American Dock Co - On30 Card Stock Steeple Cab

On30 Card Stock Steeple Cab - RC in the Future
Part 1.
1.


The top picture was posted on one of the Traction related Yahoo Groups a few days ago. I have several of this style Steeple Cab in Brass HO models. I have two that are 85 Ton Baldwin Electric's and one that is a Pacific Electric Clone. The Pacific Electric Clone, # 1624 is still running.

2.



I also have another smaller Steeple Cab that is a GE 17 Ton Electric. The 17 Ton Steeple Cab model is in "O" scale. It is a Card Stock model that I got from Clever Models as a test build.

3.


I have wanted to Kit-Bash the Clever Models little Steeple Cab into a running model but built for On30. I just have not gotten around to it yet. With the picture of the larger Steeple Cab I decided to Kit-Bash the GE 17 ton Steeple cab into its big brother, an 85 Ton version of the American Dock Co Steeple Cab.

 

Part 2.

Since I would use the nose off the 17 Ton version, modified to On30, I just had to draw out the Cab part for the larger version. Using the side view picture I made a couple drawings to get the size close. I then printed out a few copies on Card Stock. Did a bit of a "Cut - N- Paste" and had my first draft version of the American Dock Co. Steeple Cab. I made a frame of sorts and mounted the body to it.

Sort of simple. Not a finished model yet but a model with some potential.

4. First draft Card Stock body on a Athearn F7 replacement powered chassis.


5. The front and rear Pilot is a part from one of my Boulder Valley Models kits and is just taped on the frame Card Stock mock-up.


6.


7. Next a test run on my "test track loop". Runs fine.

 

I like th elook of those steeple cabs and its a pity more were not about as stock models that could be used as a base. the standard electric oc seems to have the same parentage all over the world and must be as common as a six coupled switcher.

nice to see electric locos
​

 

Part 3.

This afternoon I decided to go ahead and built a Card Stock Mock-Up of the GE 17 Ton Steeple Cab in On30. The "Cut - N -Paste" to reduce the little Steeple Cab from "O" scale to On30 went quick. The Bachmann Ballast car wheel base in 1/48" is 8' and just like the prototype plans show so I use one for my power unit. I put my last set of larger wheels on it, added Radio Control with batteries and was ready for a test run. Everything works Ok.

When I make my "For Real" Steeple Cab I will do it so I can remove the roof to get at my Battery.



The Controller is my All-Trol Hand Held for the Radio Control System.


When I reduced the width of the Cab to make it On30 I moved the door from the front to the side. I will put in steps and hand rails and lots of other details.


This picture shows all three of my Card Stock Steeple Cabs.

 

card stock Box cab

I just saw this thread and love what your doing with our steeple cab test model. We will be showing our Box cab running on our mostly paper HOn30 layout next week at Springfield. We currently don't have much rolling stock but what we have is also paper.
If your going to the show stop by.
Thom

 

Hi Thom,

I am having a lot of fun kit-bashing the small steeple cab. I am about to make another one based on a "City of New York - Drill Motor". Their were two of these and worked the garbage collection trains on the IND system and were later used as yard switchers. I found a picture of it so it will be based on a prototype. It looks sort of like a small steeple cab but sits in the middle of what looks like a flat car. It is a third rail powered "Drill Motor" built in 1932.

You can see this locomotive? at the bottom of this link:

http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/nycta207.html

I have not been able to log onto your web site for the last few days.

 

Are you planning to leave these as cardstock models, or shall the become brass/styrene/other?

Michael

 

Just curious: were there a lot of real-life electrified narrow gauge lines? If you're freelancing, that's fine, but I was interested if you had some IRL examples to share.

 

Certainly in Europe! Actually all of them in Switzerland. Some info should be found here in English: http://www.rail-info.ch/schmalspur.en.html

The exceptions being museum lines that removed the overhead wires like the DFB.

 

Yes, it is another one like I used for the railtruck. The yellow chassis is from one of the Bachmann Ballast Vehicles, item number 16948. I have a several of these and they make great donor power units.

 

Hi Michael,

For now they will stay as Card Stock Models. I don't solder well enough to use brass so everything I make is Card Stock, Model Plywood or Styrene/Plastic.

The final version of the Card Stock Models will be 3 or more layers of Card Stock for strength.

 

Hi,

Swissboy (Thanks) posted a good link to some narrow gauge electric lines. I am not sure how many were in the US.

I model "Freelance" so I can do about as want and know how.

 

Some trolley and possibly interurban lines were non-standard gauge. There were also some electrified mining railroads, again, some non-standard gauge. But very little in the way of common carrier, locomotive-using, freight-hauling railroads. I can't think of any offhand.

 

The Boston, Revere Beach, & Lynn. It was the only electrified 3' gauge that I can think of in the US. It had no freight business and converted its passenger cars to electric power.

Here are the most famous BRB&L cars:
East Broad Top Railroad

Michael

 

The Denver and Intermountain was a 3' traction line, it was part of the Colorado Southern. Nice mix of stuff to model...

 

Nope just trying to combine my traction itch, with my On30 stuff. I model traction in N and HO scale , and G gauge (1/2'=1'). The thought of freight motors in On30 sounds just to good to not investigate. I'm currently building my first steam loco using a Bachmann HO 0-6-0 donor mech, and a Backwoods Miniatures kit to build a nice little 2-6-2T.

If you look at the digital archives of the Denver Public Library, and search for Denver and Inter-Mountian, you will find a great number of really cool motors.