@S. Islander posted:I've built a few LWS locomotives, including this UP DDa40x. While the kit parts photo shows all the exterior parts, there is no interior floor or underframe. You will need to make an underframe with supports for the motor(s) and truck mountings. Also the coupler mountings on each end, and get the locomotive to ride at its correct scale height. On the DD, using brass structural parts, like "I" beams, "C"s and "L"s, I made an underframe to hold two Pittman 9xxxx motors, each driving a truck through Central Locomotive Works transmissions. A floor was put in only under the cab, which was detailed inside.
The sprung, soft metal trucks were reinforced with brass backing plates and fitted with brass journals for better wear resistance. Because the DD is such a long locomotive, I made articulated coupler mountings for each end to enable the couplers to swing wide and remain close to center on curves. It was able to negotiate a 60" radius curve, but had a good deal of mid-body side overhang in doing so. A 72" radius was better. It could haul a 60 car freight with metal wheels a scale 65 MPH. The roar from all those wheels was almost deafening! I built it for a friend and fellow O scaler who has since passed away. His family sold the model and I have no idea where it went.
In this photo, taken when finished in 1980, it is standing on a section of road bed with steel, hand-laid NY Society of Model Engineers AAR profile rails that were custom rolled in the late 1930's. It was once a part of General Electric's model railroad club O scale layout in Schenectady. The ballast was made with roofing shingles glued on to pre-cut plywood roadbed.
S. Islander
@S. Islander that DDa40X is fantastic! I read in OSR issue #37 Locomotive Workshops was going to produce this engine in brass and the #6905 you built looks amazing. Do unbuilt brass DDa40X kits still come up for sale online or at train swap meets? I don't know how many of these DDa40X kits Locomotive Workshop could have manufactured for customers being it takes a massive layout to run, especially if your pulling 60+ freight cars. 👍
Thank you for the helpful building tips. I have been finding the Locomotive Workshop instructions less then complete.
