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A while back, Bachmann came out with a rail truck modeled after a DRG&W prototype. A nice model, it featured opening doors, interior, LED headlights & taillight, and an opening hood with a detailed engine, including an operating fan.
It had possibilities, but as usual, I wanted something a bit different for my own railroad.
Looking around, I was inspired by the East Broad Top’s motorcar, M-
The Bachmann model was quite a bit longer and wider, so it would have to be cut down. The hood would have to be shorter and I’d have to replace the front truck. I wouldn’t create an exact model, but it would be pretty close.
Using my trusty Dremel (and many cut-
I created a cardboard mockup of the body to see how my design might work.
I planned to operate it with battery and remote control. I also wanted sound. This required the installation of a speaker, which took up quite a bit of the available room.
I also extended the floorboards near the front of the vehicle. I designed everything to be removable in case I ever need to access any of the moving parts. In this case, the added floorboards are attached to the front section that is held in place by a couple of screws.
I added an Airwire receiver and a Phoenix P5 sound card, all powered by a 14.8 volt Li-
Here you can see that the hood support has been shortened. The body will press against this support and hold the operating hood pieces in place.
I had a set of pilot trucks from a Bachmann 10-
I also used some small brass strips to hold the pilot itself in place, utilizing some existing screw holes.
I didn’t want to charge the Li-
The body is made from .060” styrene, covered with some .125” x .020” strips for detail. Clear styrene was used for the windows.
The roof was built with .100” thick strips glued together and then covered with a fabric material.
I tapped the frame and use some small bolts to hold the body in place.
I cut down the reflector from a Mag-