So I had an idea...

[VonRyan]

The Soviets copied the RS-1 bolt for bolt, except that they used 3-axle trucks with funky side-frames.
Since Kato manufactured the RS-1s for Atlas, I was wondering if I could take an Atlas/Kato RS-1 mech, and swap on some Kato 3-axle trucks in place of the stock 2-axle trucks.
Painting the shell to look more like a TEM-1 should be interesting in itself.
A later down the road idea I had, after seeing how James designed truck frames to do a direct swap onto the trucks of other readily available mechanisms, would be to have someone draw up TEM-1 truck frames to swap onto the three axle trucks, or even just onto the two axle trucks if no appropriate three axle trucks can swap onto an RS-1 mech.

Why all this you ask?

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I found this Piko USSR coach mis-listed on eBay in the Micro-Trains section. And that in turn made my back-burner idea of doing a bit of Soviet modeling come to the front of the classroom.

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Piko makes an electric-type locomotive painted in a soviet scheme, and it's the only manufactured Russian N-scale locomotive that I know of, and since it's quite old, it's not something that I'd be too keen on messing with to add DCC to.
Which is why the TEM-1 idea came about. The Atlas/Kato RS-1 is tried and true, and plus it's fairly easy to DCC. That and if there is any other suitable locomotives out there, I couldn't find it with a few different google searches.

I guess you could say that I'm getting back into the swing of things again. 
Plus I need anything to keep me from throwing my H10 and BS10 against a cement wall. 



-Cody F.

[pjm20]

You know, many German locomotives, including the (in?)famous BR-52, were sent to the Soviet Union as war reparations, and German locomotives are well represented in the modeling world. Just food for thought...

[Bob Bufkin]

Their is a company that does HO Russian equipment.  I've seen them at various train show.  Almost boght some as it does look interesting.

[garethashenden]

A standard gauge version of the M62 was used it East Germany under the designation BR 120. There is an N scale version of that made by Fleichmann.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M62_locomotive
http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=FM725201&style=main&strType=&Mcode=Fleischmann+725201

[peteski]

I lived less than a kilometer from the factory which manufactured those passenger cars for USSR.  The factory tracks (between different plants) used to pass really close to the house I lived in.  I used to see those cars, brand new, (on standard gauge trucks) pass right in front of me. They crushed many small rocks and coins (placed on the track) for me. 

Several European (German) diesels could be used as Russian locos.  As mentioned. BR 120 would be right at home in USSR pulling those cars.  The livery is even pretty close (Czechoslovakian)
http://www.reynaulds.com/products/Fleischmann/725202.aspx


Also Ludmilla would be a good one (but this one was usually used on freight trains).
http://www.reynaulds.com/products/Trix/16232.aspx

Prototype: Diesel locomotive 132478-9 Deutsche Reichsbahn, CC wheel arrangement, built starting in 1974 in the USSR for the German Reichsbahn, nicknamed "Ludmilla".  Use: Heavy passenger and freight trains.

[nkalanaga]

I know the 2 and 3 axle trucks from the early Atlas/Kato RS-3 / RSD-4/5 were interchangeable, but don't think they'd fit the later RS-1s. The early one didn't have the contact wipers, axle-end bearings, or flywheels.  I don't have any newer RS-1/2/3s.

[delamaize]

I lived less than a kilometer from the factory which manufactured those passenger cars for USSR.  The factory tracks (between different plants) used to pass really close to the house I lived in.  I used to see those cars, brand new, (on standard gauge trucks) pass right in front of me. They crushed many small rocks and coins (placed on the track) for me. 

Several European (German) diesels could be used as Russian locos.  As mentioned. BR 120 would be right at home in USSR pulling those cars.  The livery is even pretty close (Czechoslovakian)
http://www.reynaulds.com/products/Fleischmann/725202.aspx


Also Ludmilla would be a good one (but this one was usually used on freight trains).
http://www.reynaulds.com/products/Trix/16232.aspx

Prototype: Diesel locomotive 132478-9 Deutsche Reichsbahn, CC wheel arrangement, built starting in 1974 in the USSR for the German Reichsbahn, nicknamed "Ludmilla".  Use: Heavy passenger and freight trains.

You beat me to it! Ludmilla is a cool beast of a locomotive!! when I was at Baumholder their was one assigned to that area for power for the US military rail head there. I am trying to build a train representing the "stragglers train." as the NCOIC of the rail head called it, a train made of of mixed equipment that didn't make it on other trains.

I have the minitrix version, runs pretty good, pulls well, but has a high top speed, and kinda antiquated pick up system.

As for the RS1 with 3 axle trucks, I can't see it being that hard, as long as the offsets of the gear towers matched the 2 axle ones, so they don't interfere with the body and frame. Cool idea Cody!

[peteski]

You beat me to it! Ludmilla is a cool beast of a locomotive!!

As for the RS1 with 3 axle trucks, I can't see it being that hard, as long as the offsets of the gear towers matched the 2 axle ones, so they don't interfere with the body and frame. Cool idea Cody!

I agree about it being a cool idea.  How about using a Kato RSD4/5 chassis (if I recall that correctly)?

[nkalanaga]

The early Atlas/Kato units used the same chassis and body for both, just changing the trucks.  Whether that chassis would fit in an RS-1 shell I have no idea.  It could probably be MADE to fit with some grinding.  They ran fine, even without flywheels, as long as the truck/frame contact areas were smooth and clean.  I had a pair jumper-wired together as switchers for years, in a house with a smoky coal stove and ill-fitting windows that let a lot of dust in.  Under cleaner conditions they'd probably run even better!

[brokemoto]

None of the Kato or Atlas C-C or A-1-A trucks will go onto the RS-1 power chassis.  I tried it with the intent of making an RSD-1 for my non-historic railroad.   

The locomotives that went to Russian and Persia, and that the Russians subsequently copied,  were RSD-1 s.  The first few actually appeared in the United States as RS-1s.  The War Production Board then commandeered them from the railroads that had them, then sent them to Russia and Persia to work the Trans-Iranian Railway.  As the Russian track was notoriously crummy, they had special C-C trucks fitted to them.  I forget if the cabs were altered on the originals before they went to Russia and Persia, but those subsequently built for Russia and for the Trans-Iranian Railway had alien looking cabs.

I seem to recall that there were some RSD-1s with the usual ALCo and the usual RS-1 cab C-C trucks that ran in Mejico.

As others have stated, you may be able to Dremel down an RSD-4 chassis to accomodate the RS-1 shell.  You would have to build the alien cab, though.  One more caveat.  While the Chinese RSD-4 chassis runs better than the Japanese, the Japanese is by far the better puller.  The Chinese chassis, is, in fact a poor puller.  Funny, though,  the RSD-4 of Chinese manufacture is not too bad a puller if run in pairs.  A pair will pull more than twice what a single will.   The trucks on the Japanese chassis are C-C, just as they are on the prototype.  Unlike the prototype, the trucks on the Chinese chassis are B-1/1-B.   Funny thing, as well, the trucks on the Kato RSC-2 model are C-C; the prototype had
A-1-A.   

Another interesting treatment of RS-1s were the carbodies that Alaska Railroad put onto some of theirs.

[VonRyan]

I can tell ya right now that if it isn't going to be a simple truck-swap and shell-repaint, then I'm not doing it.
If anything I'll just peruse the replacement frames idea, but although it'll look like a three axle truck, it'll only be two.
Less fuss, more probability that I will actually finish the dang project.
I had planned on using the 1st generation Atlas/Kato RS-1 like the PRR one in the photo since they can be had for $40.

[peteski]

I can tell ya right now that if it isn't going to be a simple truck-swap and shell-repaint, then I'm not doing it.
If anything I'll just peruse the replacement frames idea, but although it'll look like a three axle truck, it'll only be two.
Less fuss, more probability that I will actually finish the dang project.
I had planned on using the 1st generation Atlas/Kato RS-1 like the PRR one in the photo since they can be had for $40.

Hey, nobody says you have to be 100% accurate. A nice paint job (even with the 2-axle trucks) might be all that is needed to give it the right flavor.  You want something simple - that is simple.  You should be able to finish this project. 

[VonRyan]

Hey, nobody says you have to be 100% accurate. A nice paint job (even with the 2-axle trucks) might be all that is needed to give it the right flavor.  You want something simple - that is simple.  You should be able to finish this project. 

That might be the route to go. These Piko coaches ain't exactly cheap for being ancient models, and they aren't really in much demand.
The Czech engine you posted the link to is tempting, but that pretty much kills my buying power to where a couple thumbtacks and a rubber band look expensive.

[peteski]

That might be the route to go. These Piko coaches ain't exactly cheap for being ancient models, and they aren't really in much demand.
The Czech engine you posted the link to is tempting, but that pretty much kills my buying power to where a couple thumbtacks and a rubber band look expensive.

Yeah, European N scale in general is very pricey (and it has always been).  Well, except for late 90s when the Euro was introduced. 1 Euro was worth 50 cents U.S.  At that exchange rate all those models were suddenly affordable. That's when I bought a good part of my European collection.

Those coaches aren't in big demand but for some (like me) they are pure nostalgia.  I have several of them. In green, maroon and light blue liveries. But I only recall seeing the green ones in-person.  Piko models were made in East Germany in the early 70s.  The plastic is really crappy (just like anything made in the Communist countries of the day, the quality was very spotty) and the die-cast wheels are nowhere near today's standards (and the flanges are deeper than MT pizza-cuters). They are long out of production, but the still are the only models of those cars that arw out there (unless there is some new Russian N scale manufacturers who re-made them recently).

Piko also made a nice double-decker articulated commuter car set. Those molds were acquired by Minitrix and they just re-released that model last year (for about 3 times the original price).  Piko also made bunch of freight cars and really primitive (by today's standard) locomotives.

[VonRyan]

Yeah, European N scale in general is very pricey (and it has always been).  Well, except for late 90s when the Euro was introduced. 1 Euro was worth 50 cents U.S.  At that exchange rate all those models were suddenly affordable. That's when I bought a good part of my European collection.

Those coaches aren't in big demand but for some (like me) they are pure nostalgia.  I have several of them. In green, maroon and light blue liveries. But I only recall seeing the green ones in-person.  Piko models were made in East Germany in the early 70s.  The plastic is really crappy (just like anything made in the Communist countries of the day, the quality was very spotty) and the die-cast wheels are nowhere near today's standards (and the flanges are deeper than MT pizza-cuters). They are long out of production, but the still are the only models of those cars that arw out there (unless there is some new Russian N scale manufacturers who re-made them recently).

Piko also made a nice double-decker articulated commuter car set. Those molds were acquired by Minitrix and they just re-released that model last year (for about 3 times the original price).  Piko also made bunch of freight cars and really primitive (by today's standard) locomotives.

I'm actually quite impressed with my Piko coach. The surprising thing is that those massive wheels have no issue going through Peco turnouts that have the guardrails shimmed.

By the way, since you own some of the Piko coaches (I'm not at all surprised) would you by chance be able to measure the axle length? I've been wondering if it would be possible to swap out the proletarian wheels for something more bourgeoisie like FVM wheelsets.