# Accucraft K4 length?



## Britstrains (Feb 24, 2008)

Hi All,
I have an Accucraft K4 postwar on order and would like to know the length of the engine and tender when they are coupled together. If someone could please measure the length of their K4 and tender and let me know what the length is I would greatly apprectiate it. I am curious because I am trying to devise a plan to build a carrying case. I would have posted this in another thread but I did not want to hijack someone elses's thread.
Thanks In Advance,


----------



## RP3 (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi Brittany, 

In developing your box, you might want to consider instead doing it as a pair. I have made lots of carrying boxes for Asters and Accucrafts for my customers and have found that splitting the locomotive and tender into two separate cases keeps the amount of weight and length in more manageable proportions. Only smaller models like the Aster JNR 9600 and similar sized locomotives seem to work best in a single case. Car trunk sizes also suggest a two case arrangement because frequently a regular trunk couldn't handle the length of a single box. 

Hope that helps, 

Ross Schlabach


----------



## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By RP3 on 27 Sep 2011 04:31 PM 
Hi Brittany, 

In developing your box, you might want to consider instead doing it as a pair. I have made lots of carrying boxes for Asters and Accucrafts for my customers and have found that splitting the locomotive and tender into two separate cases keeps the amount of weight and length in more manageable proportions. Only smaller models like the Aster JNR 9600 and similar sized locomotives seem to work best in a single case. Car trunk sizes also suggest a two case arrangement because frequently a regular trunk couldn't handle the length of a single box. 

Hope that helps, 

Ross Schlabach 

Britt I agree with Ross. He made case for a lot of us here in Houston. Particuly the bigger engines. Altough I have the Aster K-4 and it measures a little over two feet I believe. I will check though. I just remeber thouh, the Aster is 1/32, Accucraft !/29. Ross is probably right. Sure make it easier for me.


----------



## SalM (Jan 2, 2008)

Brit...............The Accucraft K4 is 40 inches when coupled to the tender coupler to coupler..............


----------



## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

Slight Correction, Accucraft makes 1/32 + 1/20.3 - Accucraft's little sister, AML (the K4 manufacture) makes 1/29


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

you might want to consider instead doing it as a pair
Brittany, 

I concur with Ross. My new EBT #12 is 36" long when coupled, and it weighs a TON as we say in Blighty. It is very similar in cinstruction to the K4, so I imagine it will weigh about the same. 

[ I checked Accucraft and they do not list weights. Maybe it's time to step on the scales - I'll do that later and report.] 

Having decided not to try to carry both engine and tender at once, I looked for a quick solution to get my loco over to Dr Rivet's for an inaugral run. I finally used the metal carrier that it arrived in. You know, that big thing inside the red box with two steel sides, and wooden floor with grooves, and two rods across the ends to lift it by. 

As I am not worrying about vertical support - it sits on a foam block or on the back seat of my car - I only had to deal with the sides and ends. I added a pair of wooden blocks in a 'V' at one end to trap the pilot cowcatcher, and using lots of foam, I padded them, shoved one in the back behind the frame, and put two long pieces down each side. It works and I may decide to keep using it. 
P.S. The front and rear supports were trapped by the bolts in the wooden floor. At one end they are quite tall so a solid foam block fits nicely between the upright bolts and the frame, pushing the front pilot into the V padding. The blocks at the front were bolted on using L brackets from the hardware store. 

Let me know if you want pictures...


----------



## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi Brittany, 
I have been given the dimensions as: 
End of coupler to end of coupler = 39" 
Width = 4 7/8" 
Height = 6 1/4" 
It is nice to keep a loco and tender together if the connections are a pain to connect each time you use it. 
If it is too heavy (which the owner of this one says it's 'bloody' heavy) and it's easy to connect then two cases might be an option. 
I still like the idea of one case though, and a 41" - 42" case will fit in most cars I would think. 
Also, if you have too many separate cases, you might do what someone did at Stavers last year - a Daylight loco with an S2 tender!!! 
They didn't connect very well! 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


----------



## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete--regarding #12, the engine is 19# and the tender 9#, total 28#. 

Brittany--your K4 should be about the same. 

Larry


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Larry Green on 28 Sep 2011 09:51 AM 
Pete--regarding #12, the engine is 19# and the tender 9#, total 28#. 

Brittany--your K4 should be about the same. 

Larry 



I got 19 lbs without the roof, so I was going to say 20#. ;-) That K4 tender is a bit longer and bulkier than our 12, so I assume it weighs even more.


David's point about keeping them together is valid - my water pipe is a pain. But I'm not lugging 30 lbs of expensive loco+tender around without wheels.


Anyway - my guess is that lifting that 20-30 lbs is going to be tough for a smaller person?


----------



## Britstrains (Feb 24, 2008)

Thanks for all of the help guys I appreciate it. Now I have to contemplate my case deign, the two cases one for engine and one for tender seems like a more logical solution due to the less weight in one box and less length and taking up less space. However, I like the whole engine in the case so that I can roll it out and have it ready to run. I'll let you know what I decide 
Thanks Again,


----------



## Paul G. (Jan 10, 2012)

My solution to how to carry my K4 around came from an unexpected source. I found a case for an old Calumet 4x5 view camera. These were made of heavy fiberboard riveted together. Same design as press photogs used to pack around their Speed Graphics. They were stout enough to stand on if they needed more height for a shot. Mine is about 28" long, 9-1/2" deep and 12" high. The engine's on the bottom, and the tender lies on its side on an upper shelf of thin fiberboard, with room enough to be foam cushioned above and below. I put some handles on the ends of the case, but the suitcase handle works fine. The whole plan weighs just over 32 lbs. and isn't too awkward a carry. I've looked around for another without much luck, but I'm sure I don't have the only one, and there's probably something else out there that's close. Good luck.


----------



## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Tripod Hard Carrying Case:












Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Fiberbilt-P-508-Adjustable-Tripod-Cases/dp/B00012ABCE/ref=sr_1_69?ie=UTF8&qid=1326232797&sr=8-69

http://www.shipping-cases-now.com/products.asp?cat=54


----------



## artgibson (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Chris Scott on 10 Jan 2012 02:58 PM 
Tripod Hard Carrying Case:












Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Fiberbilt-P-508-Adjustable-Tripod-Cases/dp/B00012ABCE/ref=sr_1_69?ie=UTF8&qid=1326232797&sr=8-69

http://www.shipping-cases-now.com/products.asp?cat=54


Those look pretty neat. Thye look like they expand to longer lengths and you can just roll your engine out.
Still like the boxes Ross made for me. Ill need some for the K-4 Charles is doing for me and the Challenger.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I just went to Lowe's and bought me a Kolbolt tool box. Cheap and on sale. Later RJD


----------

