MTH Amfleet Kadee Project

I think we're ready for a test print...

Mario! You're a genius!

What's your ShapeWays page?

@AGHRMatt posted:

Mario! You're a genius!

What's your ShapeWays page?

Hey, Matt!

How's LA?

I'll post some pictures of the test printed pieces as soon as I get them!

Thanks,

- Mario

@CentralFan1976 posted:

Hey, Matt!

How's LA?

I'll post some pictures of the test printed pieces as soon as I get them!

Thanks,

- Mario

LA and California in general are pretty much shut down. That includes AGHR as we're in a city park -- no visitors/no meetings/no operating or work sessions. The City gave us a break and allowed is to access the building for maintenance of the layout/systems and to maintain a presence for security purposes. What bugs me is that we had already set COVID-19 policies, procedures and precautions in place and shared them with the City. We're more strict than the City is with their own employees. Go figure.

Hi @AGHRMatt!

I wanted to thank you for your hard work keeping the Angelinos safe.

just FYI... the test prints have left and on their way to me, and we should have them the 22nd.

I made some changes, taking off some of the extraneous plastic to keep the cost down. Also made the “shelf” under the receptacles a little thinner. We’ll see how it goes!

next up... the MHCs!

I’ll have to pull the red LEDs from one of the Amfleet cars to add them to the tail MHC.

Thanks!

-Mario

Update...

I added the mounting plates, and removed the receptacle on the far left, per the above picture.

Thanks!

- Mario

Mario:

I was thinking you could just get a regular 1/8" LED (or a flashing one) for the tail end of the Material car. That'll leave the Amfleet cars intact. I'd just run it on a couple of "button" batteries with a switch.

@AGHRMatt posted:

Mario:

I was thinking you could just get a regular 1/8" LED (or a flashing one) for the tail end of the Material car. That'll leave the Amfleet cars intact. I'd just run it on a couple of "button" batteries with a switch.

I was thinking that, too.

thanks!

-Mario

First print... needs some tweaks but looks ok.

thanks!

-Mario

Ok, final test print is a success!

Two things I’d like to point out.

First is that the older Amfleet cars need an additional set of screws around the truck to hold the floor flush with the side sills of the body. I noticed that when screwing the mount in place, the floor would flex and make the body ride high.

Second, is that short shank couplers might be able to be used without modification to the truck, where as I’m going to use the #740 with the full size box and requires the cutting off of the coupler mounting tab.

Thanks!

-Mario

Very impressive!!! It would be great to see a video of the whole train running with the new coupler set up when you are done.

Mario,

Very nice work. That’s a great part you’ve designed. You might be able to use medium shank couplers if you cut off the back of the draft gear box just below the “O” about where marked below. That’s what some of us do to medium shank couplers on some of the big MTH six-axle diesels. If it comes to needing a longer coupler that’s quicker and easier than cutting the truck tab. It might not work on these cars—it will be close but it might work.

RM

Did these ever become available for purchase by chance?

@AGHRMatt posted:

Mario:

I was thinking you could just get a regular 1/8" LED (or a flashing one) for the tail end of the Material car. That'll leave the Amfleet cars intact. I'd just run it on a couple of "button" batteries with a switch.

Thats what I did. I drilled out the casting at the car ends.  I added an Evans dezigns 3mm flashing leds. I added a mini toggle three way switch on the bottom to directionalize the F.R.E.D.  [on-off-on]