Yesterday, I had a crazy thought. “Would it be possible to kitbash a UP 9000 class from 2 Spectrum Heavy mountains?”.
One would be used as the main mechanism base and the other would be diced up and attached to enlarge it to the 4-12-2. The boiler shells, cut and fitted, can be fattend to obtain the girth and shape of the 9000. A modified Rivarossi FEF cab may be used. I could use whatever brass wires, fittings, strips, and castings as nessesary. I have more detailed plans on it, but this is the jist of it.
It would **** me off if Lionel came out with one right after I made mine. [V]
I don’t even have the money for that right now. But its fun contimplate. We will see.
Seeing that it looks like every model Lionel will ever produce in HO will have to have UP paint on it, I’d wait a while. You never know sometimes you get lucky on things like that.[swg]
CB&Q rules!!![;)]
Wabash RR rules![;)]
EVERYWHERE WEST/WAY of the ZEPHYRS!!![8D]
AJ;
The Spectrum Mountain’s drivers are a bit undersize, and the metal boiler is a bit hard to work with. I would use two Bowser USRA Mountain chassis, and build a boiler out of styrene following the techniques in Mainline Modeler.
Well Aggro
I saw one of those in brass on E-bay 2 weeks ago. I don’t think the average layout could handle one of those puppies.
What’s the minimum turning radius in HO for a 4-12-2?
Fergus, the 2 sets of center drivers would be blinded, and I would make extra side play in the first two and last two sets.
I here ya but!! do the dimensions of the Heavy Mountain coincide with the 9000? This would be a very big undertaking! Alot of cropping and chopping especially if you have to upsize your boiler and firebox
For the brass ones, around 45 inches, but ask Mike Broch for certain.
For kit-bashed one, you could probably get it down to around 30" min radius.