# P-2 Diesel - Construction Log



## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

The P-2 will have the following improvements over my first diesel: 

.21 engine (vs a .15 in the P-1), with 3 times the horsepower of the .15. 
Remote Starting from a switch on the transmitter 
New Aristocraft trucks with the large 550 motors 
Alternator instead of a generator 
Electronic switch for direction control instead of mechanical switch 
Enhanced fan control using a battery rather than alternator power, and a larger cooling fan 
Enhanced fuel system with a header tank. 

The components have been tested on the test stand, gearing worked out, and everything fits (barely). I've run the rig on the test stand powering the track and running and Aristocraft GP-40 to test for speed, power, gearing, engine temperatures, and noise. This thing has some power! 

Here is a mock-up. Next, cutting aluminum. 



















Thanks, 
Bob


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## chooch (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 
Can't wait until next Diamondhead to see this running. If it is even close to your last one, it will be a hit. Keep us updated on your progress.


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## k5pat (Jan 18, 2008)

Beautiful work Bob. I was very impressed by your Version 1. This one should be a smash hit at Diamondhead.


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## Slipped Eccentric (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks good Bob! Any chance of a wiring diagram?


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## HMeinhold (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 
a very interesting project. With your previous experience this will definitely become a "brute". What alternator and which engine did you use? 
Regards


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks everyone! My goal is to have this locomotive completed for Diamondhead - with a matching fiberglass shell in Lake Hall and Highgrove black and tan. 

Henner - alternator is from Anaheim Automation, part number BLWR235S-36V-4000. Engine is an OS Max .21TM with Traxxas EZ-Start. I've never been one to keep secrets - the engine does not have the stock slide carburetor. It has a rotary OS Max 11L carburetor. When I asked OS Max tech support if this would work they it should, but had never tried it. Well, it works, and offers better low speed control and easier linkage routing. The alternator has ball bearings and is a bargain at $50. The engine and new carburetor were not a bargain! 

Slipped Eccentric - I've never done a wiring diagram, and the only plans I draw will be that of the side elevation of the fiberglass shell. Everything else will be worked out with balsa and cardboard and then transferred to aluminum. I'm sure I could figure out how to do a wiring diagram for you. And I'll include all the part numbers if there is interest. 

Finding the right parts is half the battle - and these have all been tested by powering an electric locomotive pulling a 17 pound freight car. What I didn't show in the photo was the 2 other engines I didn't use, the 5 other mufflers, the 2 cooling fans, and 5 sets of gears, two other types of trucks, you get the idea... 

Again, thanks everyone for your interest in the project. 

Bob


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## Werner Jeggli (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello Bob, 

Your project is very interresting! Im particularily intrigued by the electronic switch for direction control. I assume it is operated directly from a remote control port. Where can I get one? It would be used in my new steam turbine-electric locomotive project. 

Regards Werner


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## Slipped Eccentric (Jan 2, 2008)

Thank you, Bob. I'll take any info you care to write down. I should be coming across a small engine in the near future and I'd like to try my hand at building one.


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Werner - here are two options depending on the volts and amps you need to handle. Both simply plug into the receiver. Do you have any photos of your project? 

http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/0-TD-RCE220.html 
http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/0-TD-RCE225.html 

Slipped Eccentric and Werner - feel free to contact me at [email protected] if I can be of assistance. 

Here are a couple of videos of the test rig. This is with the old Traxxas engine. The new OS .21TM is a bit smoother. The 'Clown Car' being pulled weighs 17 pounds. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdaeuVQaZpo&NR=1 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdaeuVQaZpo&NR=1 

Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Hello from Tallahassee, 
The basic frame is bolted together. It is 31" long. I made a couple of component changes based on testing. I'm going back to the same Aristocraft trucks I used on the previous locomotive (not the new ones with the giant 550 motors). I also found a lower cooling head for the engine (Traxxas 3.3, which works out to .20 Cubic inches). 
Surprisingly, the larger engine just lopes along and is actually quieter at speed than the .15 that powers my previous locomotive. Sound levels are the same at idle, but the big engine has the advantage as locomotive speed increases. 
The components are just sitting in the chassis. The next step is to mount the engine and alternator. Completing this will be fun (except of course, for sanding the fiberglass body!). 








Note low-profile cooing head. It is called a 'Cool Weather' head, made for R/C truck engines when people run them in cold weather/snow. 








Thanks, 
Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

The P-2 chassis is together and ran for the first time today. I'll just have the chassis for Diamondhead - I'm not going to kill myself like I did last year finishing up the bodies for the first diesel train.

This one will have a streamliner body one day - maybe I can get some suggestions at Diamondhead. Whatever the design, it will be painted to match my existing passenger cars (black and tan).


Anyway, I have a few photos and some low resolution videos (by accident - had camera set wrong). 

Bottom line - it worked great!


Re-start: 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=W53Hwn-fYdc&feature=channel



High Speed:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk4eM6lAWFk&feature=channel



Stop and start:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LKaXKvtEzmU&feature=channel 























Regards,

Bob


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob: Really looks good and nice to see it up and running. I really liked the first one also. Really will be interesing to see what you come up with for a body. Later RJD


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## Steve Shyvers (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

Congratulations! Makes my loco projects seem like soap box derby racers. Now, will you be bringing this one out to the 2009 Sacramento National Summer Steamup? 

Steve


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks good Bob, you can't use the molds that you used for the one from last year? They looked pretty good.


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## davidarf (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob

Another splendid success. This version looks to have lots of power.

Seasons greetings


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

Will this turn into your monster you discussed in your previous post.
http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/11/tpage/1/view/topic/postid/7530/Default.aspx 

" Will there be a class for an A-B unit with 3-axle trucks (for 12 axles total)? Could it compete as an A unit in the 6-axle class and as an A-B unit in the 12 axle class?" 


Maybe later in 2009 hehe. 

(got this funny idea of you showing up to dr rivets place and race that daylight (video here) , not that you would want to do such a dangerous thing lol)


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks everyone! 

RJ - I'm not sure what the body shell will look like. I was thinking about a blunt front end like the British Deltics had. 

Steve - I've been following your work on the coal-fired Billy - very impressive - and out of my league! I'm not sure if I'll be attending the 2009 Sacramento National Summer Steamup, but I'll warn people if I do. 

Jerry - The locomotive mold was the first one I did and I had to completely destroy the mold to sepatate it from the fiberglass shell. I did refine my 'mold release' for the passenger cars and was able to use one mold for all 4 cars. But I always had some repair to do. Anyway, this is an opportunity to do something different. And hopefully meaner looking. 

David - This thing has twice the horsepower as my first locomotive. The result is that it is actually quieter! It is about the same at idle and low speed, but significantly quieter at high speed. As a quick test of the electronic switches I did hook it up to a cheap fish scale and gave it full throttle. Nothing blew up and the fish scale read somewhere in the 7-8 pound range. 

Andrew - I'm not sure if I'll build that monster, but this one is monster enough! And I need to add more weight (about 3 pounds) to get it balanced since the alternator is offset to one side. And the body will add about a pound. 

Take care, 
Bob


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I'll say one thing Bob that is one fast moving loco. Maybe use in the North east corridor







Later RJD


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I'd go for an old streamliner look.


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

" Will there be a class for an A-B unit with 3-axle trucks (for 12 axles total)? Could it compete as an A unit in the 6-axle class and as an A-B unit in the 12 axle class?"  


Just remember any locomotive that has won an award in the DH Drawbar Pull competition is eliminated from any further awards.









The loco can pull again but will not be considered for one of the prestigious awards given out by Jerry!

Also, Bob promised he wouldn't break any of my equipment trying!


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi, 

I was able to remove the 7.2 volt battery used for the starter motor and power the starter motor with the 6 volt battery (lead acid, 4.5 amp hours). So now there is only the transmitter and one battery on the locomotive to charge. The 6 volt battery powers the receiver, servos, electronic switches, starter motor, and the cooling fan (and soon the lights - headlight and Mars light). All power from the alternator goes directly to the traction motors. 

On my previous model (the P-1 that you saw at Diamonhead last year), I had to charge the transmitter, glow plug heater, starter motor battery, and the reveiver battery. And part of the power from the generator was used to power the cooling fan. The problem was that at low speed the engine didn't get much 'fan'. With the P-2, the fan comes on at full speed (powered from the battery) once you put it in forward or reverse. 

Next is to melt some lead to get the weight distrubution correct and try it out with a balsa wood body to see if it needs any cooling vents. 

The P-1 weighs about 16 pounds. Once complete with the body, the P-2 should come in at around 22 pounds. 

Regards, 
Bob


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## Chompers (Jan 8, 2008)

Is their a perticular reason that you are using a Lead Acid battery? i would think that it would make more sense to use a lipo, as they are much smaller for the same Mah rating? 
Just a thought 

what type of controller are you using? spectrum? 75mhz?
and if you could i'd appreciate it if you could post a wiring diagram

keep it up, as so far your engine looks awsome and i would love to be able to see it run some time. 

Philip


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## CLRRNG (Sep 26, 2008)

Bob, 
You have created quite a unique loco. What a great idea. That 3.3 racing engine sounds great. I can't imagine smelling nitro exhaust while running trains. Must be a thrill. BTW if you do blow up your motor replacements are cheap on EBAY. I am a RC nitro fan and blew up a few engines in my life. 


How will you keep the engine at optimable temperature for keeping it tuned? Those nitro engines sure are finicky with temperature. 

Good luck on finishing your project. Very cool 

Glen


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Philip, 

Thanks for the kind words. 

As far as the battery choice, the 6V, 4.5 Amp hour lead acid battery costs $10. A lipo version would cost about $100. And let's not even talk about chargers. But the real reason is that the battery is going in a locomotive, so heavy is good. And I have plenty of room for a big battery. 

Come to Diamondhead in January and you'll see both my diesel locomotives run! 

Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Glen, 

I have a cooling fan mounted in front of the engine. And I run it quite rich and never more than 1/5 throttle, so I'm operating the engine much differently than RC truck racers. 

I ran the locomotive this weekend and the engine temp was in the 170-185 degree range. I'll test it with a balsa-wood body this weekend to make sure the temps stay low. With the previous locomotive I had to build a fan shroud to keep the engine cool with the body on. The new locomotive has a big 3.3 that barely breaks a sweat. It is actually quieter than the first locomotive (currently with a CEN .16) at medium to high speeds. 

Thanks for your interest. 

Bob


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## Chompers (Jan 8, 2008)

Ok then, 

those sugestions are comming from a guy who flies 20g micro indoor RC airplanes  so anything but lipos is a No No 

I'm still intrerested in what type of RC you are using. any info would be apprecieated. 



As for dimond head, if i didn't live in Rochester Ny, didn't have school, and had some way of getting there, then i'd be there. 

off topic. why does it say that i have only have 3 postes, i know its been a while since i've lurked around here, but what happened?


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Philip, 

Radio is a Spektrum DX-6 with mini servos. I use electronic switches (connected by a Y harness so they work together). The big one is for forward, neutral, reverse. The smaller one is for the cooling fan, which runs when the locomotive is in forward or reverse (fan off in neutral). 

http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/0-TD-RCE220.html 
http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/0-TD-RCE225.html 

Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

The locomotive was out of balance (both front to back and side to side). The side to side problem was caused by eliminating a separate battery to start the engine - this was initially located next to the alternator.

To balance things out I poured melted lead in 1" X 1" aluminum square stock. The piece is 9" long and sits opposite the alternator. The lead in aluminum bar weighs 3 pounds 3 ounces, the same as the alternator and its mount.

With a full tank of fuel the locomotive is only 2 ounces from being perfectly balanced as weighed with the trucks sitting on two electronic scales. Total weight is 20 pounds 10 ounces. The body will add another 2-2 1/2 pounds. 


The new aluminum/lead balance is on the left:


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

You do nice neat work Bob, not like me!


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks to help from my friend Sal, I was able to re-wire the electronic switch used to control the cooling fan and eliminate a bridge rectifier that robbed .7 volt. The fan is completely different running at 6 volts instead of 5.3 volts. It was getting a bit warmer than I wanted when I ran it with a cardboard test body.
The 'real' body will be made of fiberglass, be painted black and tan, and will look something like this. The smoke stack will be at the back of the locomotive, not in front of the windscreen as on the prototype.










Regards,

Bob


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## rodblakeman (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 
Looking good. I like the new body styling, especially the sample red colour. I understand your reasons for maintaining your fleets "corporate" colours though  

Rod.,


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## k5pat (Jan 18, 2008)

Posted By Bob Pope on 01/30/2009 7:13 AM


Thanks to help from my friend Sal, I was able to re-wire the electronic switch used to control the cooling fan and eliminate a bridge rectifier that robbed .7 volt. The fan is completely different running at 6 volts instead of 5.3 volts. It was getting a bit warmer than I wanted when I ran it with a cardboard test body.
The 'real' body will be made of fiberglass, be painted black and tan, and will look something like this. The smoke stack will be at the back of the locomotive, *not in front of the windscreen as on the prototype.*










Regards,

Bob



Glad to hear that the smokestack will be behind the windscreen. The engineer will be very happy about that! Can't wait to see the finished product Bob. It looks slick.


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

Does the color scheme mean you're going to build a second set of passenger cars after all?


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Cape Cod - No more passenger cars for me! The P-2 will be painted to match the existing cars. 


Bruce (Shay Gear Head) helped me by sending the following color rendition in black and tan. I had not thought about using a third color for the roof - I think this looks better than the original paint scheme on the P-1. Thanks again Bruce!










Bob


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

*Bob,*

*Great day - Bob LIKED something I suggested! Its the louvers that will be the killer! Maybe you can rob some from one of the many diesels on the market. But they add some 3-D relief from the smooth sided diesel.*


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Tests with a cardboard body showed me that I need a fan shroud - as with the previous P-1 locomotive.

I tried several shroud designs made of cardboard and the 'shorty' version worked the best. I'll be able to make a body without any cooling cut-outs. This will help make it quieter.

Bruce - I like the idea of the louvers - I'll use decals!

Here is the copper shroud. It comes off easily by loosening the knurled nuts.























Regards,
Bob


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

*Bob,*

*Looks like you are going to take the easy way out on the louvers. Besides noise draws a crowd. Ever been to a drag strip or car race? I was thinking of having a "Who can be the loudest" at Diamondhead but figured you take the prize so gave up on that idea pretty quickly!*


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Bruce, Tongue in cheek comment.....
Not only loudest, but smokiest, stinkiest and fastest train at the meet (can't call it a steamup if he wins all that stuff).


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Bruce and Carl,


I'll admit to having the loudest and stinkiest locomotive at Diamondhead this year. But Yves might have edged me out for the smokiest with one of his coal-fired beauties. And Caleb's Daylight might be faster. But the P-2's main claim to 'fame' was barely edging out some impressive steam locomotives in Bruce's drawbar competition and meeting Charlie Mynheir's challenge of pulling more than 50% of its weight.


So now I'm working to complete the P-2 as a civilized member of the G-scale community, and that means working on the noise and stinky exhaust.


Thanks to Bruce's ideas of adding a third color and some louver detail, here is an approximation of what the P-2 will look like:


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

*Carl,*

*Maybe it shold be "Stinky" or "Smokey" Bob Poe from now on. Thankfully both diesels are retired from competition!*


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

OK - the P-2 with the Traxxas 3.3 (.20 cubic inch) engine was too loud. So I swapped out the 3.3 with a Traxxas 2.5 (.15 cubic inch) engine. Everything is the same on the two engines except the displacement, so it was literally a drop-in replacement.

The result - as quiet (or quieter!) than my original diesel P-1 with plenty of power and cool running temperatures. I looked at an advertisement for the larger 3.3 which shows the power curves of the 2.5 and the 3.3. At low rpms the curves are nearly identical - the 3.3 only begins to shine at much higher rpms than I normally run.


The only remaining step is to replace the tall cylinder head with a low profile head from Nova RC products. Then I can use the fan shroud again.


Here is the new engine:











Regards,

Bob


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## k5pat (Jan 18, 2008)

Bob,
    I believe that is known as "fine tuning".  Keep up the good work. It looks great!


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

The low profile cooling head for the Traxxas 2.5 engine arrived today from Nova RC Products and fit perfectly. 

Here is the new cooling head (shown without the copper fan shroud). Time to get started on the body!


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## rodblakeman (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, All looking very good Bob, I expect the new body to be up to your normal excellent standards and will make the engine even quieter


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

You do amazing work Bob.


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is a video with the new (and quieter) Traxxas 2.5 engine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc1OgTwejpU 

And the awful cardboard test body used to check the cooling system and noise levels. No problems with either:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yj4YK_xZVM 




Before I spend a lot of time smoothing the body mold I decided to draw on the cutout lines to get an idea of how the locomotive will look. I wasn't sure about the blunt 'Deltic' nose, but it is starting to grow on me. What do you think?

































Regards,

Bob


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds good running Bob. I would go for a more streamlined nose, but that's the look I like. Angled out more on the bottom and rounded, but to each his own, it's yours after all!


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## N1CW (Jan 3, 2008)

*Bob 
Any chance that you/P-2 will be at the Spring ECLSTS....or Fall ECLSTS? 
*


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## rodblakeman (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 
The P2 is very quiet with the mock up body in place. 

I like the rather "high" nose on the body shell, maybe a little rounding would make it more like the Alco PA ?


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the input - I agree the front still isn't right. I expect to have this done in a couple of months.


Here's what I'm going for (and yes Rod, I'll admit to an affinity for British diesels):


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## Steve Shyvers (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

I also like the high nose in profile, and also think it needs some rounding in plan view. The blunt squared-off nose needs to be softened up a bit. The British diesel gets away with it because the bluntness is relieved by the front-end paraphenalia. 

On the P-2 Is there anything under the hood (real or imagined prototype) that requires the bluntness? Have you considered forward visibility requirements? 

Steve


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I am no D'weasel lover, but I have always liked the nose light on the F7's and E9's...


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the comments everyone.

As for lights I was planning to have a headlight and a Mars light. These will be on the same circuit as the cooling fan (off in neutral, on in forward and reverse). 


Steve - here's what's under the hood. The actual clearance on top will be less than the amount shown in the photo and there's about 1.25 inches between the gas tank and the front of the body - but you get the idea.












I'll see what some sandpaper and I can do with the nose after work tomorrow.


I'm just trying to avoid it coming out exactly like this:











Regards,
Bob


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## redbeard (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Bob! 
Wow ! Looking good ! Since I really have no knowledge of any engines except what I study as projects or possible projects, I won't try and give you advice about the body. I will give you this advice however, your insight as to what you want and what you build is excellent. This is proven with your first L H & H body, so trust yourself and go for what you want. It will be great! 

redbeard AKA Larry Newman SA # 1956


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow what a great looking engine. Nice work Bob, I know you'll get it to look right. Later RJD


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks everyone! 

I'll take another stab at making the nose look better tonight and post the results. 

Bob


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

If I missed it somewhere sorry for the question 


but is the wood core the body or just the mold and you lay fiberglass or something over it ?


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Trains West on 03/23/2009 8:57 AM If  I missed it somewhere sorry for the question 
 
 
but is the wood core the body or just the mold and you lay fiberglass or something over it ? That is just the mold.  I'll make the body out of 7 layers of fiberglass on top of the mold, then (in theory) pop the mold out.  On the last body (pictured above) I had to completely destroy the mold getting it out. Bob


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

do you seal the wood with anything first or just coat it with a release agent ? 

and do you think you had problems becouse the sides are vertical or becouse it bonded to the wood ?


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Trains West on 03/23/2009 11:13 AM do you seal the wood with anything first or just coat it with a release agent ? 
 
and do you think you had problems becouse the sides are vertical or becouse it bonded to the wood ?

Here are the steps: 1) make plank on frame blasa mold 2) Add Elmer's wood putty (with water) to get it smooth 3) Sand and repeat step 2. I also put on wet putty and drag a 3-foot aluminum bar down the sides to ensure everything is straight 4) Apply 2 coats of sandable primer. 5) Apply 2 coats of car wax. 6) Apply 2-3 coats of release agent 7) Apply 7 coats of fiberglass cloth and resin.  Sand between each coat. 8) Once the last coat is dry, start with 40 grit sandpaper.  Work your way to 400 grit wet.  Apply filler as needed. 9) Paint with black sandable primer.  Sand and repeat as necessary. 10) Remove shell from the mold.  The complex shapes and vertical sides will create a tight grip - on the locomotives I had to completely destroy the mold to get it out.  On the passenger cars I was able to salvage the mold and did 4 cars from one mold (with repairs in between). 11) Trim and paint the shell after adding any mouning hardware. Regards, Bob


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## davidarf (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob
The progress with your new loco is excellent, and the new engine sounds really good. If you like UK prototypes, but also want one with a light mounted on the nose, then you could always base your model on the original Deltic (now in the National Railway Museum at Shildon - without it's engine unfortunatley)


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks David - I'm going to use a headlight and a Mars lignt - maybe both could be mounted in a common housing. The housing does add a focal point to the nose. I really like the Deltics and Westerns. The Western style was out because I needed a 'hump' for the fan and engine. 

Does anyone know which one would be mounted higher - the headlight or the Mars light? 

Yesterday I got home from work too late to work on the nose. Tonight the nose will get either 1) fixed or 2) messed up. But it won't be the same. 

Thanks, 
Bob


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## k5pat (Jan 18, 2008)

Bob,
The Mars light is on top on all that I have seen.
Pat


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

I took everyone's advice and re-worked the nose. I ground the old nose flat and glued on a longer block of wood that gave me some more room for streamlining.

This still needs some work - but here's the general idea. Is this better?























Thanks - Bob


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I think it is better Bob, like to see a bit more of an angle from the side, but that's just me!


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## rodblakeman (Jan 2, 2008)

That looks much better Bob, but it is still your engine so you should finish it as you want  
That said, have you considered that instead of having the cab roof as a "bubble" 
above the body roof line, you extend the top cab roof line to the rear of the unit,
more like the Deltic roof line ?? This would make it look different to your P1 engine.


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Jerry and Rod! 

I thought about doing something like a Deltic or a Western, but in the end the 'bubble' won out. I wanted to keep the locomotive height as short as possible, with the raised cab only long enough clear the fan and engine. I'll try a different paint scheme to differentiate it from the P-1. But whatever I do the colors will match up with the black and tan passenger cars. 

Speaking of the P-1, the Tallahassee crew visited Harold Dunsford in Dundee last weekend. I ran the P-1 for 2 hours and 10 minutes and still had over a third of a tank of fuel left. So it will theoretically run for about 3.5 hours on a single tank of fuel. 

Regards, 
Bob


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow, those are some long run times, had no idea.


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## Steve Shyvers (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, 

Yup. Better in my opinion, too. It might even tolerate steepening the front rake in profile as long as it doesn't go dead vertical. Depends on how the profile works together with the contrasting colors of the striping and other patterning. (I know. Less angle is contrary to Jerry's opinion.) 

Steve


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

The mold is complete - next steps are: two coats of release agent and then seven layers of fiberglass cloth.

So here is what the final body will look like. Thanks again for your input. I like this better than the first pug-nosed version.





























Regards,
Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, 7 layers of 6oz fiberglass later (sanding between each coat)....


Next up is some serious filling and sanding, starting with 60 grit sandpape and working down to 400 grit.


The black marks on the front are where I marked the 'cap' nose piece of fiberglass cloth with a Sharpie. For each coat I was able to cover all but the front with one piece of fiberglass cloth. The nose needed a second piece of cloth.














Regards,
Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

And suddenly as if by magic, all the sanding is done and the P-2 sits in primer. The next step is to pop the body shell off the mold and start trimming the sides. I also need to install the flat piece that goes on the back.

I was able to get the passenger car shells off without doing too much damage to the balsa wood mold. But the first locomotive (P-1) required for me to completely destroy the mold. I suspect that will be the case with this one as well.











Regards,

Bob


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## Steve Shyvers (Jan 2, 2008)

Magic? More like an artist's hands and eyes! Great job. 

Steve


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Steve. 

I have a question for the group - I was thinking about making a 'B' unit. Or more specifically a 'slug' that will have powered trucks but receive all the power from the 'A' unit. I would add weight to the slug unit to match the locomotive's weight. 

The neatest thing would be to make a fully powered 'B' unit, but I just don't have it in me to do all that work right now. 

So, would a powered slug be interesting? Maybe Bruce would let me do an 'exhibition run' on the drawbar to see what both units could pull. 

Thanks for your input - and don't worry if you think the idea is stupid - I wouldn't mind getting talked out of more fiberglassing. 

Thanks, 
Bob


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow Bob great job. I think making Bunit to go with the engine is a grand Idea. go for it. I know its work but I enjoy seeing your skills at work. Later RJD


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

*Bob,*

*I'll have to upgrade the 20lb. test line if this comes to fruition!*


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Bruce, 

I received the power trucks for the 'slug' unit yesterday, so this thing is going to be ready for Diamondhead. I always enjoy your Drawbar competition and I think it will be interesting to see how the de-tuned P2 does by itself and with the 'booster' unit 

Regards, 
Bob


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

*I will also need one of the hats with the built-in fans. Hopefully they can run backwards to blow your exhaust away from me and into the crowd. It would also sound better if you would eliminate the mufflers - more like the drag strip. You do have the smell right though!*


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Bruce - I replaced the big engine with a smaller, quieter one. I plan to test the locomotive at 'normal' operating revs in the future. The 'all-out' run the last time was needed to (barely) stay ahead of the steamers! But that was too much smoke and noise even for me. 

My goal is to get a 10+ pound pull from the P-2 with the booster attached without too much noise and smoke. We'll see how that works out - I'll know more after some testing this weekend. 

Regards, 
Bob


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## Chrisp (Jan 3, 2008)

Bob - great work on the body shell. It looks like an art deco classic. What epoxy did you use for the fiberglass? How much time did it take to fabricate the mold and then make the shell?


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

The smoke should be part of the operation. Makes for a neat looking loco and more prototype. Later RJD


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Chrisp on 06/26/2009 3:26 PM
Bob - great work on the body shell. It looks like an art deco classic. What epoxy did you use for the fiberglass? How much time did it take to fabricate the mold and then make the shell? 

Chris,

I used seven layers of 6oz fiberglass cloth and polyester resin. You can see how long each step of the process took by looking at the dates on my posts. In hours of actual work, the mold probably took about 12 hours to get the way I wanted it. The shell probably took about 15 hours to lay the glass, and at least that long getting things smooth (starting with 36 grit sandpaper and ending up with 600 wet).


RJ,

Sorry - no engine or smoke in the second unit - it will get the power from the 'A' unit. A fully functional 'B' unit with an engine and generator is more than I'm willing to tackle at this point. 


Regards,
Bob


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## msimpson (Jan 5, 2009)

Looking good Bob. The P-1/P-2 are definitely in a class by themselves and no, I don't mean in Special Ed! Nice work, Mike


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Mike! 

So the results are in - the slug unit does not add any value to the equation at normal operating speeds. It might be a help with the engine geared down and screaming (as it was in the 2009 Diamondhead Drawbar), but I don't want to run it like that. 

Many thanks to Sal for helping me test out the slug. 

Although I don't have the energy to make a new fully powered 'B' unit, maybe I could add a front coupler and a 'B' style body to the P-1. I would need to add some MU wires and electronics so the power is delivered evenly, but that seems doable. 

Regards, 
Bob


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## redbeard (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Bob, 
Great to run with you guys in Tallahassee last week. You said: 

"Although I don't have the energy to make a new fully powered 'B' unit, maybe I could add a front coupler and a 'B' style body to the P-1. I would need to add some MU wires and electronics so the power is delivered evenly, but that seems doable." 

Not only that it seems VERY clever to me. Can you get the two locos to "get along" with the right electronics? 

Larry


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Larry, 

I enjoyed seeing you at the train show in Tallahassee - and seeing the trucks for your Ruby Heisler - very nice! 

As far as the 'A' and 'B' unit, I have different model settings on my Spektrum radio for the P1 and the P2. But both locomotives have the direction switches set the same way, and the throttle settings are close too. In fact, sometimes I've forgotten to switch the model setting on the radio and for example, run the P1 with the radio set for the P2. So the easy thing would be to tweak the settings to run both locomotives simultaneously. 

But of course, I'm not going to do that. I would like to have it set up so both the A and B unit supply power to the trucks on both locomotives. If one engine stopped the remaining engine would power all four trucks. With both engines running I would get full power and not have to worry about the A or B unit running at different speeds or not moving simultaneously. 

I need some diodes to make this work and I tested the basic theory with two engines running a sparkie on my test track. 

Regards, 
Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

The P2 should be finally be complete tomorrow. Putting the last clear coat on now. Just have to wire up the headlight and that's it. 

I will hopefully post photos tomorrow. I put the big engine back in and came up with a new trick that significantly increases the pulling power with the flip of a switch. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone at Diamondhead. 

Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is the power modification (the switch with the P and the S):


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## Shay Gear Head (Jan 3, 2008)

Guess I better get a stronger leader wire for the drawbar pull this year?


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Bruce,

'P' is for Parallel and 'S' is for Series. I was running the traction motors in parallel before. In series, the locomotive runs slower, but will spin the wheels at half throttle.

So, not sure I'll be able to pull more, but I should be able to pull the same with a lot less effort (smoke and noise).

This works so well I retrofitted the P-1 with the same switch.

Bob


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## rodblakeman (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Bob, 
Good to see you are waking up ready for Diamondhead, 

Is that P/S switch not meant to be radio controlled ??  

See you next week..


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob" looking forward to seeing you again next week withe rest of the FL boys. Can't wait to see the finished P 2. Later RJD


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

RJ and Rod - looking forward to seeing you at DH. We arrive on Wednesday. Rod - no radio control for the switch - just set it for Parallel for passenger trains or Series for freight.

Here are a couple of photos of the completed P-2:


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Sure looks nice Bob!


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## wboylejr (Jan 2, 2008)

Another outstanding product from "Pope Engeneering Enterprises". Whats the weight of this engine again? 28 pounds? Can you say pulling contest? Look out Bruce, Bob has found another way to put that depleted uranium into good use!


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

*Model finally completed*

Two changes complete the model (finally!):
1) Telemetry ( I can read real-time engine temperature, alternator RPMs, Alternator Volts, and Receiver Battery Volts from the transmitter.

2) Added a relay to switch between series and parallel circuits for the traction motors. Can switch on the fly from the transmitter. Formerly had to remove the body and throw a switch to make this change.

Thanks,

Bob Pope


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

Photos:



















Thanks,

Bob


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## Bob Pope (Jan 2, 2008)

*Transition Videos*

I went to my friend Sal's this weekend to try out the series to parallel and parallel to series transitions as the model was in motion. Before, this was done by removing the locomotive's body and manually throwing a switch.

Traction motors switched from Series to Parallel as the model accelerates:





Traction motors switched from Parallel to Series as the model decelerates:





Series to Parallel, then Parallel back to Series. Both transitions happen as the model approaches the camera.





Finally, an all-electric transmission with two forward speeds and two reverse speeds.

Thanks,
Bob


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## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

I just re-read this entire thread from the beginning. Very cool project and amazing results!


-Kevin.


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