TJ's SD35 project. And now RedCaboose GP9 P48 build

Thanks for sharing your work.

Nice work!! Keep up the progress &thank you for the photos.

Al Hummel

Very cool! Grabs are way oversized on Atlas offerings. Here is my MILW SW1200 after a few detailing improvements:

It's gonna look awesome, I have no doubt.  However, with P48 wheels it's either gonna be a hanger queen or a derailment a minute.  Those 3 axle rigid trucks will derail with every small vertical track defect they can find.  And the narrowed backspacing for P48 removes much of the lateral play between the axles that is necessary to go around curves.  That style of truck block is why the .145 wheels with oversize flanges is the standard.  To be successful P48 demands all wheels are always in solid contact with the track over imperfections, frogs, etc.

The reason I am replacing the drives on my Lionel SD38-2s with those from Sunset SD9s is to have the independently sprung truck axles for P48ing and I am adding a universal on the drive shaft between 2 of the axles to allow for independent vertical movement between the axles.

rdunniii posted:

It's gonna look awesome, I have no doubt.  However, with P48 wheels it's either gonna be a hanger queen or a derailment a minute.  Those 3 axle rigid trucks will derail with every small vertical track defect they can find.  And the narrowed backspacing for P48 removes much of the lateral play between the axles that is necessary to go around curves.  That style of truck block is why the .145 wheels with oversize flanges is the standard.  To be successful P48 demands all wheels are always in solid contact with the track over imperfections, frogs, etc.

The reason I am replacing the drives on my Lionel SD38-2s with those from Sunset SD9s is to have the independently sprung truck axles for P48ing and I am adding a universal on the drive shaft between 2 of the axles to allow for independent vertical movement between the axles.

Funny you mention the sunset SD9 drives....I was thinking about those the other day....hmmmm....but it will mostly be a shelf queen. I have very little time to build a layout outside of a module here and there so I am mostly building it to refine my skills and think outside the box. I am sure as I advance in P48 my projects will be mostly Overland diesels. As they have imported almost everything I am after at some time in the past. In the mean time I am hacking this poor little beast to pieces and see what happens. 

Thanks for the comments guys. 

And the smaller handrails on that SW sure look sweet. I agree the atlas parts look like 3 inch pvc pipe lol. 

I will update as I go. Hope to get a little work on tonight. If I do I'll get some more pics up with some details 

rdunniii posted:

It's gonna look awesome, I have no doubt.  However, with P48 wheels it's either gonna be a hanger queen or a derailment a minute.  Those 3 axle rigid trucks will derail with every small vertical track defect they can find.  And the narrowed backspacing for P48 removes much of the lateral play between the axles that is necessary to go around curves.  That style of truck block is why the .145 wheels with oversize flanges is the standard.  To be successful P48 demands all wheels are always in solid contact with the track over imperfections, frogs, etc.

The reason I am replacing the drives on my Lionel SD38-2s with those from Sunset SD9s is to have the independently sprung truck axles for P48ing and I am adding a universal on the drive shaft between 2 of the axles to allow for independent vertical movement between the axles.

One more thing....where are your sourcing the Sunset drives from? Or are you dissecting the SD9's to get the parts? You have me thinking  sure would be a sweet runner without the vertical twin drives....plus a detailed cab interior would be nice...hmmmm

I had to buy a couple of SD7/9s.  P48 is not a cheap niche.  I also have to make a new frame to mate the Sunset drives to the Lionel shells. 

rdunniii posted:

I had to buy a couple of SD7/9s.  P48 is not a cheap niche.  I also have to make a new frame to mate the Sunset drives to the Lionel shells. 

That's what I thought. Not too terribly concerned with cost as I only need a couple locos. Keeps me more focused. 

theteejmiester posted:

rdunniii posted:

I had to buy a couple of SD7/9s.  P48 is not a cheap niche.  I also have to make a new frame to mate the Sunset drives to the Lionel shells. 

That's what I thought. Not too terribly concerned with cost as I only need a couple locos. Keeps me more focused. 

Exactly.  Better 2 or 3 that I am happy with than 10 or 20 that are good enough.

I have been looking at the CLW drives that show up on eBay. With the later disign engineered plastic gear boxes. With a custom bolister and some mods to the frame I think they could be made to work quite well. Opinions RDUNN III? 

Santiago,  very nice.

May I ask what sort of wire and size did you use? Brass? Piano wire?

Did you plug holes and redrill the holes? Also, do you have a favorite wire bending tool or technique?

theteejmiester posted:

I have been looking at the CLW drives that show up on eBay. With the later disign engineered plastic gear boxes. With a custom bolister and some mods to the frame I think they could be made to work quite well. Opinions RDUNN III? 

Remember CLW went out of business about 15 years ago.  So, to me, the age of the plastic is questionable.   I personally prefer the all metal gears, gear boxes and bearings of the Sunset drives to the plastic.  Also, the Atlas sideframes are not sprung and from personal experience trying making them such is an almost impossible task and that is the thing that matters.   One reason I eagerly await the Sunset PAs is to use the drives/chassis under some Lionel shells I been waiting years to 2-rail that are not being done by Sunset.

One of the reasons I no longer generally buy Atlas diesels is that machining the die cast chassis to fit the drive you suggest is a real PITA.  Contrarily, one of the reasons I have some Atlas U23Bs including a couple I am converting to B23-7s is because the Trainman diesels have a stamped steel chassis that is [much] easier to replace for a horizontal drive.  Now I just need to come up with sprung truck frames.  Overland made brass diesels with both types of trucks so they are out there just few and far between and expensive.

But, and this is the important bit, as you stated your doing this for the challenge and in that go for it!  You will learn a lot, that I guarantee.  It's just that I've been there and done that.

And PD Hobbies Blomberg trucks for those U23Bs that had them makes that transformation even easier.

E. Willers posted:

Santiago,  very nice.

May I ask what sort of wire and size did you use? Brass? Piano wire?

Did you plug holes and redrill the holes? Also, do you have a favorite wire bending tool or technique?

Thanks! Let me forward you to a former thread about th upgrades on that engine:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...ilwaukee-road-sw1200

I used .20 brass wire, as for the tools I have a jeweler set that allows me to bend straight or round depending on the needs. You should be able to find them at any craft store.

rdunniii posted:

And PD Hobbies Blomberg trucks for those U23Bs that had them makes that transformation even easier.

I was curious about the U23B's too. Chessie had a few. Knowing it's easier to swap in the P and D drive is a big push to pick one up. The prices are right.  And thanks for the info on the CLW drives. Had not considered age on the plastics. Given the issues I have had on my weaver RS3 drive and the non aged plastic gears. It's a very valid point. And Given the limitations of the atlas truck blocks, I will do the P48 conversion on it and see how it runs. Worst comes to worst I suppose it will make a fine shelf piece.

I have been looking for a Red caboose GP9 kit too. That combined with the aftermarket frame and P and D trucks/drive componts should make a fun project.  

I am sure I will run into many issues along this P48 journey. And learn a lot. And have some projects that simply won't work. But I look forward to it. 

Appreciate all the advise. And will take it all into consideration

Started the trucks. The big issue I have with the stock trucks is the side frames are much too far from the wheel sets. Causing the brake shoes to not be located correctly in relation to the wheel treads. So I initially planned on using the factory truck side frame mounts and just relocate the holes in the side frame castings. Nope. Too much play. So I built my own mounts using brass stock and promptly screwed up the hole locations so after much colorful language that I shall not repeat here. I figured a way to engineer a some sloppy fitment into the side frames . And drilled and tapped everything to assemble and pray it lined up. And it did,so far. Now on to modifying the truck blocks. Ugh,get the feeling I am gonna screw something else up but here we go. 

Pic so far. 

Okay. So got angry finishing up the last hole for the bolister. Can't get it perfectly aligned. Chucked some stuff,muttered and cussed. Wife asked what was wrong, I got up and moped into the living room and told her I am sick of trying to get holes perfectly straight and need a drill press. She just looked at me and said" so buy one" wham! Just like that I thought why not? So, I just ordered a drill press, a table vise for said press and about a half trillion machine screws in various lengths to finish this project before I lose the will to live. Should be here Wednesday, yay! So excited. Don't know why I didn't do this earlier. Updates will follow on next day off- which happens to be Thursday 

Oh and another thing coming up too. Moving back to Oregon in June. Looking at houses now...found one with a layout room of about 20x35 feet. So hopefully no more little tiny old,spider infested over priced crap hole New Mexico artsy fartsy living in a couple months. Yay! Gonna get the wife to buy me a lathe for my birthday when we get back there...she just doesn't know it yet...

So. Got bored with the SD35. Trucks will have to be replaced to convert it properly to P48. So while waiting for a set of trucks to pop up I bought a new in box RedCaboose GP9 kit to mess with. I am ordering the P and D conversion kit for it in a week or two. Protocraft bolister conversion and Steve grobowski(sp?) Wheel sets along with a finescale360 frame. It should be a fun project. It will be a semi freelanced build based loosely on this unit. 

And the model

All of my three rail stuff will be going up for sale this week too. So it should be a fun build and should go quickly once I source all the parts. Will update as I go 

originally posted by Santiagop23:

I used .20 brass wire,

Carefully with that brass wire. its very ameable and delicate. With all the work one has to do for scale like handrails, you should SERIOUSLY consider a similar diameter Piano Wire. IT's tough but more forgiving and doesn't kink as bad as brass wire. Just my experience and $.02 worth.

I only use piano wire on my hand rails. The mass of o scale tends to destroy brass handrails after a time. 

The P:48 conversion kits, and the geared wheel sets, are no longer sold by Protocraft.  You'll need to contact Right-O'-Way for them.   Just sayin........

Jay

I do know that Jay. But the protocraft name gets stuck in my head cause that's what I know it as . I appreciate it though

TJ,

I know what you mean.  I do it too.

Jay