I’m in the design phase of a new scratchbuilding project, an ALCO C-415. I know many people think this is a mutt, but it’s always been one of my favorite diesels. As with my PRR G38/39 ore jennies, Erie DUNMORE Caboose, Seaboard Pneumatic covered hoppers, and a few others I haven’t posted here, I’m using a combination of traditional styrene and metal scratchbuilding techniques, with the assistance of a laser cutter, 3d SLA resin printer, 3d filament printer, and a CNC router. I’ve been drawing the body to laser cut most of the shell, with 3d printed hood ends, and details. I thought I would design the shell and worry about the drive mechanism later, but realize that I really need to work that out first as I need to design the plate primarily, and the cab to some extent, to fit the drive.
A little more info - I plan on initially building three of these diesels as they were offered in three different cab height configurations - A Southern Pacific Hi Cab version; Rock Island Standard Cab, and a Monongahela Connecting RR. Low Cab version. The SP and RI were delivered with standard B road trucks, and the MCRR came with ALCO Hi-Adhesion trucks. I believe can handle the different truck side frames with CAD and 3d printer, and also some sort of truck frame, so what I am looking for are suggestions on how to make it move.
I have an old Weaver tank drive RS3, with center tower, that runs decent, better with new wheels/axles/gears, and the trucks are correct, however, I was hoping to avoid the tank drive thing and my question is, can I convert the trucks to dual tower drives, by adding a tower/chain just inside of the outer gearboxes. Or do I need to mount outside where the u coupling is for the tank drive? I’d like to keep inside if I could. Assuming I could mount inside, I assume I will need new shafting, swivels, and dual shaft motor. But with only one RS-3 to cannibalize, I would either have to buy the gearboxes and axles, and towers from P&D, or go with something entirely different? I’m trying to keep the drive/motor/gearing to around the $200 range per loco - is this unrealistic? I’m new to this, so open to all suggestions, criticism, and miscellaneous 2cents.
