Kitbashing a Pennsy ND class cabin

[VonRyan]

So with Chantilly coming up fast, I realized that I don't have a caboose that properly works with my older rolling stock. Especially since one of my primary pieces of motive power is going to be a Bachmann 4-6-0.

Awhile back on eBay there was a Bachmann bobber caboose that was painted up for PRR with a few added details. It looked somewhat like a Pennsy bobber, but it was obvious that there was plenty of room for improvement.

My first thoughts were to take a Bachmann bobber and just fill in the excess windows plus add some details and paint. The only problem was that the cupola was still lacking that distinct shape.
Well, among the things I was given from the estate of a friend of mine who passed away was an unbuilt Quality Craft N6b kit. I figured that I could use the cupola parts from that to replace the Bachmann cupola.
That's all well and good, but the Bachmann bobber isn't exactly "detailed".
I recalled reading that the N6b was simply a rebuilt ND, and that got me thinking that I could easily just take the N6b kit and just kitbash it into an ND.

As luck would have it, my friend had purchased an already-built N6b at the last train show he was at. It was assembled well enough, but it was showing it's age somewhat. Even better was the fact that it had been painted and lettered for a freelance road rather than for the PRR. That right there made the idea of cutting it up that much easier.

And so, when I came home Friday night, I began to disassemble the cabin.
The cupola came off as a whole, but it's roof had to go.
Before taking my Zona saw to the frail wooden body I also removed the remainder of the underframe details so that I had a flat-ish bottom to work with for easy cutting.

I ended Friday with the body having been cut into two equal halves, and the floor removed from one of those halves.

Yesterday evening I resumed work. Starting with removing the floor from the other half and removing all the original window glazing (acetate).
From there I set about trimming the walls. I made each one equal so that the seam is directly in the middle of the new cabin, and the roof seam can be hidden by the cupola.

The Bachmann chassis needed only a minor modification, namely some of the plastic inboard of the steps. Normally it would be flush with the stock body, but I cut that away so that it doesn't interfere with the wooden walls. Plus it gives it a cleaner appearance.

The end walls of the body halves were filed/sanded down to be shorter than the side walls so that the body sits correctly on the chassis.


All that being said, this is my progress as of last night:



Tonight I plan to join the two body halves, add new window glazing (thin glass microscope slide covers), put the cupola on (with a new roof), change some chassis details to better represent the ND class, and lastly give this little gem a new coat of paint. Oh, and convert the chassis to MT couplers.



-Cody F.

[mmagliaro]

Cool project!  When I saw your subject line, the first thing I thought was, "Use a QC N6b wood kit and kitbash".

I never thought about the Bachmann bobber underframe to get the the single-axle running frame.

[pjm20]

Your ND is looking good! The Keystone Modeler had an article on how to bash one from a Bachmann bobber. Also, SPF Design has a brass ND kit.

[VonRyan]

Cool project!  When I saw your subject line, the first thing I thought was, "Use a QC N6b wood kit and kitbash".

I never thought about the Bachmann bobber underframe to get the the single-axle running frame.

If didn't hit me to use the QC N6b until I started thinking about the cupola.
The Bachmann underframe needs a bit of modification depending on which style of bobber. For the one I'm going for I'm going to remove the stuff between the journals and replace it with phosphor-bronze wire.

Your ND is looking good! The Keystone Modeler had an article on how to bash one from a Bachmann bobber. Also, SPF Design has a brass ND kit.

I don't get the Keystone Modeler, but I probably should look into doing so. The Bachmann bobber has too many shortcomings for my liking, so using the Quality Craft N6b kit was the next logical choice. Plus I haven't spent a dime on this project thus far.
And I had no idea that someone had made an ND kit.

[pjm20]

You know the Keystone Modeler is free on the Society's website, right? The Keystone is what you get as part of paying to be a member. The Keystone Modeler article uses a straight Bachmann bobber, and with added details, looked amazing, so don't give up on your bobber now. I have heard about warping issues with QC kits.

[VonRyan]

You know the Keystone Modeler is free on the Society's website, right? The Keystone is what you get as part of paying to be a member. The Keystone Modeler article uses a straight Bachmann bobber, and with added details, looked amazing, so don't give up on your bobber now. I have heard about warping issues with QC kits.

They don't have the specific issue with that article up on the site.

I can imagine that if proper care isn't taken when assembling the QC kits that warping could occur, but all the assembled ones I have seen have held up fine.

[bbussey]

What issue# is that?  I'm looking in the #1-#71 index and don't see it, so it must be a later issue.  Let me know what issue it is and I'll email you the PDF.

UPDATE:  I found it.  It's an NA cabin car in issue #72.  PM me your email address Cody, and I'll email it to you.

[pjm20]

They don't have the specific issue with that article up on the site.

I can imagine that if proper care isn't taken when assembling the QC kits that warping could occur, but all the assembled ones I have seen have held up fine.

I want to say it is either in the 2010 or 2011 issues. I know they do not have the one up, I''ll try to see if I can find it on my computer. Also, QC kits are great when assembled, but just like a wood structure kit, if the sides are exposed to water at all they will warp like crazy and QC kits are getting older, so the reaction to glues and paints can effect the sides as well.

[pjm20]

What issue# is that?  I'm looking in the #1-#71 index and don't see it, so it must be a later issue.  Let me know what issue it is and I'll email you the PDF.

UPDATE:  I found it.  It's an NA cabin car in issue #72.  PM me your email address Cody, and I'll email it to you.

Its NA, my bad. I know for sure the SPF Design kit is an ND if you are really after one: http://prrspfdesign.weebly.com/ Ya, no ordering details, but its worth a shot to contact the designer. Here are some photos on his blog: http://pennsynscale.blogspot.com/

[VonRyan]

What issue# is that?  I'm looking in the #1-#71 index and don't see it, so it must be a later issue.  Let me know what issue it is and I'll email you the PDF.

UPDATE:  I found it.  It's an NA cabin car in issue #72.  PM me your email address Cody, and I'll email it to you.

PM sent. Thanks!

Its NA, my bad. I know for sure the SPF Design kit is an ND if you are really after one: http://prrspfdesign.weebly.com/ Ya, no ordering details, but its worth a shot to contact the designer. Here are some photos on his blog: http://pennsynscale.blogspot.com/

I might have to look into that kit. I'm sure my kitbash will have some discrepancies as well, so an accurate model might be a welcomed addition at a later date.

[Snark45]

http://images2.sw-cdn.net/model/picture/625x465_676325_541014_1345801914.jpg


http://www.shapeways.com/model/676325/r24ab-new-n-chassis-for-bachmann-bobber-caboose-x4.html?modelId=676325&materialId=61

So  --  are these of any help to you-all?  The guy is offering them in several combinations.

Harry

[reinhardtjh]

Its NA, my bad. I know for sure the SPF Design kit is an ND if you are really after one: http://prrspfdesign.weebly.com/ Ya, no ordering details, but its worth a shot to contact the designer. Here are some photos on his blog: http://pennsynscale.blogspot.com/

Hopefully I'm not giving away any secret identities, but I'm pretty sure that member 71jeep here is the guy behind SPF Design and the Pennsyncale blog site (take a look at his signature  )

So contacting him is just  PM away...

[chessie system fan]

Great start!  I don't know if this helps for this particular project or not, but I remember reading an article way back about how someone made a bobber caboose and put it on a heavily modified MT heavyweight truck.  If you cut out the middle axle and a lot of the lower stuff, it seems to work out rather well, assuming the truck centers are accurate for the project.

[VonRyan]

Now that I look at it, this is probably more of a NC rather than an ND.
It's not 100% done yet, but nearly there. Plus, I think I may want to lower the body a bit as it seems to ride a bit high at the moment.

[VonRyan]

Finally got a chance to post my progress photo from last night.



The cupola is just being test fit as it still needs window glass. The roof is just thin styrene. However, I did paint everything PolyScale PRR Maroon.
I still have details to put back on, as well as some new ones that need to be made.

Don't mind the large glue blob as that will someday be hidden by a working marker-light.

I think that I may need to adjust the chassis as it looks like it may be riding too high, and I can't lower the body much more without loosing a good bit of the door.
Not to mention, I still need to add MT couplers.