The intent of this thread is that you have to post a picture of a Kit or Stock locomotive then post a picture of the finished product. Like a so…
Before
After
OR
Before
After
Discussion should center around techniques and materials used. This is not limited to rolling stock, but also for buildings as well.
Lets see how long a thread like this will last?
David B
Before (Athearn BlueBox LO)
After (narrowgauge RBL)
Before (Athearn RTR B unit already dissected and reconfigured, but you know what it looked like whole)
After
In-Between [:)]
After (narrowgauge Power and Steam Generator)
[sorry, computers not cooperating today]
I started off with an Athearn ice bunker reefer like this http://www.youbulkit.com/vintage-athearn-ho-scale-5030-pfe-reefer-kit :
And ended up with this:
The prototypes for these also started as ice reefers, and were modified for flour service. Locations of tack boards and other small details varied, as did trucks.
Here’s one of the prototypes, photographed from the opposite side which shows the high-mounted ladders retained on th B end http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/mp/mp-frt.html .
Starting point for this project was this prototype picture. I was doing an all baggage and mail train for the Christmas parcel and card rush. After doing the obvious roads, PRR, NYC, NH, B&M, I wanted something a little different. Bangor and Aroostook is plausible for an all baggage train running up the Connecticut river in the late 1950’s. And the paint is a standout.
Starting point was this train show Athearn heavyweight. Nothing fancy, it’s been around long enough to still have horn hook couplers.
Here she is mostly put together. The wire grab irons follow a prototype picture. The steps under the baggage doors are Kemtron castings. One of the original plastic molded steps was broken off, so all four baggage doors got Kemtron steps. The casting came out of their bag somewhat bent, but I have photo’s of real cars with the baggage steps all kinds of bent, so I didn’t straighten them. Kadee couplers got right into the Athearn truck mounts, which gets the car around my not so generous curves. The stove pipe is brass tubing. It gets cold up in Maine. The corners get overly holy with wire grabs on ends and side, plus wire steps. Nothing broke, but you need to take care.
And paint. Rattle cans. And blue masking tape. Rustoleum and Krylon.
Before: (representative image from Walthers site)
After:
Car has a new floor from Evergreen scribed styrene sheet, scratchbuilt bulkhead ends and painted and lettered using a mix of Highball and Microscale decals.
This project began as a Front Range or McKean double door boxcar like http://www.ebay.com/itm/McKEAN-MODELS-50-ACF-RIVET-DD-BOXCAR-NICKEL-PLATE-ROAD-86128-/350669494319?autorefresh=true .
!(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/$(KGrHqN,!q8FCcm-oCFYBQvVBYghIg~~60_57.JPG)
It was modified into a NW class B-121, including a cushioned underframe and the three “Precision Design” stamped panels visible on either side of the door opening
Here’s a representative prototype http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nw/nw-frt.html .
Both are good-looking models David, and even nicer after the modifications, but I always thought that a kitbash, at least according to Art Curren, who I believe coined the term, consisted of using the components of two (or more) kits.
Yours might more properly be considered well-done detailing projects, and the second one a makeover. I do, however, like your idea for this thread and will be hard-pressed to resist overwhelming it with submissions.
Here’s a very slightly modified brass Mogul, from Samhongsa. Originally a Boston & Maine B-15, I added homemade brass sunshades to hide the cab’s arched-top windows:
I later decide to modernise this loco, and reworked the cylinders to piston-type, then replaced the cab with one from Bachmann, to give it a family look more closely ressembling my modified Bachmann Consolidations. The loco also got all-new piping and lead-filled air tanks, and a re-working of the tender to increase the coal and water capacity:
Some construction photos:
Another Mogul, this one from IHC, had its original tender shortened and converted from oil to coal:
It, too, got a Bachmann cab, revised piping and new lead-filled air tanks, along with another re-working of the tender:
…and the tender during the second re
Wayne…I guess my 2 units are kit bashes because the steamer has pilot wheels from another steamer (ground down the frame to accept them) and the russle plow has a Kaslo coupula. But I think I’m splitting hairs here…
No “before” picture here, but everybody knows what the Atlas through girder bridge looks like. [:P] I used parts from the sides of two of them, plus a block of wood and the shaft from one of the beaters out of an old hand mixer to create this turntable. The track is a piece of Atlas code83 flex, with the webs connecting the ties removed. This allowed me to insert long wooden ties into the spaces created, maintaining the gauge and allowing for a wider deck. The top is also wood (a material which I no longer use for modelling) - I used it here mainly to use-up what was on-hand. The control cab is styrene, with the music wire handrails supported by modified handrail stanchions left over from Blue Box diesels. The pit bottom is the 3/4" plywood cut-out for installation, with the pit wall formed from 1/8" Masonite. The ring rail is cut from a length of Atlas flex track, using the outer ends of the ties butted against the pit wall to maintain a constant diameter and is supported on a ring cut from 1/4" plywood. The outer ends of the bridge ride on modified trucks from Athearn freight cars, with metal wheels modified from those of Athearn heavyweight passenger cars.
A couple of detail photos:
…and an over-all view:
I’ll eventually add on overhead bridge to represent the current collection system, but it’s fully operational electrically through pick-up wires. Rotation and indexing is manual, as it’s only inches from the front of the layout:
This over
Stealing Wayne’s Bachmann 4-6-0 picture as the before, most earlier projects I don’t have pictures of the starter piece.
The after Reading L-5.
And Reading K-1 before,
Reading K-1 after.
My comment certainly wasn’t meant to be a criticism, David, and I didn’t recognise the fact that there were parts substitutions from other kits in your well-done models.
I’m quite comfortable calling anything which significantly alters a model’s appearance a kitbash, even if it only alters a single kit with its own detail parts rearranged or ones added from a detail supplier. I simply wanted to make the clarification, lest I post such a picture and then get called-out for fudging the definition. [:P]
And to keep my contributions here somewhat under control, here are some links to threads which show modifications (some of them quite major) mostly to inexpensive freight cars. Do not, if you’re on dial-up, even think about clicking on the links! [:-^][swg]
Wayne
I didn’t read it as a critisism at all Wayne…just another limitation of the WWW. Cheers
Brilliant idea for a thread! I have shared these previously but not side-by-side.
Before (PFM Ma&Pa 2-8-0):
After (SLC ‘Little Nell’ No.1):
Before (IHC GN 4-6-2):
After (DRGW P-44 No.800):
P
I don’t have the before pics handy, but all five of these Walthers Cornerstone background buildings were modified, some more than others. With a tight amount of space that the layout “planner” left to the background. all of them likely needed to be less deep. The most challenging, but not difficult, were those shortened to two vs. three stories. This provided a bit more view of the background city scenes. All this was done with bandsaw cutting and gluing the desired pieces together with CA along the edge. Each was made thin enough to also allow some foamboard “flats” from building photos (that I purchased at…I’d have to look it up).
Before - Undecorated Athearm BB 40’ box and wide vision caboose kit, similar to these
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=Wide+Vision+Caboose+RTR&CatID=THRF&OA=True&PageSize=36
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=ath_40sd&CatId=THRF&OA=True&PageSize=36
After, model of MEC home made caboose from an old boxcar
Before - Undecorated Athearn BB GP-7 locomotive (could not find photo)
After - B&M road slug
Before & after -IHC HW caoch interior cut down to fit Athearn BB HW coach (before painting)
Before … Walthers Budd observation car. 
After … Silver Fountain … Diner Parlor Observation Car
Southern Pacific ¾ Dome/Lounge car
Before: Bachmann Full Dome
After: Southern Pacific ¾ Dome/Lounge
Mel
Lots of really neat work guys!
I have a few projects which qualify as kit bashes:
Before
After (pardon the lousey paint job)
This one combined a Highway Miniatures school bus with a very primitive kit for a Model T truck. This is the kit:
This is what it was supposed to look like:
This is the result:
This is a plow similar to David’s. I guess it isn’t technically a kit bash according to Doctorwayne’s definition because it is all based on a Walthers kit:
Great thread!
Dave
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