Plano Model Products Knuckle Baskets

Knuckle Baskets?  What are they? Who used them?  Whoa, slow down there buddy!

Plano Model Products introduced "knuckle baskets" back in May of 2009.  I happen to have samples of most of the baskets offered, and really have not put them all to good use yet.  What are they?  Well, knuckle baskets are a simple storage container, usually mounted on the walkway of a diesel, to hold spare knuckles for couplers.  They can be easily found by looking at photos of nearly every Norfolk Southern unit.

I happen to be working on two projects that require them.  The first is a GP40-2, Ex-Conrail, which I'm working up an article on.  The second is a NS D9-40C, the standard cabbed, 4000 HP version of the now common Dash 9 series.

NS 8782, Goffs CA, September 1st 2006, Josh Baakko
Same unit, knuckle basket circled in red.

I bought the D9-40C project from a fellow modeler, who had started the project.  The unit uses a Kato Dash 9-44CW with a cab/short hood/sub base from an atlas Dash 8-40C.  The knuckle basket shown, seems to match the Plano 24"x24"x14" basket, #11897 (I must note, the Details West part DOES NOT work for this basket, their basket has fewer, larger holes in the side walls, where the Plano baskets are more of a mesh).

I assembled the Plano basket with CA, and CA Insta-set.  First attaching the sides to form a square, then folding up and attaching the base plate.  I'm modeling NS 8818, and I could not find a fair photo of the basket from the top.  However, by studying photos of other D9-40C's on LocoPhotos.com, I was able to determine that the basket did in fact use a lid.  I attached the supplied lid with a small amount of CA, and some more CA Insta-set.

Sides have be attached with CA
Lid resting on top
Knuckle basket installed (brass part on deck behind cab)

I then used CA to attach the basket to the deck.  I chose to install it prior to painting as it would be the same color as the rest of the unit anyways.

I encourage anyone who plans to model a unit with a knuckle basket, to check out the Plano products.  They're very well made, and easy to assemble & install.

©2011/2020, Josh Baakko, https://www.modelrailroadtips.com