I would love to see these K-M's in O scale.There is a group restoring SP 9010. I have been following their progress.

 

http://sp9010.ncry.org/

 

 

Ricky

I would love a set of Grande units.

 

Too bad I'm broke.. 

 

 

Of course that begs the question how much? Prolly $1900-$2300 a pop I am sure like Midwest Model Works or Key Models. I need to go back to N scale.. Sheesh! 

Well, how 'bout 3rd Rail -- I would think the selling price would be about 1.3x that of an E ?    Or MTH -- these units would sell, I think, to three railers, and those who wish more/better details would have a good place to start. 

Them what wants 'em, speak up.

 

Best, SZ

 

PS  I'd bet they'd sell in Germany, too.

I saw ONE about 10 years ago -- scratch built and beautifully done. Not really into SP or DRGW, but might buy one if produced at a price I can afford. And yes, I'd buy it even if only offered in 2-rail DC/DCC.

The K-M ML4000 has been an HO staple for decades thanks to Rivarossi and AHM. Here's my HO pair:

 

 

This might be a good one for 3rd Rail.

 

Bob

Well whomever gets around to building them it would be a very interesting locomotive to have or is that Lok.  

 

I found this on the web- pictures of the HO models Division Point did 4 or so years ago.

I didn't look at this website when you posted it -- but they [ D.P. ] ARE doing these units in 0 scale.  Your post certainly is a coincidence.....

 

SZ

Actually, 3 of the later versions were built 6 or 7 years ago.  All custom built with Cockerham drives.  I know because I've seen them and did some work on them while they were being built.  Jon's friend Gary (of Sunset 3rd Rail fame) owns one of the original 3.

 

I'm helping to build another 10 right now (okay, for the last 5, or so, years).  This latest batch will have numerous improvements over the first 3.  Right now they're set up to be 5' gauge but Proto 48 could be done easily enough.

 

I'll ask the project owner is it's okay to post photos.

 

By the way, said owner, also has a one off of the earlier version shown in the above photos.  The body was scratch built by someone else and a spare Cockerham drive was installed.  Don't think it's been painted yet.

 

Jay

I seem to recall that Brother Love did a complete scratchbuild on one of them.

 

Yves

I have been nagging MTH for years about building this model. If they make it, I'm in.

Just for fun I pulled out all the boxes for this project and took some photos this morning.

 

 

 

Guess I need to get back to work.

 

Jay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice!  Are there drawings available for those of us who want to build our own?

I found a couple of pictures from Malcolm (a.k.a Brother Love) that he took during the building for a customer:

 

 

 

A really nice model as always when built by Malcolm.

 

Yves

Yves,

 

That's the body I talked about earlier.  The body now sits on a custom frame with a Cokerham Drive.  Custom built, one off, sprung brass trucks also.  Once it's painted I'll post some photos.

 

Jay

Jay - that is impressive!  Nice looking castings and etchings - I wish you success!

Thanks Bob!  Truth is, I actually made very few of the parts.  Mostly I'm just machining and assembly.  Our friend Dennis did the molds & castings.  I just need to finish my part so the project can be finished.

 

Jay

Absolutely Jay! That's amazing!

Who says we can't build models here at home. Why not I say? I got this guy I work with says, "since the orientals grow up using chop sticks, they are the only people on Earth that can build model cars, trains, or what have you...."

I show him my work that often times far exceeds  the work he sells, Exoto, Mini-Champs all Chinese built die cast and resin toys. But still he says "never here in America can we build models.. "

I try and tell him we started this hobby along with the Europeans, it was never the Far East at all they just did what we showed them. It's BS.

Awesome work Jay keep up the great work; you go buddy!!

I am sure Jay will tell you he does this for the love of the hobby.  The skill set that goes in to these types of things is commensurate with other things in American life, like being, for instance, a machinist or a pilot.  Figure $75/hour, to cover taxes, FICA, health insurance, shop space, etc., and add in raw materials on top of that, and these K-M units could easily go over four grand each.  That is assuming that Jay is twice as fast as I am at building and making things work.  It takes me an hour just to plant four crosshead guides in a virgin cylinder block.

 

That is why these things are done overseas.

 

opinion, of course.

Erik,

 

Thanks!  I think it's fun to build things.  The actual operation....round & round bores the **** of me.

 

Bob,

 

Okay, now you're just bragging.  Sounds like a days work when you figure in the "do it over factor".  Yeah, how many parts & pieces get tossed because something went haywire.  We have to eat that time & material.  We also rarely show off our screw ups.

 

Making money with the hobby is just an illusion.  My goal is to break even.  I figure if I keep going it might actually happen someday.

 

Jay

Neat movie.  You can really see the difference between the US and European loading gauge - looking right over the tops of the German trains.

Thanks to all for posting those photos on here.  I remember, as mentioned, decades ago when these were available in HO and appeared in the model magazines, but I think this is the first time I've seen prototype photos.  I think I saw the models in shops, too.  What is their history on the Grande?  How long (what years) were they on there (and the SP) and were they or were they not successful?

If they were successful, they or their successors would still be around.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K...fei_ML_4000_C%27C%27

 

Rusty

Let's see;

 

Drawings?  I have no idea.  The owner of this project is John Ford.  I'm sure he has/had drawings but I've never discussed it with him.  The fact is, he made most of the masters and worked through most of the engineering.

 

John is the type that usually won't promote himself or his projects.  Like me, he just has too much on his plate already.  I only responded to this thread on a whim and, I suppose, the desire to promote his models.

 

That being said and going forward, I'll post the progress we make on this thread if that's okay with the group.  I'll probably start a thread on a multiple forums just to get the word out.

 

Some are spoken for but there will be models available.  I will defer to John for pricing because I'm just the hired hand on this project.

 

Jay

This is an intentionally poor image of the HO models. 

I think this was an Ajin drawing for model building not actual 1:1.