Drive Train
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Drive Train

One of the factors that led to my decision to build NPC No 1 from an Aristocraft C-16 was the excellent MasterClass 2001 series written by David Fletcher and published at MyLargeScale.com.  The series takes you step-by step through bashing the C-16 Consolidation drive train into a 2-6-0 Mogul frame.  Once the drive train bash is complete, the remaining chapters of the series take you through scratch building the superstructure of the engine and tender, using scratch builder supplies and commercial detail parts.

The project provides a step-by-step approach.  I've always wanted to do this project.  And NPC No 1 is a very close Baldwin prototype as shipped to the NPC.  Use of the Aristo drive train forces a compromise of building in 1:24 scale.  But I'll be mixing scales on my railroad anyway.

Modifying the Driver Block

The first major step of the drive train bash is to convert the Aristo driver block from an 8 wheel Consolidation configuration to a 6 wheel mogul configuration.  This step is far easier than it might appear and only took me about 1/4 hour to complete.  I reassembled the engine for photos but will disassemble, test, and tune per David's instructions as she gets closer to operating status.

Aristo driver block and frame before modifications.  Photo courtesy of David Fletcher.
The Aristo C-16 driver block after removal of wheels and screws holding block together.  In this photo the third axle has been removed.
The driver has been reassembled without the third driver pair.
Wheels are back on the axles.  What you see is typical driver spacing for a Baldwin Mogul.
 

Lowering the Frame

The Aristo C-16 sits at an unprototypical height with the frame too high in relation to the drivers.  Here are the major steps in lowering the frame.

Lowering the frame to a more prototypical height requires that the wheel cutouts in the frame be increased vertically by about 5 mm.  Cuts have been made in this shot.
A hole is also cut in the top of the frame to allow the lower portion of the motor block to protrude through the top of the frame.  In this shot, the frame sits lower after the modifications.

Detailing the Frame

As part of MasterClass 2001 Fletch gives a series of instructions on how to detail the frame to model the components of a Baldwin 8-18D.

In this shot the side frames have been detailed per the instructions in MC 2001.
The flag holders on the front deck have been replaced with a 1.5 mm brass hand rail.
Once the modifications were made, the frame was painted with a Krylon Flat Black spray can.
 

Drive train modifications continue on the Drive Gear page.

(c) 2007 Iron Horse 1:29