Jace, The idea to put the gear tower in the center of the frame was so that I could detail the cab interior and maybe even have enough room to stick a speaker under the cab floor. Who knows maybe some day I'll resurrect the project, but for now I have enough switchers to handle my current needs.
As a side note, at one time I considered using NWSL's PDT. Though normally available only in Sn3, you could get one built up in S standard with a wheelbase to match the S-2. It would require using two of them, but each truck would be self-contained with it's own motor (much like the original Miller concept). that would leave the cab area wide open and nothing under the hood. However, that would have been an expensive alternative. At the time they were going for $90 a piece plus the cost to upgrade each to S standard gauge. Bob Frascella Wenham, MA On Sun, Aug 22, 2010 at 4:31 PM, JGG KahnSr <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Generally, I agree with your conclusions (including the idea I proposed, > that for the same money one could have bought an S Helper > EMD--and actually cheaper during the SHS sale--for what the Miller with > replacement drive brought). > I am puzzled why you put the gear tower in the center of the frame than in > the hood end, however. With the exception of the issues > I'd already noted, however, my Miller doesn't run all that badly. Just not > so well as my SHS EMD's. > > > Jace Kahn > > General Manager > Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > > > I agree with Pieter on this one. I purchased the body/frame many years > ago > > and then about five years ago found a Cascade conversion kit. I didn't > like > > the gear tower in the cab so modified it and moved it to the hood between > > the two trucks. The problem is that there's not enough room between the > > trucks and gear tower to install the universals. I thought maybe I'd use > > flex tubing on one end and a single universal on each truck. I never > > proceeded beyond thinking about that because SHS came out with their > amazing > > NW-2, then I acquired their SW-1 and now I have Jim's H10-44. There's no > > way I could ever make the old Miller Alco run as good as they do. And, if > I > > ever feel like I have to have one, I'd likely go the Railmaster/North > Yard > > route. Maybe it was a good conversion back in the day, but it can't > compete > > with the likes of what's out there now. > > > > Bob Frascella > > Wenham, MA > > > > On Sun, Aug 22, 2010 at 12:58 PM, JGG KahnSr > > <[email protected]<jacekahn%40hotmail.com>> > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Miller hood will make either an S-2 or (with replacement AAR > > > sideframes) an S-4; the S-1 (and S-3) not only have a narrower set of > hood > > > louvres but since they were 660HP units, the exhaust is a conical stack > > > centered rather than the offset tapered square stack on the > turbocharged > > > 1000HP S-2/4. Very early Alco switchers also had a low stack like the > early > > > EMC switchers which most owners replaced or > > > extended with a straight pipe. I think the earliest S-1's also had a > > > circular fan housing on top of the hood rather than the more common > > > rectangular one. > > > > > > > > > Jace Kahn > > > > > > General Manager > > > Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > > > > > > > To: [email protected] <S-Scale%40yahoogroups.com> <S-Scale% > 40yahoogroups.com> > > > > From: [email protected] <pieter_roos%40yahoo.com> <pieter_roos% > 40yahoo.com> > > > > > Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:36:08 -0700 > > > > > > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Miller S1.... > > > > > > > > Hi Bob; > > > > > > > > S-1 and S-2 had Blunt trucks, later models had AAR switcher trucks. > The > > > S-1 had somewhat more narrow radiator shutters on the hood sides (I'm > sure > > > there are other spotting features). > > > > > > > > All would have had riveted cab sides. The plain sides on the Miller > model > > > are a missing deta, not a spotting feature. > > > > > > > > I saw an ad from G&W for a replacement Miller drive in a old Herald, > > > maybe I should scan and post it to the group. > > > > > > > > Pieter Roos > > > > > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > > > > On Aug 22, 2010, at 12:23 PM, Bob Werre > > > > <[email protected]<bob%40bobwphoto.com> > <bob%40bobwphoto.com>> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Ed, First off the Miller switcher with it's original trucks was > really > > > > a S-4. The S-1 had a riveted cab I believe. > > > > > > > > I had the entire kit, but sold it some time ago. Our local expert, > Jack > > > > Troxell built one many years ago. He made it into a fine running > engine > > > > though he did complain that the gears seemed a little on the small > > > > side. He used the original Miller sideframes and fitted the Beverage > > > > drive to it. > > > > > > > > So it can be made into a fine running engine. > > > > > > > > Bob Werre > > > > BobWphoto.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! 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