Looks great Dave! One question though, you mention using wire for pickup on the rear trucks with marklin wheels. Just how are you getting that to work?
hi joe, i was afraid you'd ask. first, remember this is the marsilius coach which has the grooves already cut in the floor for contacts. the trucks that come with them (modern passenger) have a notch ready for a nipple to stick up for electrical contact (but as they are they come without the nipple or contacts!). they were obviously planning for the future possibility of adding lighting to the coaches. using the Nn3 passenger trucks, because they are all that is available that look like the old trucks on the doodlebugs, i noticed that the round dimples on the MTL truck casting (either side of the center hole) line up perfectly with the grooves in the coach floor. so first i drilled holes in the centers of them. then i drilled another hole close to the side of the truck frame (cross bar support) on each side. i have .010" phosphor bronze wire that i bought in a tube at Caboose Hobbies, so i folded about 3/4" of that onto itself. i used a spacer/washer from the N scale truck conversions to lift the floor above the truck, so the wheels had freer swivel. a person could use .020" or .030" to make a spacer if they didn't have any of those N scale truck conversions around. then i bent the folded wire into a "U" leaving about 2-1/2 Z scale feet of the (tightly) folded end sticking up. it has to be a tight "U" bend, so that each end of the folded wire goes into a hole and nests securely. the 2-1/2' nib sticks out of the top of the center most hole to align with the floor grooves, leaving the "loose" ends (of two wires) sticking straight up out of the hole next to the frame, nearest the wheels. i put a drop of CA in there to hold the wire in place. i then bent the two loose ends of the wires over in opposite directions so one would be over a wheel front and back. this has to be done for both sides of the trucks (two wheels on one side, two wheels on the other). a little triming and bending and adjusting so they lightly contact the wheels. i used the metal marklin wheels that came with the marsilius coach trucks, but had to do a slight bit drilling to deepen the axle sockets in the sides of the MTL trucks for the axle tips. when the metal wheels spun FREELY, i then adjusted the wires above each to make light contact. i must admit that i was surprised it worked as well as it did! somehow i got the nib height right on the first try, and i was expecting to use up several pieces of wire doing so . the nibs (nipples) just slightly extend above the inside of the coach floor. but it's enough to touch the phospher strips. i'm going to love this motor. i've always liked the funky old narrow gauge versions that people have made from a short, old time passenger car. love em, love em, love em. i actually started this whole project wanting to make the Rio Grande "Prospector" which was a 2 unit, Budd build set of powered passenger cars, much like the Burlingtons Zephyrs. i have one Marklin observation car, but would need another to do the other half of the Prospector. i've haven't been able to get a hold of a second obs car yet. so i used what i had, and made what i could. maybe someday i'll get to make my Prospector. but for now i'm happy with what i've got. dave f.
the Doodlebug is done. i numbered it for the Santa Fe M126. i finished the "glass" and fitted on the chassis. i'm glad now that i made it. now to finish off my SW2 mechanism and then i'm going to try to resist any more kitbashing projects and zero in on getting my layout running. (yah, right). dave f.
David, that Doodlebug is FANTASTIC! What a beauty. Thank you so much for sharing; especially the step by step photos. I doubt if I'd ever try something as challenging, but it sure is inspiring. Bill Mock
Thanks for that explaination Dave, I really appreciate it. I have to try something similar. Well done and great pictures!
I am truly amazed at some peoples skills in adapting one thing to another. I don't think the average person will notice the extra windows though. You have more than your share of great skill.
Woah! A few days ago I saw shards and bailing wire. That came out really nice ! I gotta start buying more spare cars . . . . .
