Diesel bash based on one built by MickT

[Jeff Schumaker]

I also started reworking the windows on the Knightwing cab. The front opening needs a little cleaning., but the window fits. The rear window plug is too thick and will be replaced. I've also included a photo of the cab front fitted onto the chassis. More to come shortly, I hope.

Jeff S.

[NeilMac]

I have only just recently caught up with this thread, but am really enjoying seeing this loco taking shape. I do have a couple of Bachmann locos bought for their chassis - one for 009 and one for 09. I will be checking later this weekend if I saved the bodies, and if so I will be planning look what possible options for a cab are in my spares and start planning my own conversion.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Thanks for taking a look, Neil. I hope you find the parts you're looking for.

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

A few more photos: I have done some more work on the buffers and have made openings for the couplers. I have also fitted in the plug for the rear cab window.

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

I did a bit more work on the cab today. I sanded off the window "trim" and the circular bumps (lights?) from the cab rear, as well as adding a housing for a rear headlight. I also added "trim" to the enlarged window opening on the cab front. Hopefully, they will look better once they are primed.

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

I have primed the cab sides and roof and started to assemble the cab.

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

I tacked the cab together and set it on the chassis. To me, it dwarfs the bonnet.

[Jeff Schumaker]

So, I dug out a project I started over a year ago: a diesel built on the Lima 0-4-0 mechanism. I had built a cab from the parts of a Grandt Line boxcab diesel, which seemed a bit small for the Lima body. If I stack the bonnets of two Lima bodies, similar to what I'm doing with the Bachmann Plymouth, the Knightwing cab would be a better fit, in my opinion. It looks like I'll be working on two projects at the same time.

Jeff S.

[MickT]

The Knightwing cab is rather large Jeff. If you do decide to continue using it on the Bachmann bash, then maybe cutting around 3mm off the bottom will make it look better?

The scratchbuilt cabsides on my own "prototype" are 24mm tall above the footplate/running plate/walkway, with the cab rising to 26mm at the apex of the curved roof. The top of the cab at the centre is approx 6mm above the top of the "stacked" engine bonnet

Here's a couple of early construction comparison photos (from several years ago!) showing a Lima diesel being built under the same "stacked" principle and a comparison with a Knightwing bash at a similar early stage of bashing.

Mick

[MickT]

And just to complete the loop on the Lima, here are some photos of it completed - well completed as far as it got. The idea was to create a 4mm version of the 3.5mm Minitrains Lima, one of these photos shows my very rough rendition alongside one of the pre-modern Minitrains jobs that I borrowed from 009 Sales at the time (2008) for a comparison photo.

Mick

[Jeff Schumaker]

Mick,

Nice work on the Lima conversion.

I thought about reducing the height of the Knigtwing cab, but not for long.

A new question - what mechanism did you use for the Knightwing conversion that shows up in one of the photos?

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

More progress to report - Here are a couple shots of the Bachmann conversion with the smaller cab. I had to cut a notch in the cab rear to fit over the mechanism.

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Here are a couple shots of the Knightwing cab (at least part of it) with the stacked Lima Plymouth bonnets.

Jeff S.

[MickT]

Bachmann looks better with the lower cab in my opinion Jeff.

To answer your last question, the Knightwing conversion uses a Kato "shorty" bogie chassis - 11-106. I've never progressed this build and as at last night it was still sitting in a Ferrero Roche chocolate box along with several other "stalled" or "suspended limbo" projects going back a very long time - about 7 years in the case of the Knightwing (I think)

[Jeff Schumaker]

Bachmann looks better with the lower cab in my opinion Jeff.

To answer your last question, the Knightwing conversion uses a Kato "shorty" bogie chassis - 11-106. I've never progressed this build and as at last night it was still sitting in a Ferrero Roche chocolate box along with several other "stalled" or "suspended limbo" projects going back a very long time - about 7 years in the case of the Knightwing (I think)

Thanks, Mick. I think it looks better, too.

I thought the Knightwind mechanism might be one the shorty chassis. I have several "stalled" projects, one of which is the Lima bash. With the Knightwing cab, I think I'll be able to move it toward completion.

Jeff S.