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A while back folks here found Daniel Aubin’s impressive Factory designs on
Brickshelf. I decided to buy his grey MMA GE B39-8E. Before ordering I made a
few enhancements of my own while keeping it primarily true to Daniel’s design.
The most significant changes were enhancing the radiators/roof in the rear and
devising handrails using the Factory palette.
Full Gallery (after
moderation)
I emailed Daniel to tell him about it and offered to include a write-up by him
in this post so it can also serve as a proper MOC announcement:
Here’s my take on a North American diesel locomotive with none less than the
LEGO Factory palette. One of the local railroads (MMA - Montreal, Maine and
Atlantic) uses General Electric B-39-8E locomotives. Incredibly, the colors
available with LDD fit right in with their paint schemes, including the newer
red one that is being phased in as the locos get major service. I designed it 7
studs wide because I feel that this width gives the model better proportions
than 6-wide without making the wheels appear too small as 8-wide sometimes does.
Plus the challenge of designing in an odd width just added something extra.
When I saw how well it came out, I decided that I would buy one eventually.
Then I saw Swoofty’s B-40-8 (same loco but with an upgraded engine) on
brickshelf. (http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=swoofty) I saw
that the rear radiator area on my model lacked details. Before I could get
around to fixing my model, Paul sent me an email to let me know that he bought
it from LEGO Factory. As an extra bonus, he had reworked the radiator before
ordering it! So the final model is really a cooperative effort.
You might also like to check out my 7-wide freight cars. Most of them are
inspired by local prototypes hauled around by the MMA locos. Some of the links
go bad over time so if you have trouble downloading the LXF file or purchasing
the model, let me know. (danaubin_147@hotmail.com)
- Daniel Aubin
My own (small) contributions, in addition to the radiators and railings:
- additional detail bits above the bogies
- a way to attach the air horns without flex hose
- fixes for a few minor structural/build issues I found doing the real build
- providing a non-powered truck design that reuses the same pieces as his powered trucks
- creating organized building steps for the LXF file instructions using LDraw tools
I’ve created three versions of the LXF file based on how many motors you want to
use. Motors are not included in these LXF files:
For Two Motors: 729 Pieces USD 70.95 (motors not included)
For One Motor: 763 Pieces USD 76.11 (motor not included)
For No Motors: 797 Pieces USD 81.27 (no need for motors)
(You can also get the LXF files in the Brickshelf gallery.)
The construction is pretty solid and I’d say the most fragile (and tricky to
assemble) parts are those handrails I added. Obviously railings with flex hose
are ideal, but I really wanted a 100% Factory solution. It takes a little
patience to get the railings lined up just right the first time. It’s better to
build the horizontal parts first temporarily attached to a long plate or brick
to get the spacing right and then transfer them to the top of the vertical
posts. Once you have the spacing lined up it’s not bad to snap them on/off
and/or straighten them when needed. One good reason you’d might want to
occasionally pop a few railing pieces off is so you can check out the
engine
details Daniel’s got behind the doors!
I’ve tested it and it runs fine through curves and switches (just make sure the
rear railing uprights clear the top of the rear truck). It’s 7-wide but fits
great with my 6-wide rolling stock (including Chris Masi’s great
Factory
hoppers). It’s scale just feels right with my 6-wide stuff, and seems to fit
better than a 6-wide locomotive would.
I’m really glad I bought this model and think Daniel did a great job with it. I
think it shows off the potential of LEGO Factory -- both in the way it gives
access for me to build MOCs by talented guys like Daniel, and the collaborative
side of it where I get to play my own small part in a bigger design.
Paul D’Urbano
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Message has 4 Replies:
 | | Re: FACTORY: Daniel Aubin's GE B39-8E in Grey MMA Livery
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| (...) Paul and Dan, Great work by both of you! It's great to see what this model looks like in real life. What a convincing rendition of that locomotive! The paint scheme is very attractive, and the details, like cab steps and cab windows, are very (...) (17 years ago, 21-Feb-07, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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