Seaboard Air Line Motorcar 2028

Very cool project; please update as you proceed finishing it.

Will do Martin, and take lots of photos!!!

Wanta see that.  It looks like some of the critters the Rock Island did in its shops in Horton, Kansas, and several other railroads'  creations.

colorado hirailer posted:

Wanta see that.  It looks like some of the critters the Rock Island did in its shops in Horton, Kansas, and several other railroads'  creations.

Apparently there were a number of RRs that had similar cars, when I Googled it I saw a couple down south, Georgia and Florida for 1. I want to say ACF was the builder.

Bob Delbridge posted:

Will do Martin, and take lots of photos!!!

RS3 trucks......are those what was really under this or is that just convenience on your part?  If the latter, what is needed?

Martin,I need to check but they sure look like RS3 trucks.  However, the drawing I have shows the front truck with an 8' wheel base and the rear truck with a 6'-6" wheelbase.  Also read that later on the rear truck was replaced

With only my left eye having cataract surgery (dang virus) I can't make out the notes on the drawing to see what type of trucks were used.  I make out maybe made by GSC, front wheels were 40" and rear were 36".  Having said that, convenience is ruling what trucks I use, unless I find something else.  I don't know if both trucks were powered or just the front.

I think a lot of the motor cars used trucks more like Interurban trucks.    Walthers may have made some when they still did trucks.     Scale City Designs got most of the molds for the older trucks from Keil and may still make them.

I have a Sunset Brill 350 PRR Motor car and it has two different trucks also.   The front  one being longer.    It seems the look lighter weight than weaver alco trucks.     However, convenience is an important factor.

Front wheelbase being longer may also correlate to that being the powered truck and able to accommodate the motors; not an uncommon practice with such cars.

If you can locate a better picture, I can look through my boxes of  supplies to see if I have any sideframes that could work.

I did find out the Weaver trucks are 9' wheelbase, but my MTH RS3 and NW2 use 8' wheelbase.  Might have to use the NW2 trucks, a while back I noticed the underframe/chassis had a bend in it and when I tried to flatten it it broke.  I fixed it but don't feel it'll hold up for long.  I may retire it and use the trucks for the motorcar.

The ACL/SAL Historical Society magazine Lines South has had a few articles on these cars so now I'm doing my research.

2027 and 2028 were actually built by St. Louis Car Company, not ACF.

Bob,

Since it’s purple, why not letter it ACL. LOL😁

Ironic you would do it in the rival color. May take a lot of paint to hide the molded color.

I hope you know I am just kidding.

I actually scratch built one of these before 3D printing, 30 years ago, and I painted it in the citrus scheme. A labor of love.

Leon

Leon, I thought the same thing! ACL would look cool in silver and purple.

Bob,

I might get thrown out of the ACL SAL Historical Society for even suggesting it.

We need to keep this quiet. It would make a fine looking model 

.Looking forward to your progress.

Leon

That is a problem that plagues modeling these cars, from McKeens on: different size trucks, if even available.

I know this sounds extreme and all, but couldn't you just make a truck with the proper wheelbase? and then make cosmetic sideframes? Somewhere in the antediluvian past such has been accomplished.
No doubt, if you use an existing truck whose wheelbase if off by 6 scale inches there will be someone to shoot our their lips and laugh you to scorn.

rex desilets posted:

but couldn't you just make a truck.

Rex, LOL!  I'm somewhat good but I ain't that good, especially without a mini-mill.

Once I get the shell from Zach then I'll see what my options are.

Bob Delbridge posted:

rex desilets posted:

but couldn't you just make a truck.

Rex, LOL!  I'm somewhat good but I ain't that good, especially without a mini-mill.

Once I get the shell from Zach then I'll see what my options are.

These show up on ebay from time to time:

You can do this!

What are they?!?!?! Who makes them? Can the wheel centers be changed??  How much $$$???

Very nice!  A couple of sources listed St. Louis Car Company as the builder.  I think these had eight cylinder electromotive engines.  The SAL cars are somewhat similar (at least in appearance) to the ones St. Louis Car Company built for Southern railway.  The Southern units had Fairbanks Morse engines.

Bob Delbridge posted:

What are they?!?!?! Who makes them? Can the wheel centers be changed??  How much $$$???

Overland. Bill Davis has 'em:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Overl...1:g:RaAAAOSw2gxYuxMe