McCabe Boxcab Speeder

Introduction:Whatstartedoutasasmallnarrowgaugeboxcar,JohnMcCabeturnedintoalittleboxcabspeederforusearoundhislumbermill.EventuallyafterMcCabepassedawaythemillchangedhandsandwasrenamedLonePineLumberCo.BeingthefrugalmanMcCabewas,thenewownersshowedhimthatsame“respect”andneverrepaintedthespeeder.ThusitstillbearsthenameMcCabeonit’sside.

IstartedbuildingtheBTSkitabout2005.IdecidedwithamostlyfreespaceinthebackhalfthattherewouldberoomtoaddaDCCdecoderforcontrolaswellassound.AtthetimeDCCwasfairlynewandIhadpickedupasoundonlydecoderwhichIdecidedtotakeadvantageof.IusedmicroplugssoIcoulddisconnectthesounddecoderandmotiondecoderandprogramthemseparately.Italsoonlyhadpowerpick-upfromthefronttwodrivingwheels.Iimmediatelyrequestedadditionalwipersthatwerethesameasthoseincludedinthekit.EventhoughIdidn’tinstallthemformorethantenyears,thisprovedbeneficialbecauseitmadethejobeasierwhenthetimecame.Construction:In2017ItookwhatIhaddonein2005,whichwasbuildthebasicshellandaddDCC,andtestedit.Itdidn’trun–Ithinksomethinghadburneduporshortedout.Istrippedoffalltheelectronicsdowntojustthemotorandtestedthatonthetracks.EventuallyIgotittoworkanduponfindinganewsounddecoderonmybenchIinstalledittestingitwitheachconnection.Ialsoaddedtheadditionalwipersasmentionedaboveandmadesurethebrassframewasinsulatedeverywheretheremightbeapossibilityofshortingout.Aftertestingthedecoderwiththewireslong,Ithenreattachedafterremovingexcesswire.Iquicklydecidedthateventhoughthewireswereverysmall,alotofthemcouldtakeuptoomuchroom.Whatseemedlikealotofspaceinsidethespeederreallywasn’tmuchafterIstartedaddingthingsbackin.Igoteverythingtofitandabletohidethedecoderandspeakerwithstillhavingthedoorspartiallyopentoshowcargo.

ThespeakerisintherearandIaddedclaytonotonlyhelpkeepitinplacebutalsotosealittogetbettersound.Thedecoder,believeitornot,fitsupintheroofcavity.Icutawaysomeoftheroofsupportssoitwouldfitupbetterthenpaintedwhatcouldstillbeseenblack.Detail:Iaddedlights,bothfrontandback,whichwerenotpartofthekit.Byusingadecoder,ithadoutputsfortheforwardandreverselights.Ipaintedthesurroundingwoodtohelpitnot“glow”butthereisstillasmallamountwhichisacceptableconsideringthealternative–nolightsatall!Ihadtodrillouttheholesinthewoodaswellasthebrasscastings,whichwasnoeasytaskwithsuchsmalldelicateparts.

Ialsoaddedthedecoderandspeakerthataddstotheaudiostimulus,notjustthevisualasmostdetailsdo.Itsoundsgreatrumblingdownthetracks!Barrelsandcreatesarealsoseeninsidethecargoarea.Thisnotonlyaddstothedetailsofthespeederbutalsohelpshidethemotorandthespeakerwhenviewedfromcertainangles.Thereisalsoadriverinside!Inadditiontherearelotsofdetailsoutsidethemodelaswell.

McCabe Boxcab Speeder

Conformity:Thekitisprettyuniquewhenitcomestothistypeofspeeder.IdidfindafewvariationsthatweresimilarwhensearchingtheInternet.Seetheincludedpictures.Modeledistheradiatoroutsidethefrontandanexhauststackonthetopasanengineofthistypewouldneed. OnethingIdidthatwasnotpartofthekitwastoaddlightbulbsforthefrontandback.Iwantedthemoperational.Thekitincludedcastingsbutnotawaytohavethemworking.Itwasverydifficultdrillingoutthetinyholesneededinthebrasscastings. Ialsoaddedadditionalnumberswhenitcametimetodecalingthemodel.Theinstructionsshowedthesidesbuthadfrontandbackblank.Imadesurethenumberswereonboththefrontandtheback.Finish&Lettering:Yellowspraypaintrequiresmultiple,multiplecoatstogetagoodfinish.MylessonlearnedisthatIwillstartwithagreyprimernexttimethatwillhopefullyallowforbetteradhesion.Thekitincludedslidetransferdecals.IusedtheMicroSolandSetsolutionstogetthedecalstoreallyformtothesurface.AftertheyweredryIcarefullyusedaknifetoslicewherethegroovesinthewoodarethenappliedmoreMicroSet.Ilikehowitturnedoutandgivesamorepaintedoneffect.

ThespeederhasbeeninmanyyearsofservicesoIweathereditappropriatelyusingchalksandpowders.Itisstillingoodworkingconditionsoitwasn’tsomuchtolooklikeitwasrun-downbutenoughtoseethatitiswellusedyetstilltakencareof.Scratchbuilt:Thisisacraftsmankitsomostofeverythingneededwasincluded.Ididscratchbuildthebaffleforthespeakeroutofclaysothatitwouldsoundbetterandthespeakerwouldstayinplace. Theroof,ratherthanregulartarpapermethodIusuallyuse,wasmadeusingtissuepaperspraypaintedandthencutto3footwidths.Itwasappliedwithdilutedwhitegluebrushedonaftertheroofwasattachedtothebody. Theexhauststackis.55wirebentover,painted,weatheredandgluedinplaceaftertheroofmaterialapplied.