I have a soft spot for switchers, especially ones in NP's black and gold livery. I have another NW2 coming which will become #101, the other unit assigned to the Tacoma division. These are wonderful locomotives. A far superior pickup system to the SW1200 from LL. These two will be working alonside my three VO1000's.
I see my notes are already cross-referenced back to the Atlas thread; no sense repeating. But in the 'thin the frame' approach to the LL conversion, yes, that's a real option. In my case I figured it was as easy to dremel out the inside of the plastic shell instead of dissassembling the Kato frame, filing it down, cleaning it of all debris, and reassembling. Easier to just buzz out what I needed in plastic. But either way, it's not a 'drop-on' transfer of shell. What surprised me was that the taper inside of the LL shell isn't obvious - but it is there - so when you check it against the top edge of the frame v. the inside bottom of the body shell it looks like it will about slide right in. Wrongo. I already have a taker on my idea to hack one of these down to fit my cast resin SW1 shell. So I will get to tear one down to the atomic level, modify the frame, and start over with major frame modifications. Stay tuned. This should be fun! I really like mine under the LL body; nothing against the basic Kato body but I already had an SW that's appropriate for my era and it's weathered and detailed. The NW2 only had a couple survivors in 1972, and the shell would require a lot of work to bring it up to my SW.
Just another call to see if someone has measured one of these across the chassis in the hood area - in millimetres . . . I'm trying to compare to the LL unit. Further, can anyone pls post a jpg of the truck assembly, if anyone has taken one apart ? I am wondering what the potential for broadening the gauge is, if you want to know why ;-) Cheers Ben
The INSIDE of the hoods at the front of the shells are 12.08mm wide for Kato and 11.70mm wide for the Life-Like. With my calipers up inside the LL shell I can't see any taper at all, but I didn't try to fit a LL shell to it either. My LL switchers run slower than this new Kato, so that is why I replaced the motor. The trucks on the Kato are way better than LL though, plus those nice Kato wheels blow the LL away. Course my LL has NWSL wheels on it. Mine will be Erie 403.
The OUTSIDE of the shells measured up front under the sand fill hatches are 13.34mm for the Kato and 13.53 for the LL. Yes the Kato shell is thinner.
Many thanks for this information, gentlemen. Extremely helpful. Doesn't look very easy to broaden the gauge though ! I wanted to see if they could be set for 10mm gauge - 5'3" in N. I am curious as to what the NWSL wheels look like. I'm informed they are somewhat finer profile than the LL wheels, but not sure. I assume - regardless of how thin they are - that it is not possible to use them to regauge a loco, since the axle pinpoint would then be positioned too wide to engage with the brass pickups on the inside of the truck sideframes? Ben
What railroad uses older EMD switchers on 5'3" gauge? 5'3" is used in Ireland, Australia and Brazil, so it has to be one of those...
Australia. It's the export model (G6) built locally rather than a true SW. The only true EMD switcher in Australia was an NW3 bought second hand from Canada by Comalco in 1976. Cheers David
OK, this really is the Kato mechanism stuffed into the Life-Like shell. I had way too much work into this shell, and it is the right unit for my region where the NW2's were just about completely retired out by '72. Anyway, I'm not a fan of Kato paint....or flourescent handrails. But it DOES work, just a little hard.. not a snap-fit but doable. And it runs just great. I like a switcher that can creep up a yard ladder without fear of stalling, and this is it. Much better electrical pickup than the LL. As much fun as the SW was to run, getting it out meant cleaning the wheels, and the entire yard ladder and throat, every time. So I got used to just never using it. Not anymore.
I was hoping to use it for two types of English Electric shunter. The Kato mechanism is more or less spot-on for these, which are a basic EE design used in a variety of countries: http://rodsrailpage.fotopic.net/p505437.html although the sideframes would need some work. This one is about a foot shorter but has more typical AAR type trucks: http://rodsrailpage.fotopic.net/p503700.html looks a bit 'FM inspired', though it's only a 500 hp English Electric unit, built locally in South Australia. WA Webb, who had been the General Manager on the MKT Railroad, came to the South Australian Railways in the 1920s as Commissioner. He left a continuing legacy of US practice and a penchant for building relatively large locomotives by Australian standards. Here's one of the 500 class shunters beside the local equivalent of the PA1 ! By this time both were owned by the Australian National Railways: http://rodsrailpage.fotopic.net/p503701.html Cheers Ben
