EMD SW1500 Details


The steam loco is a Queensland Railways BB18 1/4 class. I know, it's a weird class code. The B means 3 driving axles, A would be 2 driving axles and D would be 4 drives. The number is the cylinder diameter in inches. Double B's is only used in this one case to deferential the later model from an early class (B18 1/4 from the 1920's). The photo is taken this morning at Roma Street station. The local museum runs a steam trip once a month. Umm, I think the switcher is a 1720 class or something like that.:confused:

Anyway, I'll get in trouble for thread hyjacking if I keep this up.:rolleyes:

I've got two of the RTR SW1500's. They have small light bulbs placed dirrectly into the light holes. They are glued in place, but it seems to be some sort of silicon gel, and thus easy to remove. I'd prefer to use LED's as they are nice and bright and will last a lot longer. So the RTR models don't have suitable clear light lens to fill the holes for the headlights. I am thinking those class light lens might do the job.

Thanks for the offer for the spark arrestors but I'm in Australia so the mail will be too expensive. The spark arrestors don't look too hard to fabricate. I might use the opportunity to see what I can do with scaling photos.

Paul
 
Paul, postage is no worries mate!!! I can send you the spark arrestors and some of the BB headlight lenses is a small envelope.
 
Hi, I need some help identfying parts. On the attached photo, what is part 3 (two of them) and what is the lose part?

PaulB
 
The steam loco is a Queensland Railways BB18 1/4 class. I know, it's a weird class code. The B means 3 driving axles, A would be 2 driving axles and D would be 4 drives. The number is the cylinder diameter in inches. Double B's is only used in this one case to deferential the later model from an early class (B18 1/4 from the 1920's). The photo is taken this morning at Roma Street station. The local museum runs a steam trip once a month. Umm, I think the switcher is a 1720 class or something like that.:confused:

Anyway, I'll get in trouble for thread hyjacking if I keep this up.:rolleyes:

I've got two of the RTR SW1500's. They have small light bulbs placed dirrectly into the light holes. They are glued in place, but it seems to be some sort of silicon gel, and thus easy to remove. I'd prefer to use LED's as they are nice and bright and will last a lot longer. So the RTR models don't have suitable clear light lens to fill the holes for the headlights. I am thinking those class light lens might do the job.

Thanks for the offer for the spark arrestors but I'm in Australia so the mail will be too expensive. The spark arrestors don't look too hard to fabricate. I might use the opportunity to see what I can do with scaling photos.

Paul

I heard that the glue used is water soluble so try wetting the headlights to get the bulbs out.

If you don't care about saving the bulbs, yank hard on the wires and the filaments will come out of the bulbs. Clean out the glass and ream out the headlight hole with a small screwdriver.
 
fuel fillers for the tank, can't tell on the lose part.

OK, my guess would have been fuel tank fillers. I've got some better ones on order. The loose part looks like some sort of fuel gauge. I'm wondering if it is part of the cab interior detail.
 
I heard that the glue used is water soluble so try wetting the headlights to get the bulbs out.

If you don't care about saving the bulbs, yank hard on the wires and the filaments will come out of the bulbs. Clean out the glass and ream out the headlight hole with a small screwdriver.

Oh, I didn't think of trying water. I gently tugged them while using my hobby knife to loosen the glue. I plan to replace them with LED's and I'll add some micro connectors to the wiring so I can seperate the body and chassie later if need be.
 
Ah! There are a few little parts that look like fuel sight gauges to me but I couldn't figure out where they go. From your pics I can now see what to do with them. Thanks for resolving that little issue.:D

I've uploaded two pics to show you how I did the treadplates. There is a gap between the back of the front treadplate and the front of the hood superstructure. There is also a gap between the end of the treadplate and the front of the cab superstructure. I can see in the prototype pics that the front gap is cool, but I can't confirm that I've done the right thing with the gap at the back end.

It seemed from NWcunuk's posts that he was a bit confused by the front treadplate. He had it up against the superstucture and was worried when it didn't match the step edge profile. It was that issue that had me worried but I didn't encounter the problem as I aligned the treadplate with the front rather than the hood. Umm, if that makes sense:confused:

Pauls Pics:

View attachment 30608
View attachment 30609


Hey Paul I am also confused where you are comming up short here on the side tread plates. My issue was the odd looking cutouts for the hand rails on the Canon kit 2037 tread plate set. I resolved it with the tread plate kit I recieved from Jerome (Canon 2016) which is the same width tread plate, just longer and without notches for handrails that you have to cut to length to match.

I think you might be using Canon and Co. part numer 2002, which is also for SW1000's and 1500's without cutouts for hand rails. If I am right and you bought Canon Part number 2002 and I bought Canon Part number 2037 then both tread plate kits are a poor match for RTR Athearn SW1500's and will require modification and the extra purchase or Canon Part number 2016 (which is just plain tread plate).

One page back and second post down is where I show my issue with the tread plate:

http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19950&page=8

Hope that helps.
 
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Brad,

yes I'm using the 2002 kit. I can see what you are talking about with the handrail stanctions. But you still have the gaps between treadplate and engine hood. I found no problem aligning the front treadplate piece with the edge of the model's walkways. But there is a 2mm gap at the end, between treaplate and cab superstructure.

One other issue I had was about half a mm gap onthe otherside edge on the right hand treadplate and hte edge of the walkway. I've filled this with putty to make it less obvious. I wonder if I am being too fussy?

Having reviewed this thread, there are some helpful photos that have solved a few questions I had. I did not realise how much detailing there is to be done on these RTR models. The process is teaching me a lot about diesels though.

Paul
 
Not too much progress. I am in the process of moving house, so everything is packed up.

I did get some smokey valley handrails. I think that means I have all the parts I need now. I'm looking forward to finished the first SW1500 once I've moved and unpacked.

I'll post up some pics when I get set up again,

PaulB
 
I am wondering if anyone has used MV Lenses for class lights on their locomotives. I would like to add some to my SW1500's but I want to make sure of the size before hand. I have a read that they come with a silver backing than can be scrapped off and then lit from behind. Anyone ever done this on their model?
 
I won't venture a size unless maybe LS-200 (maybe :D). Most swtichers didn't use class lights as they never left the yard (at least on the SP anyway). I have a large supply of marker jewells that I use on steamers, but I do use MV lenses in headlights and I have removed the foil backing to use them as a lens in lighted models.
 
I won't venture a size unless maybe LS-200 (maybe :D). Most swtichers didn't use class lights as they never left the yard (at least on the SP anyway). I have a large supply of marker jewells that I use on steamers, but I do use MV lenses in headlights and I have removed the foil backing to use them as a lens in lighted models.

Thanks Alan, I think I called them the wrong thing. I think I meant marker lights. The original prototype has them and I just wanted to model them instead of just having a black bump there instead like most ho scale models have. It would seem that the marker lights on most HO scale models are the exact same size across the board, but I could be wrong.

Here are the "marker" lights I am talking about on the prototype.

View attachment 31679

What brand are your marker jewells? Are the MV Lenses brand?

Here is an Atlas C420 of mine that has the molded on painted over marker light. I just think they would look better with a Jewel instead of the painted over detail look. I could paint them silver but I think I would rather drill them out and mount a lense there with some canopy glue.

View attachment 31680
 
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The marker jewells I use are made by Precision Scale. MV lenses series 220 look like they would fit. The 220 series come in three or four colors, clear amber, red, and green (I THINK...:D) I had to dig in the parts box and dig out a Blue Box SW-1000 I have, and it looks like they would fit. You have to drill out the molded on lens of course.
 



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