L&N Doodlebug & ammo

some years ago, there was an excellent article in Model Railroader about a scratch built O scale L&N doodlebug. very complete including accurate drawings.

a great resource.

 

Now you have my attention.  That looks close to that American Standard Car Co. kit

of a gas electric, and wonder if it could be utilized, but, of course many were similar.  I will be interested in the power train you use, but think that MAY be easier found in 2 rail than 3.  PRR Man: I have a file of old MR's with gas electric articles, but don't

remember that one for the L&N, which I may not have, buried somewhere.  Any chance

you can cite year and month?  Will follow this closely, B.L., and await your construction

of a McKeen car.

I think it was August or September 1998.

 

 

This would be a good unit to power with magic carpet drives--you could put lots of interior detail.

 

Jeff C

Malcolm,

 

So you retired from the Caboose industry to move into Doodlebug land..... I see.

Very interesting project that I will be following carefully, as I always wanted to build for myself an ATSF M-190 gas electric.

 

The power train will be interesting as well as the procurement (or manufacturing) of the trucks which are very rare, expensive ($90 for the sides only) or almost impossible to find for this kind of vehicle.

 

Please post pictures of your progress.

 

Thanks

Yves

Excellent project Malcolm!

If you haven't decided on a drive mechanism have a look at this Australian website -Hollywood Foundry.  I have had several drive bogies made by them in 32mm gauge and they run very smoothly especially if you choose the 30:1 or 32:1 reduction.

 

Paul

Just a satisfied customer

Malcolm,

 

Show us what the prototype looked like.  Seaboard had a few varieties of Doodlebugs, the most famous being their 2028:

 

 

 

I have a partially started model that Ed Reutling sent me, hopefully I can get started on it this year.  One thing that has kept me from doing anything on this is the front truck has an 8' wheelbase and the rear truck has a 6'-6" wheelbase.  Not sure where I can find trucks for it.

That Seaboard streamlined doodlebug has the same truck problem as the McKeen, but,

at least, the body looks easier to shape.  I am betting B.L. would not have a problem

with either of these bodies.

Malcolm!

This is so cool!

Could you build me a ATSF M-190?

Brother Love,

 

Even with my limited skills and experience, if I can be of any assistance to you on the drives/mechanisms please don't hesitate to ask.

 

As far as the trucks, if you don't find what you want available commercially you could make them from styrene and we could do direct burnouts to make brass trucks for you.  Shoot, if you made them about 2 1/2% oversize we could do an RTV mold and cast up as many as you'd like.

 

Jay

Thank you for the complimentary replies.

 

Erik, I have not succeeded with this one yet. I have rebuilt the front end 3 times already! Let's wait and see.

 

Jay, Limited skills! Sir, I know about your work!

 

This one is going on a 3R chassis provided by my client. I may try a 2R model after this one, a GM&O doodlebug and trailer just to get my feet wet. I also have a passenger project to get started for another client. Even though I switched to HO (I keep telling myself I have) my latest personal project is n O scale Alco C415, it is going to be an interesting build.

B.L.:  You are probably familiar with the Walther's O scale kit of a C&NW gas electric

in O scale.  Walther's made that in HO, AND they made a GM&O kit also, but just in HO,

not in O.  Apparently the kits are similar and the O scale one, commonly found, might

speed up your task of getting a GM&O one built.  I also remember an old MR article on the ride down through Illinois on the GM&O gas electric and trailer, another trip I woujld

have liked to have taken.  But you may have that at hand, also.

Malcolm,

 

Yeah, I've had some success but I don't do "Show-N-Tell" with my screw-ups.  Maybe I should.

 

I guess I'm trying to do my version a diametrically opposed statement of all the folks that profess to know what they're talking about but have never actually done it.  No, nobody on this thread reaches that threshold.  All of the suggestions seem good to me.

 

Jay

Another masterpiece 

just wait & see  following this thread with a lot of attention 

 

Getting closer.

Is that Brill car #3600, the "Huckety-Buck" on the L&N?  Must be...the L&N only had

two other doodelbugs, one steam built in their shops, and the other gas-mechanical

and gone in 1925, while #3600 was scrapped in 1955.  The "Huckety-Buck" ran from

Columbia, Tenn. to Florence, Alabama, and was the only doodlebug on the L&N for

27 years.

Fine work MAlcolm!

Oh my that looks good.  Great work Malcolm.

Entire drives including the sideframes should be readily available from Q-Car generally for ~$150, or thereabouts.  Should have asked Quentin about this when I talked to him last Sat. at the East Penn meet.

 

The drive for the American Standard kit generally used a Q-car set of trucks with a pair of magic carpet drives; got a set that I am saving for a kit bash of the same kit since someone else already did the bashing 1/2 of the project.

 

Not sure, but you might be able to get a regular Q-car drive under this with a little compromise of interior that can be disguised.

Malcolm,

 

That looks good,

 

Colin

I am having Malcolm build this for me.  It is the "Huckety-Buck" #3600.  

 

Neal Jeter

This is a photo of the O scale model that Dick Scott built from the July 1998 Model Railroader article.  I live in Florence, AL which was the southern end of the 3600's run from Columbia, TN to Florence.

 

 

Really fantastic work!

What a nice model!

Great model pictured  (by Dick Scott).  Malcolm has an MR article and that photo to work from.  There is another photo (B&W) of #3600 in the Keilty book,"Doodlebug Country", where I looked up the L&N's gas electric history.   Really neat that you will have a unique model of a prototype that rolled into your home town.

If you haven't decided on a drive mechanism have a look at this Australian website -Hollywood Foundry.  I have had several drive bogies made by them in 32mm gauge

How's that? Hollywood Foundry's site  shows only HO, N, TT ga drives.

No matter-I need underfloor drives for trolleys. Q car it is, I suppose.

Rex,

Depending on your need, the new S scale Stanton drives by Northwest Short Line might work...with obvious modifications.  Contact NWSL or Jim King at Smoky Mountain Model Works for more info.

Thanks, O.G. I have used an HO Stanton drive to power a Grandt mine loco. It isn't the most impressive thing I've seen. I may try the Magic Carpet instead. Q-Car purports to offer traction truck(s) with that arrangement. Was hoping not to have to wait half-a-year for an order....

Sooner ordered, sooner delivered,   And, I have gotten drives from Quentin in under 3 months - it just depends on how busy he is and how many are in the queue ahead of you.

Well Malcolm, At least it isn't another 'boose!

Not much easier to power if you were, as I would be, doing it in three rail.  I have one

of the old Walther's three rail power trucks they provided for their C&NW gas electric

kit, but have not used it, as I have not exactly heard raves about it.  However, that drive train was offered in two rail, but might be as hard to find as the three rail one. Another possibility for small ones like the Edwards cars might be the drive Bowser used to provide for their streetcars (with new sideframes and other mods).  All of those I have seen seem to have tinplate flanges, but they had DC versions.

All of their mechanisms are made to order (gauge, wheelbase, wheel size, ratio, mounting style). Just email them and they will make to 32mm gauge.  

 

This is the last one I used - 32m gauge for scratch-built armoured railcar used in Rhodesia in the 1970's modelled in 1:35th scale to represent the prototypes 3' 6" gauge.  As you can see the mechanism does not intrude into the body very far.

 

Paul 

Rex,

I have used an old NWSL HO scale PDT truck but not the current Stanton drive...the PDTs were lousy.  The S scale Stanton will use the 1630D-9 motor with a 15:1 gear ratio.  I have two on order to power an S scale Alco S1 loco and will report on performance when they arrive this fall/winter.

 

That is looking outstanding as usual. It's great to see the project unfold here, but I thought You were getting out of 0 scale?

The Stanton drive that I used is a)a little noisy and b) the gears are exposed (well, that is fixable). It is the only power unit I could find that would serve.

I suppose if the Stanton drive were available in O Gauge it would be worth a try for a trolley model.

if you can find a Wagner drive with the Sagami can motor, that would be a more powerful solution. the Q-Car drive is very a similar design with a slightly larger Sagami can motor. a third solution would be Sunset's in truck drive, if the wheelbase matched.

 

my NJCB Brill 660 has the Wagner drive and it is more than enough to power around the heavier brass model.

 

Speaking of Doodlebugs- does anyone Know where I can find the 3rd Rail PRR one?