My most recent locomotive shell is the N scale Alco C-855B, the companion locomotive to the C-855 released a little bit earlier.  The C-855B is almost the same as the C-855 with the exception of the missing cab.  Along the sides of the locomotive are the iconic sandboxes and it’s with one of these that I’ve picked up an error in my model.  In this post I will show you what that error was and how it can be fixed.

The front end of the shell, as shown below, where the cab would normally be has a similar setout to the rear end.  The walkways, sandboxes and railings are the same and simply mirror the details already drawn.  However, the front sandboxes on the C-855 are different and also have a different fitting location.

When I drew the C-855B I took the model of the C-855 and modified it.  I did the front right-hand side first, followed by the left.  And it was at this point that I forgot to adjust the sandbox fixing.  In the image above it looks like there’s nothing wrong but in the image below you can see the long slot for the sandbox locating pin and the frame sticking down.  This slot should have been further to the left and a bit shorter.  Also the frame should have been pushed back all the way to where the walkway steps out.

To show this below is a screen shot of the rear of the C-855B with the correct detail.

So how is this solved.? Well, fixing the 3D model is easy and that has already been done.  The C-855B that’s available on Shapeways is correct and all the sandboxes fit.

If you already have a C-855 then there are three choices.  Firstly, you can cut or sand the locating nub off of the back of one of the sandboxes.  Then trim back the lower section by 3.5mm (1/8th inch) as shown below and it will fit.

Secondly, if you don’t fancy cutting the 3D printed material, I have made a replacement sandbox available on Shapeways, which will be a perfect fit.  In the image below you can see it on the right compared to the original on the left.  The locating nub has been moved over to fit into the hole in the shell and the lower section has been cut back to make way for the frame.

This replacement part can be found here.

The third option is to replace the shell and as with the C-855 I have made the C-855B shell available on its own with no other parts, which can be found here.  This is a bit extreme but if you have had an accident with your shell this is cheaper than buying the whole kit.

Hopefully those who have already purchased a C-855B can make the existing sandbox work without too much trouble.  However, I am happy to help so please feel free to get in contact me and ask any questions.

I know some of you are still waiting for the dummy chassis for this locomotive and I am hoping to have something to share with you very soon.