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Krauss-Maffei ML4000 Prototype Build


SD45T-2

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After looking at various threads on the British-outline sections of RMWEB I've decided to take the plunge and build a chassis for one of my Rivarossi KMs.

 

I'm going to use 40thou plasticard and brass channel for the structure, with an Athearn motor and drivetrain to move it, unless I can wire a pair of ENDO trucks for DCC. The sideframes will, I hope, be resin copies of the original Rivarossi mouldings, so I'll be speaking to another member of my local MRC who's into this technique.

 

Photographs will follow once the build starts.

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As a temporary measure I've adopted an Athearn U-33C(36?) chassis for the KM. The second photo shows the body, with an Athearn F-unit plow atached, just like the originals had and which will need a little fettling to sit properl; the original Rivarossi chassis; and the Athearn U-Boat chassis which is hard-wired and has had the body mounting lugs Dremel'ed off and air tanks removed.

 

I haven't done anything about couplers yet, or chipping the unit, but it's a start.

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I've just realised that the flywheels show through the bodyside windows; will need to address that.

 

I've also made a start on the new chassis, with the fuel tank upper sections glued in place, as shown in the attached photographs. They're still to be detailed, and I'll have to work out the angles for the sloping sections and print out templates for the tank ends.

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I've seen both of these web-sites before and been impressed and frightened in equal measure by the skill and bravery of the model builder, not least because Rivarossi K-Ms go for stupid money on eBay (£25 equivalent just for a powered bogie and back 3" of the chassis!?).

 

Consequently I hesitated before putting the F-unit plow pilot onto mine; as for the additional air tanks, brass etchings and such like, thevery thought of modifying the shell makes me shiver. And yet...

 

i've now drawn the tank end-pieces and have to locate some thin plasticard to make them. Fortunately the tanks are slab-sided, unlike EMD or ALCO ones so there's no bending of plastic required.

 

Oh, BTW Mr. Bullock the quotation "Far away is close at hand in images of elsewhere" MAY have been by the "Master of Paddington", at least according to Peter Simple.

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  • RMweb Gold

Spot on Mr SD45T-2 - used to see it on way in to Paddington when I were a lad on spotting trips....

 

Seemed logically to follow on from the Father Ted quote....and both appropriate in our modelling world

 

Phil

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Getting back on thread, the chassis now has a set of ENDO trucks and actually runs.

 

I've offered it up to one of my DRGW K-Ms to see how it looks, and I'll need to shave the chassis edges down slightly and fit some vertical blocks to secure the body in place.

 

The next major stage will be getting the side-frames cast. I'll live with the fact that the wheel spacing is wrong, since it's not intended to be a 100% accurate model. I'd need to fabricate trucks for that and don't have the knowledge/skill/tools to do so.

 

I'll keep the other, Athearn GE mechanism for a DCC model.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Not much to report of late, as work has been interfering with railroad modelling, but the scratch-built chassis demonstrated a worrying degree of flexing so has been re-inforced with strategically(?) placed bits of plasticard.

 

I haven't got the replacement side-frames yet (see above for why) but the scratch-built chassis will be carrying a different DRGW body - one that hasn't been detailed.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I now have a series of resin-cast sideframes to play with. Some have flush rear faces, others have projecting lugs, it's just a case of deciding which ones to use with the ENDO truxks and which will go under the Athearn U-Boat chassis and proceeding from there.

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A few photographs showing some of the detail on the "home-built" KM. The sideframes don't line up correctly, as already stated, but it's for go not for show - a "layout loco" as Tony Wright would say - rather than a museum piece.

 

The ENDO trucks are a superb piece of self-contained engineering with a small, centrally-mounted motor driving the two end axles. DCC-ing them is a PITN, however.

 

The post in the rear and the two protrusions fore and aft of the fuel tank are to stop the bodyshell from falling down, while the large block at the back is to carry the Ka-Dee when the unit enters revenue service. I may remove the large post if the two external protrusions do the job.

 

I'll have to fill in the gaps in the fuel tank as well, but overall I'm quite happy with the build. I'm going to fit the plow to the chassis rather than to the body shell so I can then switch between EsPee and DRGW examples.

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