John's Loco Workbench - More Projects Begin...

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Not sure if blue is your color, but this is the latest look of the radio controled switcher at former Lukens Steel in Coatesville, Pennsylvania:
IMG_20250822_141741195.jpg
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I didn't want to risk trying to get the other side, since what is now Cliffs personell scoffs at picture taking at the plant grounds.
 


The house move and getting my hobby room up and running has taken up a lot of my time recently but yesterday evening a few projects moved forward.

First up, a quick project, take an old Roundhouse 50ft gondola car, assemble, weather and patch.

Before:
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After:
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The neverwazza Daylight scheme Alco S3 got its numbers and lettering:
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And the answer to the question, can you retrofit a Proto 2000 GP18 nose and cab to a Phase III GP9 to produce one of Espee's production low nose examples, is yes:
20251130_093958.jpg
 
The weather here in the UK has been horrendous the last couple of weeks so we are all in hibernation mode it seems.

The low nose SP GP9 is pretty much complete though:
20251206_123137.jpg

It's not absolutely accurate but serves for now.

I have been giving in to temptation with ebay bargains though, first up a couple of cheap patched ex Rock Island box cars that needed only a few minutes work to get them back on the rails:
20251206_122947.jpg

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And something more unusual:
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Someone's nicely kit bashed SP 1001 slug. Probably used a AHM/Mehano/Model Power Alco C628 as a base, the body seems to be custom built with etched grilles and Canon radiator grills.

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Needs some repair and tidying up but I was not going to let this one slip past.
 
jmupton2000 said:
The weather here in the UK has been horrendous the last couple of weeks so we are all in hibernation mode it seems.

The low nose SP GP9 is pretty much complete though:
View attachment 250361
It's not absolutely accurate but serves for now.

I have been giving in to temptation with ebay bargains though, first up a couple of cheap patched ex Rock Island box cars that needed only a few minutes work to get them back on the rails:
View attachment 250362
View attachment 250363

And something more unusual:
View attachment 250368

Someone's nicely kit bashed SP 1001 slug. Probably used a AHM/Mehano/Model Power Alco C628 as a base, the body seems to be custom built with etched grilles and Canon radiator grills.

View attachment 250367
View attachment 250366
View attachment 250365
View attachment 250364

Needs some repair and tidying up but I was not going to let this one slip past.
Click to expand...
That ALCo slug is definitely a nice find. Is this actually based on real slug?
 


Restoration of the Alco slug SP 1001 has finally commenced.

Both pilot faces (presumably scratch built by whoever originally made this model) had become detached so one is now back on.

One step was also missing, fortunately I had a wrecked Model Power C628 in the spares bin which has now donated a replacement set of steps but will need painting to match.
20251211_134651.jpg
 
It's been a while since I did anything interesting I feel. Newest one out of the shops has been this Proto 2000 SW9 to upgrade the CD&LR fleet away from the Blue Box mechanisms that are causing power draw cut out issues.
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I do have another cheap rescued from ebay relic to work on at some point:
20260204_135322.jpg


And I am hankering after a SP SD39 which will be a big kit bashed job, if I can locate a donor SD40 at a sensible price. For some reason, a lot of Ebay sellers have started marking lots up way higher than they used to be.
 
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My enthusiasm for rescuing demic wrecks of ebay has seen this distressed example arrive:
20260219_131630.jpg


It's what's left of a Life-Like Alco FA, the Espee empire (as far as I can tell) never rostered them, only the six axle PA variant. Therefore I am declaring this as a Neverwazza.

20260219_131641.jpg


It needs parts which I am confident I can either locate or scratch build, it may even stay as a neverwazza Espee unit, all be it after a complete strip down, repair and respray.

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Good thing I like a challenge...
 
jmupton2000 said:
My enthusiasm for rescuing demic wrecks of ebay has seen this distressed example arrive:
View attachment 258132

It's what's left of a Life-Like Alco FA, the Espee empire (as far as I can tell) never rostered them, only the six axle PA variant. Therefore I am declaring this as a Neverwazza.

View attachment 258134

It needs parts which I am confident I can either locate or scratch build, it may even stay as a neverwazza Espee unit, all be it after a complete strip down, repair and respray.

View attachment 258133
View attachment 258135

Good thing I like a challenge...
Click to expand...
I wonder how many died in that wreck?
 


jmupton2000 said:
Inspection of the FA reveals that it's a runner but the clicking indicates the usual Proto cracked gears, easily dealt with


The bodyshell has been stripped of fittings:


The parts put aside (and sone parts now ordered too):


And the model's heritage has been revealed:


A dip in some IPA is next...
Click to expand...
Do you think you'll be making the radiator fan operational again? It's hard to tell if all the parts are there in the photo, or if it was working.
 
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