Buillding a M-420

[Ian MacMillan]

Yeah I'm starting to notice that. I just picked up an Athabasca Shops GMD cab kit as well thinking maybe I can bash the brass easier to the angles, lengths that are needed...or atleast use parts of it to scratchbuild what I need.. The photos are a great help.

Hell... I should just tap out while I can and build GP40-2LW's 

[Scottl]

Too bad, I just gave three of those away for nothing...  Probably a good way to go and cleaner window openings than the Kaslo resin cab.

[BCR 570]

Ian:

As has been mentioned, the best candidate for an M-420 drive is the Atlas B30-7/B36-7.  At 36'-8" the distance between truck centres is only 3" greater than the M-420, and the truck wheel base is only 4" short.

For many years the M-420 was unique to CN, BCR and P&W, but the model has now propagated to numerous shortlines in Canada and the United States, with the result that a longer list of roadnames and paint schemes is now applicable.

Kaslo Shops was going to do the M-420 and HR-412 in all their variants in HO and N Scale.  They only got as far as a few of the HO ones.

A conversion to an M-420 poses numerous challenges.  The deck sits high and the girders comprising the frame can be seen underneath.  On many N Scale chassis such as the B30-7 or B36-7, these run right through the portion of the chassis within the fuel tank.  Another problem is those copper contact strips extending down to the trucks, which would be very exposed on an M-420 and would interfere with the frame and fuel tanks.

All that being said, I would encourage you not to proceed too quickly with this project just yet . . . . . 


Tim

[cv_acr]

Yep, Mike (lock4244) got there before me - the GMD and MLW versions of the safety cab aren't remotely similar in actual details. If you need good pics I have a few of an ex-BC Rail M420W on the local shortline in Guelph.

[lock4244]

All that being said, I would encourage you not to proceed too quickly with this project just yet . . . . . 

Tim

Duly noted.

Now if only an N scale GP40-2L was in the pipeline...

[mandealco]

Tim, are we expecting some good news soon?

Here is the old AMM M-420.  Nuff said.


The M&E has a pair of M-420s, one a parts unit in Morristown, the other is the prefered power on Maine Eastern Freights.
This is the parts unit.  Note the former CP Rail C-424 further back.  Photos of M-420s beside C-424s show the M-420 does sit high at the frame,  as Tim said, maybe slightly higher than the C-424.  More I-beams!  The unit just ahead of the M-420 is a GP-7M (formerly the Sulzer powered MK rebuild), it sits quite a bit lower.

Cheers
Steve

[central.vermont]

OK I was thinking the samthing. Kalsos website doesn't have any ordering possibility anymore, where's a good place to pick up one of the kits?

Ian,

Check with Jim Abbott. He caries their product line.

Jon

[Ian MacMillan]

Ian,

Check with Jim Abbott. He caries their product line.

Jon

Yeah I had forgot about that and then thats where I ended getting them both.