180 was traded in to EMD in 1965... I'm pretty sure it was painted Black Widow at the time.
Here's a link to a pic of 178 a couple of years before that time:
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John's Loco Workbench - More Projects Begin...
- Thread starter jmupton2000
- Start date
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Here's a link to a pic of 178 a couple of years before that time:
The only thing missing on the front pilot is the footboards, and you could probably rig up a real coupler of some kind to replace the not-coupler on the front.
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Here's a link to a pic of 178 a couple of years before that time:
With the SP the rule of thumb was: If it's a piece of crap. send it to Texas! Most of the RSD-5's ended up there. Lots of Run-8 operation in the mountains was destroying the prime movers, so off to the flatlands they were shipped. Repaints were rare, and deferred maintenance happened lots. 
jmupton2000
John M Upton
CD&LR S4 #250 has received its flags and is now on the roster.
It was originally intended to be CD&LR #42 in a revised livery for the short line but I thought this was more appropriate for now.
The AS-616 has been dismantled and cleaned. As soon as I track down replacement hood top number boards, it will head for the paint shop.
It was originally intended to be CD&LR #42 in a revised livery for the short line but I thought this was more appropriate for now.
The AS-616 has been dismantled and cleaned. As soon as I track down replacement hood top number boards, it will head for the paint shop.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Many moons ago I was tackling a Proto 2000 E8 Espee #6018 (the only one they had as it happens) and made a colossal mess of the front end. The loco was put aside and then lost somewhere in the great house move.
Well, a couple of evenings ago, it unexpectedly turned up so I decided to get on with it. The bad transfers were carefully cut back to just the wing bits and then the rest very carefully hand painted, resulting in a acceptable slightly patchy look which ironically is probably more realistic.
One cab door window is still missing and really it needs a B unit (E7B most likely) but at least I have finally finished it.
Well, a couple of evenings ago, it unexpectedly turned up so I decided to get on with it. The bad transfers were carefully cut back to just the wing bits and then the rest very carefully hand painted, resulting in a acceptable slightly patchy look which ironically is probably more realistic.
One cab door window is still missing and really it needs a B unit (E7B most likely) but at least I have finally finished it.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
A concentrated effort on the last two days of my annual leave saw the FM Trainmaster completed:
The AS-616 is in primer:
Another wrecked Atlas Alco S4 has also taken its place on the workbench. Advertised as a non runner, it only needed wheels and pickups cleaning and it runs again.
The paintwork is extremely battered and tatty but there is no time for a full repaint so it is getting patched.
Only major issue apart from cosmetics is damage to the aftermarket wire and brass handraiks on one side which i am in the process of replacing with new, the first time I have used these parts myself.
The AS-616 is in primer:
Another wrecked Atlas Alco S4 has also taken its place on the workbench. Advertised as a non runner, it only needed wheels and pickups cleaning and it runs again.
The paintwork is extremely battered and tatty but there is no time for a full repaint so it is getting patched.
Only major issue apart from cosmetics is damage to the aftermarket wire and brass handraiks on one side which i am in the process of replacing with new, the first time I have used these parts myself.
I always liked the Trainmaster. I hate it that only Athearn Blue Box did the proper SP lighting package. I believe Atlas did a nice one, but they've never been much into road specific details. You can't get the detail parts to do one yourself, so I have the BB version, though it doesn't see much service these days. SP used them in Commute service, as the F-M engine could accelerate better than any other early diesel, and that was a must have for commute service. Accelerating a train to speed between stops was something first gen diesels couldn't do as well as the heavy Pacifics, Mountains, and Northerns could do. Most heavy steam ran out its miles in Bay area Commute service.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
The battered old S4, repaired, patched and with replacement handrails fitted has returned to the rails after what I suspect is decades of rough storage:
The AS-616 is in paint:
But some minor damage is being attended to on the frame:
The AS-616 is in paint:
But some minor damage is being attended to on the frame:
jmupton2000
John M Upton
A weekend project was a upgraded undecorated Athearn 40ft box car for the CD&LR:
There were supposed to be two but the other one got ransacked for parts for other box cars. The body may wind up distressed and grounded somewhere in due course.
The AS-616 is effectively finished:
Still missing a few truck sideframe parts but I am happy with the result for now.
Now then, this....
This is as it arrived, no idea what type, model manufacturer or even if it is salvageable. The seller didn't have a clue as in their description they just posted verbatim what was was written on the end of the box - in French!
A PRR post carriage it most definitely is not!!!
There were supposed to be two but the other one got ransacked for parts for other box cars. The body may wind up distressed and grounded somewhere in due course.
The AS-616 is effectively finished:
Still missing a few truck sideframe parts but I am happy with the result for now.
Now then, this....
This is as it arrived, no idea what type, model manufacturer or even if it is salvageable. The seller didn't have a clue as in their description they just posted verbatim what was was written on the end of the box - in French!
A PRR post carriage it most definitely is not!!!
That’s a Rivarossi IHB 0-8-0. Some of them had a simulated tender booster truck under the front of the tender.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
The patient is unpacked:
Cosmetically at least, it looks okay, just the front pilot missing and that bell needs replacing:
There is indeed a motor in the tender:
And another motor in the main body:
This I presume is the boiler weight:
And there is a number of bits:
Can't work out how traction from the tender motor reaches the driving wheels though.
I'll see if I can find a service sheet online somewhere.
Cosmetically at least, it looks okay, just the front pilot missing and that bell needs replacing:
There is indeed a motor in the tender:
And another motor in the main body:
This I presume is the boiler weight:
And there is a number of bits:
Can't work out how traction from the tender motor reaches the driving wheels though.
I'll see if I can find a service sheet online somewhere.
Impressive, quite a work to come. On the box it's italian, not french.
Some of the early ones had tender drive, with a driveshaft between the motor and gearbox in the engine. That looks like what you have, and t looks like the frame of the original motor is suffering from zinc pest. The motor in the cab is a replacement Pittman type. If it were an original motor, it would be a large round 3 pole motor.
The only thing missing on the front pilot is the footboards, and you could probably rig up a real coupler of some kind to replace the not-coupler on the front.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
My weekend project is reviving this cheap old Atlas GP40:
As it arrived, it was tatty, grubby and I suspect the seller was on the verge of binning it before chancing it on ebay.
Parts from the undecorated Con-Cor GP40 that had got smashed in the mail are being used in the restoration efforts.
This gives me a full set of unused matching handrails and replaces the missing glazing too.
The Rivarossi 0-8-0 has been fully disassembled and a plan put together for what to do with it:
At the moment it is a rolling chassis, the valve gear is fortunately undamaged.
As it arrived, it was tatty, grubby and I suspect the seller was on the verge of binning it before chancing it on ebay.
Parts from the undecorated Con-Cor GP40 that had got smashed in the mail are being used in the restoration efforts.
This gives me a full set of unused matching handrails and replaces the missing glazing too.
The Rivarossi 0-8-0 has been fully disassembled and a plan put together for what to do with it:
At the moment it is a rolling chassis, the valve gear is fortunately undamaged.
It looks like that shell started life as an RF&P engine. Richmond, Fredricksburg & Potomac was a railroad that ran around it's namesake area, and was eventually absorbed into CSX. Unlike many railroads, it actually served the locations in its name.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
I was tempted to keep it in RF&P colours but unfortunately, all the RF&P GP40's did not have dynamic brakes wheras the old Atlas shell has them by default.
It was tooled by Roco back when, if you wanted a GP40, you got a GP40, and you could have it any way you wanted it, as long as you wanted it the way they made it.
jmupton2000
John M Upton
Time is something I don't have at the moment, progress on the Atlas SD40 has at least reached the paint stage though:
So I am using what small snippets of time I can find on little projects, such as this boxcar:
Some fifteen or twenty years ago I acquired cheaply a big job lot of HO near scrap primarily for spares. Included was a Athearn Blue Box GP9, a bay window caboose and this boxcar all repainted and lettered for someone's fictional short line, the Eagle Valley.
I cleaned up and redid the lettering on the GP9 many years ago:
The other day, whilst looking for something completely unrelated I found the caboose:
And what was left of the box car.
The caboose has had a couple of missing handrails replaced and numbering redone but is otherwise as acquired.
The boxcar was stripped with IPA and resprayed:
The bare metal chassis was cleaned, primed, painted and reassembled:
Graphics, lettering and numbering to follow.
I also acquired very cheaply a job lot of Proto 2000 GP parts:
With two GP30 shells in there, the neverwazza SD30 may yet be realised...
So I am using what small snippets of time I can find on little projects, such as this boxcar:
Some fifteen or twenty years ago I acquired cheaply a big job lot of HO near scrap primarily for spares. Included was a Athearn Blue Box GP9, a bay window caboose and this boxcar all repainted and lettered for someone's fictional short line, the Eagle Valley.
I cleaned up and redid the lettering on the GP9 many years ago:
The other day, whilst looking for something completely unrelated I found the caboose:
And what was left of the box car.
The caboose has had a couple of missing handrails replaced and numbering redone but is otherwise as acquired.
The boxcar was stripped with IPA and resprayed:
The bare metal chassis was cleaned, primed, painted and reassembled:
Graphics, lettering and numbering to follow.
I also acquired very cheaply a job lot of Proto 2000 GP parts:
With two GP30 shells in there, the neverwazza SD30 may yet be realised...
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