Here’s something for all you ALCO-holics out there. I have debated for a couple of days as to whether to put this post here in the General Discussion sector or over in the Prototype Practice sector but since it does involve modeling in addition to prototype information I have decided to place it here.
The article on ALCO high hoods in the April '08 Craftsman has whet my interest, not only on these high hoods themselves, but on ALCO switchers in general. I have a couple of questions which I am hopeful that the membership might assist me in resolving.
QUESTION NUMBER ONE -
Except for the Arnold/Rivarossi S-2 of a few years back ALCOs have, for all practical purposes, been non-existant in the N Scale market place - none are, to the best of my knowledge, being produced at the present time. These Arnold/Rivarossi models, of course, ran over Blunt trucks. If one wished to scratchbuild high hoods of the 1930s or S-1 and S-2s of the 1940s then somehow or another one is going to have to come up with Blunt trucks. An adequate(?) supply of AAR type A switcher trucks -the kind used under ALCO S-3s and S-4s beginning in 1950 as well as all EMD switcher models - are available from Walthers/Life-Like and Kato; to be honest I don’t remember if MR or RMC ever ran a review of the Arnold/Rivarossi S-2 but I have been lead to believe that they belonged to the family Canidae. The trucks however might be useful in scratchbuilding high hoods or S-1 or S-2 models. Except for the Arnold/Rivarossi trucks is anyone aware of any Blunt trucks currently available? The wheelbase on AAR type A switcher trucks is the same as on Blunts; is anyone aware of any sideframes that might be available? I seem to remember that there were drawings of Blunt truck sideframes in an old hobby press publication so, if I could find it,
I thank you for your response; I had linked to this visi.com/~spookshow website on at least one previous occasion. I knew that there had been brass imports for ALCO S-series switchers but, at the moment anything too far beyond “free” gets perilously expensive; and I am really most interested in the high hood units and buying a brass locomotive just to get the trucks is a little on the ridiculous side.
This referenced article from the April '72 RMC has always intrigued me and I have read and re-read it several times; in addition to ALCO switchers I would also like to see someone offer an EMD SW1000/SW1500 another of those locomotives that, for some reason buried out there in the ether, has been neglected - except for the previous offering from Con-Cor which was a cosmetic canine. Eric Brooman of Utah Belt fame had an article published on kitbashing an MP15 using an SW1500 as a starting point; unfortunately I don’t recall ever seeing an article on kitbashing an SW1500 from an MP15.
I could use 3 or 4 N Scale SW1500s.I am a N Scale “dabbler” since I am a member of a N Scale club but HO is my primary scale.
As far as a Alco HH unit…That would be a tough cookie but,it could be done by using ABS sheet plastic for the hood and cab…A Arnold S2 switcher could supply the drive…
For a SW1500 I would start with the older Concor “SW1500” and agaun use ABS plastic to form the roof and ABS square plastic for the sand boxes…Won’t be 100% but,IMHO that would be the best starting point.