the trigger on the airbrush for this one as it’s pretty much mint!
Just need a bit of extra space for the two pushing locos behind followed by MOW kitchen car and a couple of Cabeese.
Next update hopefully not too far away.
JB.
It’s been a funny old time with work and family stuff, had my head down a bit trying to change the course of life. Nothing has actually changed yet, but there’s still hope!
Modelling has taken a back seat, but the collecting is at an all time high, something I said I’d never do..
Those that have been following the US threads will know that I was lucky enough to have recently been out in the states for the March O Scale meet in ChicagoLand, and a lovely weekend had with the lads. And the bonus being, no food poisoning this year, though a Chorizo Burrito had me going for a short while, as good as the initial experience was.
I couldn’t help but post a couple of the items that I brought back.. one of them was slightly impulse, the other, I have been after for a few years now. There were other purchases but these are the bigguns..
The first, a ready machined for P48 USRA Samhongsa Light Mikado. It’s had a bit of a clout on the front end so I got it for a good bit less than I should have. I’m not at all worried as it needs stripping work to convert it into a Rio Grande K-59. Although it’s not really a prototype I was desperate to model, I’m sure it will look alright once it’s done. The search continues for a L-131/132.
Next up is the dream model, with an added brass auxiliary water tank on the back. The Overland Rotary OM. It’s going to be tough to pull the trigger on the airbrush for this one as it’s pretty much mint!
Just need a bit of extra space for the two pushing locos behind followed by MOW kitchen car and a couple of Cabeese.
Next update hopefully not too far away.
JB.
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
Exciting development/purchase..
A shunting layout is calling, but would probably need to live in the garage, with a temperature range of 30-40 degrees and the usual winter ‘damper than dry’ air.
Would the insulation foam supported by external wooden frame baseboard style be the best bet?
JB.
A shunting layout is calling, but would probably need to live in the garage, with a temperature range of 30-40 degrees and the usual winter ‘damper than dry’ air.
Would the insulation foam supported by external wooden frame baseboard style be the best bet?
JB.
3 LINK
Western Thunderer
….
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Bachmann/Williams shell? I got one of those recently, too, and did a thing....
The Soo Line's GP30s ran on Alco trucks; I have a spare Weaver Alco PA1 which is donating it's trucks & driveline...
....but this will be a real back-burner project, I have too much else to finish before I muck about much more with this. 
