Well, i had this extra Marsilius car and i wanted to do something with it. i decided to see if i could get a respectable "doodlebug", as the Santa Fe called their "motors", so i looked and measured and compared and decided to take the plunge. the first photo shows the cuts i made to rearrange the body a bit. the next photo shows how i combined them and added on a new cab section. i had to cut spaces for the doors and some windows. you'll also see a pilot (cow catcher) from a Micro-Trains N scale steam conversion. i removed the N scale coupler and glued a Z over it. amazing how perfectly the pilot fit for the prototype placement and scale. the two black squares are for the roof mounted radiators. they are grills from an n scale GP9 for the front and rear. more detail added. some details the eyes miss, but some details our eyes pick up immediately. details are a pain, but they are the important difference to a realistic looking model. here is the same view but with more details added and some paint. i decorated the front so i could mask it off and do the "big" dark paint colors after. i added grabs by the doors and grabs on the front, as per prototype. the chassis will now be cut on to fit the MTL GP9 drive mechanism (or one half of it, anyway). dave f.
here is another view of the progress so far. this side of the car has too many windows behind the cab, but the marsilius shells are so thin, it would be problematic to try to fill the spaces and have it all come out right. so you and i will have to live with the extra windows (artistic license, and all that!). i have the Alco type sides already glued on to a smoothed down MTL GP truck sideframes (the side frames come from the hallmark UP Turbine ornament of a couple years ago). i will now focus on cutting into the marsilius floor to fit the mechanism to the front. some how i will need to add some electrical pick up to the rear truck. Not that easy, but every bit of extra electrical contact will improve performance and reliability. the roof and side paint won't take long, but because i don't have any gold Santa Fe lettering for the sides, it could be several weeks before i can completely finish the shell. real Doodlebugs often pulled an extra coach (or two) and very often a couple of box cars (to add some more revenue). my model should be able to pull 2-4 boxcars too. more as things progress. dave f.
Dave, How do you find time to mow the lawn, pull the weeds and grocery shop for your wife when you are always making neat little Z creations? Wonderful work as usual. Looking forward to the final product, Loren
Honestly Dave, This is just too cool. If it's not being produced yet... produce it yourself. Just great, thanks for sharing this. John Cubbin Ztrains: Z Scale (1:220) Model Train Layouts
Great project Dave! The AZL RDC mechanism might be an easier way to power for thr rest of us when they come out, but for you, I would not be surprised if you figure out how to stretch or even double motor a gp mechanism fur this jewel!
It's very clever. You have a special talent to visualize an end project just seeing the potential core. Congratulations. Lajos :0)
You are the man! I give you all the credit in the world for being able to construct that! What impresses me is you tell us what isn't right, even though most would never even notice. I can't wait to see the finished product. Very cool.
well, i'm glad you all like it. there is an evolution to this project. as i started on the SW2 (from the Searails RS shell) the only way i could see to shorten the mechanism for it was to snap one flywheel off the motor and power just one truck. this is the way joe d'amato orignally conceived it, and it seemed to me the only way. in reality, now, the chassis needs weight over the power trucks because the drag of the rear truck (even with most gears removed) barely allows it drag it self around. then i saw david k.'s version of chassis shortening, which still allows both trucks to be powered (at the expense of the both flywheels). that seemed the better alternative, so i will remake the switcher chassis in that mode, because i plan to USE my switcher and not just have it there for looks. SO ... what to do with the one-truck-powered chassis? that's when the idle coach caught my eye and the old wheels turned. the first-attempt-chassis will serve its purpose in the doodlebug AND i can add a enough weight into that coach-like cab to where it will move and pull too. with the SW2 shell there is just not enough space to add the kind of weight that's needed. it was a serendipitous convergence. i've always loved gas-electrics and diesel-electrics, in fact my very first kitbash ever (when i began in N scale in 1977) was a santa fe M190 (a big articulated "doodlebug"). i don't know how practical they are for a layout, or if people are really interested in seeing one run at shows, but it's something different (and i like them) so that's reason enough to try. i'm about ready to mask the front and paint the grey roof and then the pullman green sides of the doodlebug. the gold santa fe lettering, however, will be the delay. it will get done one way or another. i love to make things too much ... i wish i could get my layout in running shape! dave f.
David, Awesome! have a look at Yuzi page, he has an interesting propulsion solution for his TEE train. http://homepage3.nifty.com/yuzi/ram/ram.html Regards, Frank
yuzi is a master, isn't he frank? all the things he's made (and that before there was the kind of availability of mechanisms and parts that we have now). thanks for sharing the link with us. dave f.
Wow dave, I am always amazed how well you put such thin parts together flush so well. I had a GP with one shaft broken that was my very first loco day one I opened before I ran it and did not realize the motor had ceramic shaft. I still have that mechanism, if you find some way you can use yours, I will be interested to try it out. Yuzi is the one who scratch built the bigboy..... I was so much in awe when I saw that, yes he is the Master. Kim
Hi David, The doodlebug looks great! I've really enjoyed watching this little thing come along. Again, good job and keep up the great work!
the doodlebug is done, though the pictures i have to show now do not show the completed and decalled model. i cut into the marsilius frame so the MTL chassis would fit inside it. i then screwed down into the "legs" that extended over the chassis tanks in order to secure the frame to the powered chassis. the photo belows shows how the chassis fit with the coach's frame. i wanted to keep the rear old time trucks, but needed 8 wheel pick up for reliability. i considered putting an MTL GP truck in the back, so i could get the pickup, but then decided to try to get electrical pickup from the MTL truck. the short version is ... it works! the metal wheels are marklin and .010" phosphor bronze wire was used for pickup. there is some space under the coach seats which i believe is precisely for running pickup wires or strips between the trucks. there area slots in the stock trucks that line up with grooves carved into the coach frame/floor. so i took advantage of this and used some bronze pickup strips of an N scale Lifelike GP. since the screws holding the coach frame to the powered chassis were drilled into the top of the "tanks" i put a hole in the pickup strips to put the screw through, so not only does is support the coach frame, it also conducts to the MTL chassis halves. the picture below shows the strips and the screws, screwed into the tank of the powered chassis. the set up runs sweetly: smooth and quiet. i refit the widows to the rearranged car sides and redrilled the grooves (in the window inserts) that grab onto the floor. the doodlebug now looks and runs perfectly, and it's as easy as before to snap the shell onto the frame, or remove it. i added some lead sheet around the powered end to improve traction. the car will easily pull 2 passenger or 5 box cars. i am very pleased with the performance, coming as it does from only half a chassis! i'll get picture of the painted and detailed shell tomorrow, if i can. i hope you have enjoyed the look. dave f.
You are a genius! Perfectly done. Pleased to see a half-chassis work, really gives some opportunity....
