7mm US model dabblings

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
..... projects I was stalled on, namely GP15, MP15AC, GP38 and a fast snoot SD40-2, hell might even go mad with a SD70M or Centennial, but I think the fast 40 or GP15 will win....or will it....blast, so hard picking a new project to begin with LOL. Whatever it is will almost certainly arrive in Armour Yellow and Harbormist Grey, maybe pumpkin green and orange or Warbonnet blue and yellow.

One of the beauties of the EMD range is the common part philosophy most cabs are very similar so once on etch is made up it can be used across several models....I hope, bonnet doors are another example of common user parts.
I'm going all weak at the knees with that list....:) wrong colors, though....:rolleyes: :p

The 'common part' thing is very useful - it's how I made a GP40 from a Weaver GP38, with Atlas GP35 and SD40 parts....:cool:
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I'm going all weak at the knees with that list....:) wrong colors, though....:rolleyes: :p

Indeed LOL, do you know of any UK retailers that stock Atlas O spares like bogie sideframes, google is not my friend at the moment, ironically I'm going to the US in two weeks so may try and find a store there to pick some up and save postage, if I can find a store in or near Orlando, coz try as I might I sure as eggs are eggs cannot find any 1:1 railfan spots :rant:

Need to dig out all my US O gauge links and stuff later and have a dig around.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Colonial Photo & Hobby, Orlando FL. ;)

Only UK Atlas supplier I know of offhand is Jason Dickie a.k.a. Quince Valley Designs although his website isn't very up to date....
Cheers, will give them a look :thumbs:

I'm only after the side frames really, just cannot find them for love or money, not even Atlas stock them as a spare part as far as I can tell, their site doesn't stock items under the part number, just a description which is often at odds with the exploded parts diagram description :headbang: .
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Mick,
PSC will happily sell you some lovely lost-wax brass Blomberg trucks...
Time for you to start a P48 thread? :D
Steph
PSC? Never heard of them (edit, just googled them, nice but expensive!), sounds interesting though, I did find P&D which do a complete drive train for the Red Caboose GP9, that uses lost wax Blombergs but they aint cheap and they don't offer the trucks separately as far as I can tell, everything else individually: yes, the whole lot: yes, the trucks individually: NO

I can feel a session in StudioMax to 3D print some, I do have a fairly decent Blomber drawing to work from, so suspect 3D printing will be the best option and then resin casting from that master, add into that a small etch sheet for fiddly bits they should work up into nice little trucks. It may be prudent to opt for a MP15 or SW1500 with Flexicoils to test all that lot with as those trucks are much simpler to replicate.

P48, ouch, now there's a truly horrid thought, doesn't that mean the track is the wrong gauge then (OO / HO sort of thingy) not happy about that at all, I'd kinda hoped for S7 which I admit would make me in a club of 1 no doubt!

But it is an important consideration if I intend to etch cabs and such as replacements they'll have to be at the scale I'm replacing :headbang:

Regards
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
Mick,
I don't think $70 for a set of assembled sprung, equalised brass 3-axle trucks with wheels included is at all expensive. PSC's r-t-r brass is a lot of money, but the brass components are very good value for money in my experience. If you're looking at detailing or building US outline stuff then their catalogues are a 'must have', whatever scale you model in.
Also worth noting that even Atlas parts are a breeze to order on line. If you can't find what you're after in their parts store then give them a call or email; they're very helpful.
Continuing the egg-sucking theme; I assume you already have the relevant current Walthers catalogue?
Steph
 

Pugsley

Western Thunderer
There is Proto-48, but I don't know how far they go with the track gauge. If you're building it, why not make your own to 1/43 S7? The only problem comes when you want anything to run with it :D
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
There is Proto-48, but I don't know how far they go with the track gauge. If you're building it, why not make your own to 1/43 S7? The only problem comes when you want anything to run with it :D

I think 32mm gauge is more or less correct for standard gauge in 1/48th scale. Proto-48 is aimed more at working towards a finer wheel standard. It's only we Brits who insisted on confusing scales and gauges. :D
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I think 32mm gauge is more or less correct for standard gauge in 1/48th scale. Proto-48 is aimed more at working towards a finer wheel standard. It's only we Brits who insisted on confusing scales and gauges. :D
So what's S7 then? 33mm gauge at 1:43.5 I thought that was the true scale?

1:48 correct scale gauge works out at 29.9mm, or did I miss something....highly likely being back of the class LOL.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
There is Proto-48, but I don't know how far they go with the track gauge. If you're building it, why not make your own to 1/43 S7? The only problem comes when you want anything to run with it :D
Both thoughts had crossed my mind LOL
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Mick,
I don't think $70 for a set of assembled sprung, equalised brass 3-axle trucks with wheels included is at all expensive. PSC's r-t-r brass is a lot of money, but the brass components are very good value for money in my experience. If you're looking at detailing or building US outline stuff then their catalogues are a 'must have', whatever scale you model in.
Also worth noting that even Atlas parts are a breeze to order on line. If you can't find what you're after in their parts store then give them a call or email; they're very helpful.
Continuing the egg-sucking theme; I assume you already have the relevant current Walthers catalogue?
Steph
Steph, clearly your computer skills exceed mine by a country mile LOL.

A: I've yet to find Atlas spare parts that I need, neither the GP9, GP38 or GP60 in their 12 pages of spares, list bogie sides on line, oh I have the part numbers ok but their site does not list by part number just by description, which as I noted above often doesn't match the description on the parts drawings.

B: I can't see Blomberg's of SD40 trucks on PSC site, perhaps in their catalogues, which as you've gathered by now I don't have ;). The Alco PA truck at $71 is very nice and the price is for a pair so even better value for money, except, you guessed it, I don't require them LOL.

Their (PSC) catalogues look excellent and probably about the only way to see what they stock, sadly they only (initial investigations) post it....how quaint LOL, sometimes I'm old school but others I'm very young, I'd expect catalogues to be an on line sale and sent as pdf these day if I'm honest LOL.

I think an email to both parties may well reveal some better results.....whilst the catalogue makes it way across the pond so to speak, mind? I Could try and pick one up in a few weeks, might get it quicker too :)
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
D'oh! :oops:

Well, someone must get it right somewhere! :headbang:
I think HO is correctly scaled track to loco OOTB not sure about N gauge. Gauge 1 has the same scale gauge wars as O gauge with Europe at 1:32 and the US at 1:29 and both using 45mm track.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Mick
Just to confuse the issue there are plenty of American 1/32 models produced, RailKing, Accucraft and Aster for starters.
Tim
Yes I know but my last was sent by remote from the phone and its stupid tiny keys so I kept it as broad as possible LOL, theres also other scales that use 45mm track as well just to really mix the pot up :thumbs:
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
Americans use 1/4":1' scale for 0 gauge.
This is the old, original, toymaker's scale.
When this was the case - over 100 years ago now, I would guess - gauge was measured from centre of rail to centre of rail by toymakers, and the rail was made of bar strip, placed on edge, about 1/16" wide by 1/4" high, maybe 3/16". The gauge worked out, therefore, at close to scale - 4'9" if you do the sums. Allowing for manufacturing tolerances (crude!) some bits of track may have been to correct gauge.Typically, "trains" were a live-steam piddler, running up and down straight track with no curves - pay attention this fact is important later on!

At the time, this error in measurement of the gauge was also prevalent in other scales, so what we now call gauge 3 was to 1/2" scale and if using rail that was 1/8" wide, also accurate. Similarly, 5" gauge would have been made to 1" scale, with 1/4" wide bar - and bar is often used still.

In the USA, 5" gauge is rare, it is usually 4.75"/4.8" gauge with a 1:12 scale, but along the way 0 gauge got bastardised. The gauge of 1 1/4" was kept by everyone but now measured to the inside faces to allow for gauge widening to get around curves and through points, and the Americans kept to the more sensible scale of 1:48. Many Europeans (Lima Mk 1s, possibly?) used 1:45 scale, which with 32mm gauge track produces a scaled-up track gauge only 5mm wider than it should be. In this country, some idiot somewhere (no names, no packdrill, but we all know who) decided that using millimetres was more scientific, and we end up with 7mm to the foot, which requires a track gauge of 32.96mm - a full "thou" less than 33mm, which is a lot easier to use and remember. The scale for 0 gauge in this country is therefore 1:43.5428571. In Europe it is 1:45 and as everything is metric over there, it isn't a problem, and in the US there is 1:48 scale, with 0 gauge using 1.25" (32mm) track gauge, but a Proto:48 movement which has whatever 56.5/48 turns out to be, 1.177" will do. Or, if you prefer to be silly, 1 17/96".

In practice, however, there are easier ays of dealing with this.
Firstly, buy or make some accurate track gauges, and use these religiously.
Secondly, buy a scale ruler, and stop messing about with mental arithmetic.
Or, do the first one but chose a more sensible scale, like One:32 or S... :)

Hope that helps everyone.

Here endeth the history lesson. Go in peace to love and serve the hobby.
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
Incidentally, for those interested in some truly inspiring American 1:48 railway modelling, have a look at these sites:
OST Publications: http://www.ostpubs.com/
O Scale Trains magazine (first 50-odd mags are free as a download): http://oscalemag.com/wordpress/
Mike Cougill's own site: http://www.cougillstudios.com/
Proto:48 on-line webzine: http://www.proto48.org/

Mike Cougill is a very, very nice man who is much involved with Proto:48, and very directly involved with three of the above. He is also a very thoughtful and thought-inspiring man, and I would recommend his "Pieces of the Puzzle" articles in O Scale Trains issues 37, 38 and 39 to anyone engaged in re-thinking their approach to the hobby. His books and "The Missing Conversation" are well worth the investment, but only if the "Pieces of the Puzzle" articles float your boat. He has also publisheded a couple of on-line books on track - primarily US, but plenty of useful techniques regardless of prototype:

http://www.cougillstudios.com/handlaid_track.pdf
http://www.cougillstudios.com/handlaid_track-turnouts_e-b.pdf

His book on the matter of modelling track, published as part of his "Masterclass Modelling Series ®" should be required reading for anyone modelling North American railways.

I get no commission, have never met or spoken to Mike, and have only recently started a e-correspondence with him, but I have to say that from what I have seen, I really like the guy!

As to why I have been looking at American (not just USA, but also Canadian - what nice people they are!) websites, well, another time, maybe...
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Incidentally, for those interested in some truly inspiring American 1:48 railway modelling, have a look at these sites:
OST Publications: http://www.ostpubs.com/
O Scale Trains magazine (first 50-odd mags are free as a download): http://oscalemag.com/wordpress/
Mike Cougill's own site: http://www.cougillstudios.com/
Proto:48 on-line webzine: http://www.proto48.org/

Mike Cougill is a very, very nice man who is much involved with Proto:48, and very directly involved with three of the above. He is also a very thoughtful and thought-inspiring man, and I would recommend his "Pieces of the Puzzle" articles in O Scale Trains issues 37, 38 and 39 to anyone engaged in re-thinking their approach to the hobby. His books and "The Missing Conversation" are well worth the investment, but only if the "Pieces of the Puzzle" articles float your boat. He has also publisheded a couple of on-line books on track - primarily US, but plenty of useful techniques regardless of prototype:

http://www.cougillstudios.com/handlaid_track.pdf
http://www.cougillstudios.com/handlaid_track-turnouts_e-b.pdf

His book on the matter of modelling track, published as part of his "Masterclass Modelling Series ®" should be required reading for anyone modelling North American railways.

I get no commission, have never met or spoken to Mike, and have only recently started a e-correspondence with him, but I have to say that from what I have seen, I really like the guy!

Thanks for the links, will peruse later. Still unsure which scale to adopt, PROTO 1:48 or go with S7 to US loading gauge, there are issue with both, the former requires a different layout to suit the narrower track, the latter will have bogies (if sourced elsewhere) that are too small (wheelbase) and stock slightly smaller, or just build to 1:48 on S7 track.

As to why I have been looking at American (not just USA, but also Canadian - what nice people they are!) websites, well, another time, maybe...
No time like the present as they say :thumbs: I've always been interested in US (and other countries) and it was the lure of gauge 1 US that dragged me up the scales in the first place with the purchase of a GP-38 and SD-45, both since now sold as I fine tune my interests into one scale . I do find US models significantly cheaper (not bought any as yet) that corresponding European stock but shipping just about doubles the price and some of the models are, how shall we say, 'toy like' with swinging pilots and couplers to allow for 24" curves or what ever insane radius they are designed for LOL.
 
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