Model Railroading > Puttman locomotive works question

Is this Big Dog?
Looking at their DD35B shell wondering if anybody has tried one?

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/19 13:01 by SD45X.

It is.  
Junk.  

SD45X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is this Big Dog?

Yup.

Pretty harsh! Can you explain? And who is Big Dog?

Posted from iPhone

I've got the SD40X Shell and thank god for Cannon.
Almost easier to scratch build.

Noticed a similar product line on Ebay the other day, Pacific Northwest Resin sold by cmrproducts_llc. Seemed to be the same idea, enticing models but not much info on detail, arms length photos, etc.

Any relation?

Did noticed Kaslo Shops kits still listed after these many years.

Pacific Northwest, Big Dog, CMR Products, all the same junk.  Crappy knockoff shells with poor work.  A client of mine supplied me with some of his chopnose kits, and all 6 were totally unusable trash.  

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Noticed a similar product line on Ebay the other
> day, Pacific Northwest Resin sold by
> cmrproducts_llc. Seemed to be the same idea,
> enticing models but not much info on detail, arms
> length photos, etc.

Regarding the Big Dawgs of the world, this thread with commentary from Rapido should give you a pretty good idea of the main issue at hand:
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3908472,page=1

> Did notice Kaslo Shops kits still listed after
> these many years.

Kaslo's a whole separate beast.  They actually develop their own masters and cast them, as opposed to selling casts of somebody else's work.

- Jeff Carlson

Yes, quite understand that. They are not to be confused and I wonder how someone could. As I said, it's still interesting to find them on Ebay.


> > Did notice Kaslo Shops kits still listed after
> > these many years.
>
> Kaslo's a whole separate beast.  They actually
> develop their own masters and cast them, as
> opposed to selling casts of somebody else's work.
>
> - Jeff Carlson

People will buy rip off items and not look back until the original company gives up and goes out of business. puttman and I think big dog were the same one as on ebay searching for DD40s back a few years ago suddenly one disappeared and the other appeared in the space of about a week. When it came back was exactly the same except for the name.

Again those who buy always say its ok as they feel that they are for some reason right and can do so because they are above every thing else to do so...................? Something like running stop signes with a car.

Sometimes the rip-off items are the only thing available. When the original manufacture's make so few of something, they have to come from somewhere.

Posted from Android

.....and speaking of shells and models, has ANYBODY got anything from Kaslo lately? I’m in to him for 6 shells and so far, nothing. I’ve contacted John Whitmore who they are slow in coming but I want to say it’s been close to 2years and nothing has arrived. 

The only action has been the HO scale BCR Caboose for Central Hobbies, it sounds like they did one run to fill the orders and back into hiding. One of the Kaslo people is on TO every so often, maybe search TO if curious.

The N-scale products by Jeff Briggs (who had done some of the later Kaslo molds) have been coming out on time, there's been some talk about that on RailWire and the BCR Group on groups io, there's also a BCR group on Facebook that is very active. But no Kaslo sightings.

There have/had been a few other cast resin makers for HO scale BCR wood chip hoppers and a few other cars, haven't heard much about them either. The PWR boxcar run may have everybody keeping quiet.

gandydancer4 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .....and speaking of shells and models, has
> ANYBODY got anything from Kaslo lately? I’m in
> to him for 6 shells and so far, nothing. I’ve
> contacted John Whitmore who they are slow in
> coming but I want to say it’s been close to
> 2years and nothing has arrived. 

Not to hijack the thread, but what is up with Kaslo?  They must be the most Ma an Paw "producer" out there.  I'm into these guys for SF30 shells that seem to exist between dimensions.  I get an email that they are shipping, then back into subspace.  If I do ever get a what I ordered,  NEVER again.  I could have kitbashed the entire roster by now.   In this era of hyper communication, their silence is beyond inexcusable.

ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sometimes the rip-off items are the only thing
> available. When the original manufacture's make so
> few of something, they have to come from
> somewhere.
>
> Posted from Android

Still not a reason to support someone who rips off someone else's original work.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ALCO630 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Sometimes the rip-off items are the only thing
> > available. When the original manufacture's make
> so
> > few of something, they have to come from
> > somewhere.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Still not a reason to support someone who rips off
> someone else's original work.

And if the original is no longer available for, then what?

ALCO630 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > Still not a reason to support someone who rips
> > off someone else's original work.
>
> And if the original is no longer available for,
> then what?

So then apparantly as the old saying goes, "the ends justify the means".

Yes, I have completed one and am in the final stages of buyilding a second DD35B using the Puttman products.

I would describe the job as somewhat challenging but doable for an experienced modeler.  

I purchased both the frame and the shell.  There was a little bit of flash but not an unreasonable amount.  You also have to purchase the motors separately as well as the wheelsets.  I just bought two used Athearn DD40 models on E-bay, which is an expansive way to purchase wheelsets but the only reasonable way to acquire them.  They are 1980 technology, but they run okay.

You will quickly find that the frame was modeled incorrrectly on one side to allow room to the upwards protruding metal pick-up to fit.  A little filling and cutting solves the problem without ruining the structural integrity of the chassis.  It is too complex to describe, but if you are interesting in going ahead, I can post pictures.

I powered by unit with two motors, using Mashima can motors.  There is no motor that fits inside the Puttman shell--you can force it in, but it has no clearance and is very tight.  The first time I tried it, after using silicone to secure the Mashima cn motors to the frame, when I pulled the shell off, the motors came with it.  I ultimately filled the inside of the shells down by hand--I did it by hand because I didn't want to go too far and ruin  the shells.  It worked--I filled away enough of the inside of the shell to secure adequate clearance, but it took a long time.

I use DDC, and wiring a chip into the unit that connects to both motors also takes some study to get the wiring correct.  Again, I can send photos and diagrams to help explain.

I have yet to paint my first unit, but I have spent many hours adjusting and test running it, and it now runs just fine, and looks great behind a DD35A unit.  When I finish the second, I'll be running ABBA sets of the DD35s, just like the UP did in the 1960s and 1970s.  Unless you buy brass, and many of the brss on sale just down run worth anything, there is about the only way you are going to get a nice DD35B unit, but you will put a lot of time into it.

Regards,

UP9116

I know kaslo has to raise enough money by selling kits before they go into development.  Which leads to very slow turn around time.  What i dont understand is the reason for dropping so many previous kits like the sdl39.   Something has changed recently at kaslo.  Could big dog knock offs have created a finacial issue?

Thank you UP9116 for that info. Time wise a brass one may be better off.
Why didn’t you use the Athearn frame?

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/19 18:53 by SD45X.