1:35 Malcolm Moore

[Marc988]

After receiving all the necessary parts (drive and kit) I started yesterday with cleaning some parts of the Malcolm Moore kit and reading the instructions. I plan to post pictures of the build as soon as I have something to show.

Before fixing anything together 2 questions came up concerning the build.
1) I plan to use Marc R's idea for the buffer / link-pin couplers http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=437.45. The instructions mention making room for #5 Kadee couplers. Now I would like to know if Marc R's couplers would fit in the same space ?

2) The instructions describe making 2 brackets which should be mounted in frame. No mentione is made however how to fix the black beetle drive to the brackets. Can anyone who has build this kit shed some light on this issue /

Thanks in advance,
Marc B

[jacq01]

    I built the O scale version.
    There are 2 white metal parts with each 2 holes that correspond with the housing screws of the blackbeetle.

     

     Here the motor unit with the 2 brackets. I have disconnected the wires to fit a decoder.

     

     

     

     The engine still needs some small modification so the black beetle will fit in.
     The body parts are soldered using Carr's special flux and low temp. solder.
     It is a very nice kit, but assembly is not easy.
   
      Bad photo of the subassemblies : top assembly fits exactly inside frame assembly.  When not square, neither fits !!!!

     

      Instructions for the 1:32  ( not 1:35) and the 7mm versions are as far as I see the same and could be better.   
      The difference between 7mm scale ( 1:43,5) and 1:48 is for me too large, so people intersted in this machine, contact me.

      Jacq

[Marc988]

    I built the O scale version.
    There are 2 white metal parts with each 2 holes that correspond with the housing screws of the blackbeetle.

     

     Here the motor unit with the 2 brackets. I have disconnected the wires to fit a decoder.

Hi Jaqc,

thanks for the detailed description. The 2 metal brackets in your picture are not included in my kit but your pics do give me an idea how to fix the drive to the kit.

I agree with you that the instructions are not the most clear instructions. 

Regards,
Marc B

[Krusty]

Marc

Basically what Jacq said. You will have to make up your own brackets for the 1:32 kit. This was originally sold as a static "mantlepiece" model, with suggestions for a possible scratchbuilt mechanism design for those brave souls who wanted a working model. After the first kits shipped the manufacturer found that a Black Beetle was powerful enough to work tolerably well in the 1:32 version and I believe the instructions were altered to mention this. I very much doubt whether any changes or additions were made to the kit, though – the 1:32 version was essentially produced as a bit of a lark because the manufacturer and one of his friends both wanted one and a couple of sets of castings were easier than scratchbuilding two. But considered from a strictly commercial viewpoint, although it sold far better than expected, it would barely have broken even, making the cost of producing an amended version prohibitive. When removing the Black Beetle top plate mounting screws to fit the brackets, make sure you only do one end at a time. If you remove all four screws at once, the Black Beetle is likely to fall apart, which would be rather embarrassing (and probably expensive).

[Mr Potato Head]

I had the same problem with mine and Jerry Lawrence came up with a good idea, but I can't find the picture. Also I don't like the quality of the kit's motor, I took one out of a 1/32 1932 Ford and there is way more there to work with. I will see if I can find them darn pictures and post them. Maybe Jerry will post a picture of his finished Malcolm Moore 
Gil
Jerry is Trains1941 he also goes by "younger" or "Rosterfarian" he has alot of aliases I think he's wanted in 13 states???

[shropshire lad]

I don't think the Jerry you are talking about is "Trains1941" . That'll be the other Jerry , just as much a rogue and just as old , Jerry Grohe . A finer fellow you'll never meet .

   Nick

[marc_reusser]

Gil,

Too much of that potato moonshine? ......You done gots too many Jerry's on the brain, and you gots em all mixed up

Actually, didn't the Jerry "the elder"  (AKA Jerry "FMW" Kitts) build one of these in 1/32 as well?

Marc

[Marc988]

Marc R,

could you tell me if you coupler idea (see above) would fit in the Kadee#5 space as is described in the instructions ?

Thanks in advance,
Marc B

[Younger]

As one of the many "Jerrys", I'm known as 'younger', as I'm younger then Jerry Kitts 'elder'. I made a mounting plate out of styrene to fit on the Black Beetle, and added some tapped brackets to the Malcomn Moore casting for the plate to attach to. The pics should be self explanatory.
Jerry the Younger

[Mr Potato Head]

That's the picture! Well I got two of his names right? two out of three aint bad?
Jerry Trains 1941 does have the Loco and he's building it, and Younger has a completed one, show um a picture Younger (Jerry)
Gil
Aka Mr. Potato Head

[Younger]

OK, Gil, here it is, as yet unweathered.
-Younger

[Mr Potato Head]

It wasn't for me! I have seen it I just wanted you to stop being so modest and show everyone your great work! The first working 1/32 N2 TNGS locomotive!
Great pictures ! just needs weathering, not to late for "Salt" 
Gil

[finescalerr]

For the uninitiated, "TNGS" stands for "Terrapin Narrow Gauge Society", an informal modeling group some of us on this forum belong to. A few of us have built models in 1:32 (or 1:35) scale. My own interest goes back to about 1993 when Richard Christ showed a beautiful 3/8n40 swamp logging diorama at a narrow gauge convention and I built my first model a few months later. (No, it wasn't paper!)

Jerry Kitts, from Foothill Model Works, got inspired at about the same time although he built no 1:32 models for a few years and still has offered nothing commercially. More recently, other guys in our group, including Jerry Lawrence, Marc Reusser, Gil (Mr. Potato Head) Flores, Doug Heitkamp (former owner of Design Tech Models), and one or two others have dabbled in that size. Jerry Lawrence has been the most prolific and I have been the least (recently) because of my asinine concentration on developing the use of cardstock for 1:48 and smaller scales.

If you haven't messed around with models in that scale, I should point out that it is an ideal size for industrial layouts and dioramas. Perhaps it's less in your face than what Marcel Ackle is doing in 1:22.5 or what Chuck Doan and Gordon Birrell do in 7/8 or 1:24 but you can pack in about the same level of detail. Heck, back in the '90s I even helped come up with exact scale standards for wheels and track and the prototypes we developed worked and looked insanely better than anything the NMRA ever tried.

So there.

Russ

[Mr Potato Head]

That was very prolific! You must be on your med's 
Gil

[narrowgauger]

Just a reminder to the entire team that I focus on 32nd & 35th scale industrial locomotives and would be happy to build one for anyone wanting to get into this scale.

Russ is quite right when he notes that this is a great scale to model an industrial, feldbahn or interesting narrow gauge module, diorama or layout.  This is particularly so when combined with the vast amount of conversion material available from military plastic kits etc.

sorry about the blatant commercial plug.  Hope you will excuse me, but I am rather passionate about this scale & prototype.

by the way I will be launching a kit of a Ransom & Rapier in 35th scale at the end of November.

have fun

Bernard