Most of us have had to kitbash something either prototypical, or even whimsical for our model railroad at one time. It might prove interesting for us to share some of the more unusual or creative projects we’ve done.
My most unusual is probably a wedge snowplow I bashed some years ago for a freelance industrial and mining railroad set in the Sierra foothills that would have occasionally got enough snow to necessitate clearing the yard and switch points, but not enough to warrant a rotary or a Russell type winged plow.
I used an Athearn Hustler (metal) frame with an MDC Roundhouse slope backed tender shell mounted on top, the fuel and water compartments sealed off w/ a hatch for filling w/ sand, a carved and styrene sheethed wedge plow mounted to heavy girders, a Pyle headlite, and a brake wheel and plow raising controls out in the open at the rear of the plow for some unfortunate trainman to stand there and freeze to death. I mounted Kadees at both ends, w/ the front being a drop coupler.
What was really neat is that I used up a bunch of spare parts that were languishing in the junk box, and it cost me next to nothing for this. . .
Favorite: A 4-4-0 built from an article in Dec '82 MR using MDC 2-6-0 and Mantua 4-6-0 components.
Also built a GE 25 tonner from one end of a 44 tonner, had to shorten the hood. Runs great. Also built a small 4 wheel box cab using a motor from a 44 tonner. Dan
I have seen a lot of Ray’s stuff at The Gauge, and I have to say he is a craftsman of the highest calibre. His work is amazing. Take a look, even if just for some inspiration - this is a guy who loves what he does…
As for my favourite, it would have to be a “galloping goose” I built (am building) from a pancake drive out of a cheapo Bachmann F-unit, a scrapped reefer, a boxcab diesel body, and some other junk. It is not finished, doesn’t run well, and Canadian National never had one as far as I know. But heck, it was fun! [;)] [:D}
I had some parts and pieces left over from a heavyweight baggage car “bash”. Basically it was the two ends from two Rivarossi combination cars. I joined them together to make a freelanced right of way weed spraying car. Came out pretty good, considering what all I had left to work with. Even has an LED rotary beacon. I named the company of the weed spraying car as " Weed Elimination Devices Incorporated". The reporting marks ended up as WEDX, or Weed -ex as I like to call it!!! Built supporting cars to go along with it, a tank car for the weed spray chemicals and a 40 ft boxcar for repair/replacement parts and general hardware and storage. Some day I’ll post it somewhere for a look.
I suppose it counts as a “kitbash”–I used components taken pretty much exclusively from an incomplete Suydam lumber-mill kit I got at a swap meet to build a furniture store. The walls are 1/16" heavy cardstock from the kit floor, architectural trim was added with cardstock strips from the kit’s log chute, and braced with the kit’s stripwood. I added some furniture to the interior from a Suydam caboose-interior kit–I sanded and added some details to the wooden components, gave them a cherrywood stain, and had an assortment of fine Art Deco armoire & cabinet sets to display in the store window!
Here are some pics of my favorite, and most involved kit bash. I used a proto 2000 E6A unit for parts of the nose, the engine room roof, front truck and motor. A Kato buisness car gave up its fluting and a section of the roof for the baggage compartment. I also used the Kato truck for the rear truck because it picks up elctricity from both rails. The skirts came from an old rivarossi budd observation car. Everything else was scratch built, mainly from styrene.
I have converted a Rivarossi Mike to a Northern Pacific W-3 mike. This meant the removal of most boiler details excepting the stack and the steam dome. I used as many brass detail parts as I could find that closely matched N.P. parts. The tender was shortened, a bunker extension installed and a dog house added. N.P. had longer cabs than the Rivarossi model and I couldn’t talk myself into re-building the cab. I used a 1980s article in MR as the basis for this kitbash. It’s not exact scale but from my point of view certainly captures the flavor of an N.P. W-3 Mike.
I have also kitbashed an Athearn Caboose into a series 1000/1050 N.P. steel caboose. This meant sanding all rivets off both roof cupola and sides, changing window locations and moving the cupola forward a few feet. The cupola was also raised higher by a couple of feet. Brass wire grabs were located as per the real caboose. Again, not exact scale but fun to do and close enough for my needs.
I’ve kit bashed some warehouses ala Art Current and bash/scratched a seven stall round house. I think kit bashing is the most fun part of the hobby!
Another kitbash I did awhile ago was a couple of cabooses for my previous Sierrra foothills shortline. I got the inspiration for them while in Jamestown on the Sierra RR years ago. I used MDC Roundhouse outside braced wooden caboose shells with a roof made from some old Northeastern(?) wood caboose profile stock I had, removed the cupula, narrowed the body approx 1scale foot, and added a bay window made from an old Model Power bay window caboose. I also shortened the caboose body and rearranged the diagonal ribs on the sides, closed off one of the windows, used Athearn ladders, and substitued some parts box leaf sprung caboose trucks. (I bought up a bunch of the MDC shells and Model Power shells at a swap meet for .50 each, and intend to do a half dozen more.)
The other caboose was a significantly shortened MDC Roundhouse outside-braced caboose that also had the diagonals rearranged, the window spacing altered, and a smaller and lower offset cupola added . The balance of the detailing was similar to the bay window caboose. This style caboose represented an earlier class of caboose on the railroad, that was superceeded by the bay window design, but displayed similar build practices implying the same inhouse shop built both designs. I plan on making several more of this chunky design.
I used exposed 35 mm film for window glazing, 2000 grit well used up wet/dry sandpaper for tarpapered roofing, hand formed grabs, safety railings, and Kadees.
Again, both were very inexpensive kitbashes, and easily built in a couple of days, for virtually very little $$.
Ray- the “TrainHuster” or Hustlemaster" was GREAT! I love your work. You are a craftsman, as is onequicknova! [bow][bow][bow][bow]For two VERY talented guys.
Back when I was young, and in N scale, I cobbled together a Island Government Services Car- It was 2 (ConCor?)heavyweights joined , it had 4 sets of trucks and as I remember 6-7 different sections, a court, jail, medical, administration, assay, and I don’t know what the others were, probably something to do with mining. It would make a bi weekley trip around Moss Island because there were no roads, only 4 wheel drive trails connecting the towns.
It perished in the Big Melt of '78.
Our clubs private road, the Mount Airy & Western had a U boat that had been wrecked. Being short on funds, as all short lines are, a repair was invented and painted in an experimental scheme that only 3 units ever recieved.
Check my personal page for the “rest of the story” including it’s Name. Something that is best not repeated here!
First there are some fine looking models posted in this thread. I’m impressed . One of my favorite kitbashes is shortening an Accurail 40’ double sheated boxcar down to a 36 footer. It’s very quick and easy and makes a very distinctive car. Modeling the late 1940’s on the Southern and L&N, I need quite a few 36’ cars, and this is an easy way to get them.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins
Lots of great modeling going on here. Nice work everyone.
I like the 9908 John, [tup]. I had the pleasure of seeing it at the National Transportation Museum.
Thanks for the compliments everyone.
Also in the photo is another very mild kitbash, a Bachmann 70-tonner converted to “first version” with single headlight and no front vent–unfortunately you can’t see it because it’s facing the wrong way!
I took a Cox flat car, a Model Power caboose, removed the cupola from the caboose, cut the rest of the body in half, removing the hole for the cupola used to be, mated the two pieces of caboose together & fastened it to the deck of the flat car to make a work/transfer caboose.
I still have it, it’s not the greatest lookinig thing but it works!
