Jerome's Switcher Roster


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402drvr said:
That's an incredible collection of switchers. Would love to see the layout to go with those.
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You and me both!! LOL There is no layout except the one in my head for now. No room in the current house for a layout. Just the 2 walls full of shelves in my office. Hopefully next summer that will change and I can start one.
 
Hey Jerome, just wanted to let you know that I got that tread plate in the mail today. Thanks again for all the help, and I owe you one.:cool:
 
Hey Jerome, I see a green hood/yellow cab SW unit in the group photos, looks like it has silver spark arrestors on the stack, how about a nice broadside pic of that one? I would love to see what it looks like. I agree that switchers are addicting! I love the older Athearn SW7's with the diecast trucks, they seem to run smoother and pull better. I just wish they had rollerbearing caps instead of friction. I am wanting to paint up a couple for the local shortline but both of thiers had friction bearing. I can grind the friction bearing cap flat, just need the roller detail. I thought about getting them from a Athearn ARR side frame, but those are to large. I also love your home road paint scheme and details on the units, looks great and very believable looking. I would love to do a fictional line using mostly SW's since my layout has very tight curves. Although I would have more older SW's rather than the newer units. Cheers and keep the pics coming! Mike
 
Here are a couple of pics of the SW's I want to custom paint up, starting with Athearn blue box units. Headlights needs to be upgraded to sealed beam units, twin amber strobes need to be fabricated. I am still working on a decent scale size strobe head that can be functional. Only thing thus far are yellow micro 1.5vt bulbs. All the LED's I see are to large for a small xenon strobe. Both lights are double flash and operate seperate of each other. Was quite the light show at night back then! I already have the custom decals, just need to get started on them. In the second pic, the strobes have been removed and only the mounts remain. The line had 2 SW1200's, 1201/02 and one old ex IHB NW2 819 (IHB 8819). Then just north of Kokomo, a large fertilizer plant has an ex B&O SW unit in full B&O garb, just very dirty and rusty. Mike
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Those are acutaly models of the Prime 4 bulb digital beacon, much much larger in real life that the small 6" dia lense xenon strobe. I have one of the real prime beacons, and they are huge. Looks good though, but to large for what I need. Detail Associates makes a strobe light, but I dont think they are cored for micro bulbs. I am leaning toward having my SW's painted in the mint green IHB lightning stripe and building a steel mill layout. Mike
 
Thanks Jerome, is there a prototype for that one, or is it a freelance unit? I like it, reminds me of one that might be switching a modern day ethanol plant or grainery. Do you remember who offered replacment side frames for the Athearn SW7's (plastic vesions) that had rollerbearings? Cheers and thanks for the pic!! Mike
 
Mike, that SW7 I did for my switcher re-builder JTEX (Jerry's Truck and Electric) shop I have yet to build. It's a fictitious unit, but I think a very plausible one. As for the roller bearing, here's what I have come up with so far.

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The top one is an Athearn RTR one. Be pretty expensive to replace everything I have that needs new ones.

The second one is with Details Associates part #229-2804

The last one is made using Details West part #235-244. That one is the least expensive option.
 
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Smokey valley still offers the replacement side frames with roller bearings, $9.95 for 4 side frames. Not sure what Athearns set costs. I would only need 2 sets to do the Central RR units. Along with a 4 function decoder so I can have the twin independant strobes. Mike
 
Hey Jerome, I thought I would post a few pics of that tread plate in place.

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Much better fit, than what Cannon and company offer in the ST-2037. I would recommend people stay away from this kit and use the standard walkway and drill the holes out for the RTR version of the SW1500.

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I am wondering what Microscale set you use for your Data Markings. I got a set form Microscale (Set 87-48) and although it has the "Danger 600 Volts" decal, I was hoping it would have the same white writing but on a red rectangle. I have been unable to find this set with this decal on it. The sheet does have blank red rectangles on it so I guess I could put the white lettering on this rectangle, but there must be a decal out there with this on it.
 
wheeler1963 said:
Brad, do you have any other photos of this unit or it's sisters?
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That has been the problem. All of the SW1500's on the NW roster were ex Illinois Terminal. As far as I know 2290 (ex IT 1509) was the only one painted in NW colours. The rest lived out their short lives in 1981 in IT colours until the 1982 merger which put them in NS colours.

2291 was IT 1510 and I have been able to find limited photos of the other SW1500's but no other photos of them painted in NW.

Here is IT 1509.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoPicture.aspx?id=29427

And here is IT 1510.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1858093

None of the photos are that great. I am still trying to figure out what the box at the front center of the cab roof is? They all seem to have one, but it is not a beacon. They also seemed to have a thin vertical antenna on the center of the roof like a CB and not a firecracker antenna.
 
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