Tinplate, Something Unique

Congratulations Steve,

An impressive model that looks really nice, passenger cars seems to have been made in the spirit of extruded Lionel aluminum cars. The engine is gorgeous, a dream piece.

Daniel

Daniel

The cars are postwar Lionel with the Lionel plates removed. I do plan on making Rock Island plates for them someday. The lead unit has been repowered with a Williams dual motor chassis.

Steve

Steve, you gave me an excellent idea as I have a pair of Unique Line F3 and the original motor is not very good. I have always enjoy the Rock Island scheme on the bodies.

Your Dailight set is a piece of art, really impressive train. Nice to see it running smoothly on the layout.

Daniel

I was hoping for ....

But yours are bootiful

hey Steve... nice train(s!)

two questions... if that was the original drive, how did those diesels sound?  the Unique steam locomotives (both c/w and elect) are two of the noisiest engines i've ever heard.  and, also... how did you work out the coupling?

cheers...gary

overlandflyer posted:

hey Steve... nice train(s!)

two questions... if that was the original drive, how did those diesels sound?  the Unique steam locomotives (both c/w and elect) are two of the noisiest engines i've ever heard.  and, also... how did you work out the coupling?

cheers...gary

Gary, the Odd coupler Unique put on the diesels is a slot and 2 tabs. The first tab is to slip the knuckle over and the smaller tab keeps the knuckle from coming off. Very strange looking, but brilliant. I'll try and post a picture this evening.  The original motors are hit and miss. Some are very noisy, some more like a Marx motor, but almost all the diesels I have had have a squeal that oil never fixes. This one, I put Williams can motors in with electronic reverse.

Steve

Having had, later, and sold off those Rock Islands, because l couldn't quickly mate with Marx (tab or tilt), l will be interested to see what couplers work with them?  I remember seeing them in stores as a kid, and passed, as l didn't think they would work with my Marx.

Here are some coupler pictures.

Nicely done, Steve

When I did my years ago, I figured out a way to make the Rock Island headlights more realistic.

-Get some of the bulbs that are long and skinny, instead of the round globe ones.

-Take the metal bulb socket out of the locomotive's plastic nose

-Solder two wires onto the bulb

-Cover the bulb and its base, all but the rounded glass tip with heat shrink

-press the bulb into the nose until only the rounded glass tip is sticking out

-hook up the wires

Big cosmetic improvement.

Could you show us how you attached the Williams Chassis to the UA body, please?

When I re-powered my Rock Island units, I was able to put the can motors inside the original motor hangers and keep the side frames. Unfortunately, these locos were not successful because the motors swing from the roof and like to climb the rails. I will have to rebuild them with actual Williams chassis.