I am working on kit bashing a boxcab Diesel, using various parts of a Roundhouse boxcab, a GE U25B of unknown origin, an Athearn NW- 1 and a few assorted brass castings. I am using the Athearn frame, gear towers, side frames and little else from the Athearn unit other than the plastic base frame.
This will have a Digitrax DZ143 for motor and lights, and a Sondtraxx DSC sound-only decoder. The speaker is a 3/4" round that I’ve mounted, fireing down through some holes I’ve drilled in what was the motor frame support. I’ve installed a Proto Power can motor but I had to remove the flywheel to make room for the sound decoder.
In order to make room for the speaker and a sound box, I milled a fair amount of metal. Unfortunately, I did not weigh the frame before I started this.
As best I can tell, the loco will weigh 7 ozs. when completed. I don’t know if length means anything; it is 5" long. I could probably squeeze another 1 oz. in if I mill a little more frame material. The shell already has 2 ozs. of lead sheet installed and no room for more.
Do you think this is enough weight for a switcher? It will probably never have more than 5 or 6 HO freight cars in tow.