Menard's Feedmill Kitbash, LaBelle Gas Electric, & More

Great job on the Menards feed mill I really like the larger tower you added.

Very nice modeling! Keep the pix coming!

Here are some better photos of the Menard's kitbash.  I am really pleased that the

weathering I did on signs on the unchanged part of the structure made them look

like factory original.

Really like both projects. Glad to see someone else still building LaBelle kits. Would like to hear more about the RMT chassis that you used.

brr:  Well, I can't claim the truck frames are prototypical, as I did not change them,

although I have some Walther's Baldwin ones that MIGHT have been used...the prototype photos show trucks that look like Walther's two axle passenger trucks, but with caboose-like leaf springs.  I MAY change the side frames later.  I used a Industrial

Rail streetcar chassis for a kitbashed short gas electric, and that had to be lengthened,

too, which involved adding in styrene sheet to extend and support the frame, and soldering in extenders on all the wiring.  The big pain with the IR chassis is the bump and go mechanism, which had to be removed and required the strengthening.  This

RMT frame was easier, with square styrene tubing to extend, and the same soldering in of extenders for all the wiring.   On the IR, the body was built onto the extended frame; on this one, with a kit built body, careful measurements were required to make sure chassis was accurately extended to fit the assembled ends, side walls, and partial floor. (partial floor is used to mount body to chassis)  This LaBelle kit made into

a shorter car than I expected.  A future project may be one of the long Walther's gas

electric kits.  (with the mechanisms and boards in both chasses, you can forget

about adding interiors)  In two rail, there is a source for powered underfloor trucks.