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| HO TRACTION DETAIL PARTS PAGE ONE |
| THOSE OF US AT AMERICAN MODEL BUILDERS, INC., WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION OF OUR LINE OF LASERKIT MODEL RAILROAD PRODUCTS ARE LIFELONG MODEL RAILROADERS. QUITE FREQUENTLY, WE DESIGN AND BUILD STUFF FOR OURSELVES, GENERALLY THINGS THAT DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE "MASS MARKET APPEAL" OR, THE PRODUCTION COST(S) OF THESE ITEMS PROHIBIT THEIR DISTRIBUTION THROUGH THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTOR/DEALER CHANNELS. THEREFORE, WE ARE MAKING SOME OF THESE ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR DIRECT SALE, ONLY, FROM OUR INTERNET SITES. AS THESE "PRODUCTS" BECOME AVAILABLE, WE WILL MAKE NOTIFICATION EITHER THROUGH OUR SITES OR ON THE "rgspemkt@yahoogroups.com" EMAIL LIST. THIS PAGE INTRODUCES THE FIRST OFFERINGS OF OUR HO SCALE TRACTION/TROLLEY PARTS. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ITEMS THAT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE. |
| "UPGRADE" AND DETAIL ITEMS FOR THE CANNONBALL CAR SHOPS HO SCALE GE STEEPLECAB |
| OR...... |
| HOW TO TURN THIS............ |
| INTO THIS!!! |
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| IN THE ABOVE VIEW, WE SEE THE BASIC CANNONBALL CAR SHOPS' GE STEEPLECAB KIT, ASSEMBLED AND SITTING ON A PAIR OF POWER TRUCKS FROM A BACHMANN 44 TON DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE. THE CANNONBALL KIT IS VERY WELL DONE AND A WONDERFUL STARTING POINT FOR A FUN, HO SCALE TRACTION DETAILING PROJECT. WHEN I RECEIVED MY FIRST STEEPLECAB KIT, I ASSEMBLED IT IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, IT'S JUST THAT GOOD. THEN, I SEARCHED FOR A PROTOTYPE THAT HAD A TON OF "STUFF" HUNG ON IT. SOMETHING THAT COULD REALLY MAKE AN INTERESTING MODEL. THE FT. DODGE, DES MOINES & SOUTHERN LOCOS WERE EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. SO THUS BEGAN "THE PROJECT" |
| TWO SOURCES FOR PROTOTYPE PHOTOS OF Ft. DODGE, DES MOINES & SOUTHERN EQUIPMENT. PLUS, JUST VERY GOOD SITES OVERALL! |
| FIRST, SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE ABOUT THE TRUCK SIDEFRAMES. I MADE UP SOME MASTERS FOLLOWING PHOTOS AND DRAWINGS OF THE "AS DELIVERED" GE-ALCO TRUCKS, THEN MADE A SPIN CASTING MOLD AND NOW WE HAVE READILY AVAILABLE TRUCK SIDEFRAMES. |
| OUR GE-ALCO TRUCKS ARE SHOWN AT RIGHT. INCLUDED ARE FOUR CAST WHITE METAL SIDEFRAMES AND FOUR LASER CUT ACRYLIC MOUNTING BLOCKS ONCE THE MOUNTING BLOCKS ARE GLUED IN PLACE, THE SIDEFRAME JUST PRESSES ONTO THE EXISTING MOUNTING PINS ON THE BACHMANN TRUCK. |
| THE GE-ALCO SIDEFRAME "KIT" IS AVAILABLE FOR $9.95, AND INCLUDES ALL OF THE PARTS AS SEEN ABOVE. SCROLL DOWN TO "ORDER PAGE" TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR THESE TRUCKS. |
| NEXT, SOMETHING NEEDED TO BE DONE ABOUT THE HEIGHT AT WHICH THE SUPERSTRUCTURE SITS AS A RESULT OF THE BACHMANN POWER TRUCKS. AFTER MUCH THOUGHT, I DETERMINED THAT IF THE BACHMANN MOTORS WERE TURNED SIDEWAYS, THIS WOULD ALLOW THE CARBODY TO SIT AT THE PROTOTYPE HEIGHT. THIS ALSO SOLVED THE COUPLER HEIGHT PROBLEM. |
| THIS, THEN LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW POWER TRUCK MOUNTING ASSEMBLY, AND INTEGRAL SUPERSTRUCTURE SUPPORT FRAME. THIS ADDS STABILITY TO THE MODEL, ALLOWS A SECURE AND RELIABLE MEANS OF ATTACHING THE "CHASSIS" TO THE CAR BODY WITH SCREWS, AND ALSO PROVIDES COUPLER MOUNTING "PADS" FOR RELIABLE ATTACHMENT AT THE PROPER ABOVE RAIL HEIGHT. THE POWER TRUCK MOTOR MOUNT AND LOWERING KIT IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR $9.95 |
| FUTURE RELEASES WILL INCLUDE THE Ft. DODGE, DES MOINES & SOUTHERN STYLE ROOFWALKS AND "MATTING" ALONG WITH THE TROLLEY BASE "EXTENSION STAND" AND THE HOLD DOWN HOOKS. IN THIS PICTURE YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE HOOD ACCESS HATCHES, AND THE SAND FILLER COVERS. ALL PARTS ARE LASER CUT FROM WOOD AND ACRYLIC (PLEX). WE WILL ALSO HAVE LASER CUT ACRYLIC GLAZING FOR BOTH WINDOW VERSIONS OF THIS KIT. (ARCH & STRAIGHT TOP SIDE WINDOWS) |
| PLEASE NOTE: THIS LOWERING KIT WAS DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH THE "OLD" BACHMANN 44 TON DIESEL THAT HAD TWO MOTORS, ONE EACH, MOUNTED ON THE TRUCKS. BACHMANN HAS CHANGED THEIR DESIGN, AND THE "NEW" 44 TONNER HAS A SINGLE MOTOR THAT DRIVES THE WHEELS BY USE OF A "STANDARD" POWER TRAIN -- UNIVERSALS TO A GEAR TOWER, ETC. THERE ARE USUALLY SEVERAL OF THE "OLD" MODELS LISTED ON eBay. ONE WAY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE "OLD" VERSION, IS THAT THEY CAME IN THE BLACK BOX WITH "SPECTRUM" PRINTED IN GOLD. MAYBE IF BACHMANN GETS ENOUGH EMAILS REQUESTING THAT THEY MAKE JUST THE "OLD" POWER TRUCKS AVAILABLE, WE'D HAVE A READY SOURCE OF USABLE POWER TRUCKS FOR A VARIETY OF TROLLEY/TRACTION MODELS! CONTACT BACHMANN AT: sales@bachmanntrains.com |
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