Rescuing a Kitten: Chessie System ALCO S4 restoration + weathering | Joy of Kitbashing

[@alanthefisher]

Thanks for detailing it up! It feels right at home in the yard for open houses at the chelten hills club layout 🤙

[@Whos_bozo]

I think the joy of kit bashing is one of the best series of this channel along with anchor bay

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

I love how you took an otherwise overlooked model and made it into something spectacular. If someone wanted, they could easily take the starting model and make it into a "dummy" unit and gang the power pickups/lights together for a really unique consist on the cheap.

[@maestromecanico597]

Yup. That's what they looked like. Thank you.

[@coreymitchell3900]

Ima do this to a o gauge now it looks awsome

[@dexecuter18]

Don with Atlas really always comes in clutch with the parts box frankensteins. Have a few N scale locomotives which were literally just made by scrounging through spare parts in the warehouse.

[@InterurbanEra]

Don is GREAT. The parts department is a true gem. What engines did you build?

[@dexecuter18]

@@InterurbanEra Asked for and received a Conrail RS11. Parts scrounging yielded some Red Baron/Coast Guard CNJ RS3s. Friend of Mine was gifted 2 BRW #752 GP9s so he could have a model of the train that goes past his window every Tuesday with one to hand off to his local buddies.

[@InterurbanEra]

@@dexecuter18 That's so heartwarming! I'm so glad they gave you some cool models. Neat to hear you got some CNJ RS3's very cool units.

[@huntercoleman460]

Great work on the Chessie.

[@GSMRFan]

Dang I need to get you to do a Kitbash for me

[@watsonpjenkins5388]

How informative! I have a little S1 on the rip track at home and I was looking at the exact same TCS decoder on eBay! This project is my first "kitbash" and I'm happy to know I stumbled on the right product by accident! My thanks for another great video.

[@InterurbanEra]

Love to hear it! Let me know how it goes. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. Be sure to subscribe.

[@hungrymoose7627]

The Atlas parts department is so great. I bought a cheap O gauge Lionel CN GP7 from a friend of mine so I can run on his club's layout. But as an HO guy primarily Lionel details are not nearly up to my standards. Right now I have a new 3 chime horn and radio antenna on order from them. Unfortunately they didn't have a Canadian style high hood bell so I had to order that from another website. I'll definitely be going back to Atlas though when its time to get MU cables, handrails and maybe even a dynamic brake hump to make it into a GP9.

[@InterurbanEra]

They're such an important asset to the hobby. Modeling would be so incredibly difficult without their help.

[@Thenumbersthatareodd]

Chessie the emd s4!

[@SouthPacificCoastRailroad]

It's an Alco lol

[@DarkTerritory71]

Nice! Have you ever seen a "weight/balancer puller"? I made one. If ya like, i can show you how.

[@InterurbanEra]

I'd be very curious to find out how you did it, please link it here if possible!

[@DarkTerritory71]

@@InterurbanEra it will take me a few to make a quick video. I will get one together

[@DarkTerritory71]

@InterurbanEra hey, what is the email address? I can send you some pics.

[@JMLoll]

I have an Atlas S4 with a split gear. It was new old stock, so I suspect that it was due to age. I messaged Atlas but they didn't have any replacement gears in stock. Would you happen to have a replacement axle with gear?

[@InterurbanEra]

I have a replacement truck if you need it, it should swap in if it's the same run as mine. Become a patreon patron at any level and DM me, and we can figure out shipping arrangements. Does that sound good?

[@JMLoll]

@@InterurbanEra Yes, thank you!

[@patrickwamsley3284]

I'm married to Digitrax's command station and related hardware, but their decoders are just awful. I've had experience with several that have failed suddenly in good models that are known, good runners.

[@InterurbanEra]

After 15 years, I finally divorced myself from Digitrax command stations after my Zephyr melted. They really have a thermal engineering issue that they seem to be too lazy to solve. It's sad. Most of my wasted money over the years in this hobby has been Digitrax decoders frying themselves, which as a cash strapped modeler for many years, was really terrible. I'd recommend NCE or TCS motor decoders above all other mfgs so far.