US army

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


C

ccool

Member
Hi !

Anyone can help me with "active" US army locomotive ?

Wich one are always in service ?

If anyone already have one of them i appreciate to have some information about that.

Thanks !
 
Currently, the most active units are the GG20's and GP9's. Not sure how much life they have left, I'm pretty sure they'll all get replaced by Gensets of some sort.
 


There are still a fair number of 80 tonners left in service as well. The long range plan is to replace them all with Genset units, as Josh wrote, but the current budget crunch will slow that program down.
 
Hi !

I want to make to "road" locomotive, like the GP9, GP16 or GP20

The problem it's that i think that the GP16 are not availablein HO, the GP20 made only by proto ? and look hard to find at good price and the GP9 no good replica of chop nose.

On the GP16 and 20 it have a big pieces on the top of the long hood... i don't know what is it and if i can find them in HO.

If anyone have a idea to " how start the project" any help are appreciate.

Thanks !
 
I checked the photos out and to do that "chop nose" GP-9, Proto makes a high nose one as does Athearn. The hood on the Athearn is a scale 6" too wide but when running by itself, is not noticeable. Either would be a good place to start with a simple nose chop that the Army unit has.

The GP-10's are rebuilt GP-9's that the Paducah, Ky shops of the IC rebuilt. IIRC the spotting features are the shops removed the dynamic brakes if present, chop the nose, and placed a specially built air filter on the long hood.

The only "piece" on the long hood of the GP-16 that I saw in the photos, looks like a filter box. looks like a good place to start with the GP-16 is a Proto GP-18 and the GP-20 is also a Proto. Sometimes you can find all of these locos at a greatly reduced price at local swap meets, train shows, plus on-line dealers.
 
Hi !

Thanks for your help.

Built a GP9 with a athearn, like you tell the hood are too wide. Nobody make the right cab, it's a lot of scratchbuilt to make the cab and the nose corectly.

If the GP10 are a GP9, it's the same problem, Kaslo make the GP9 for CN and i version of GP10 i thing, i have a CN but the shell can not enter in the frame of Proto, the motor a too big, i don't have recheck them to try anything but for a shell at 100$ if it do not fit ont the frame that Kaslo ask to buy, it's not a good start...

The better can be a GP16 ? Does the GP18 and GP20 of proto are about the same thing ? The filter box it is available somewhere or i must absolutly scratchbuilt them ?

Thanks again for your help :)
 
It may also be of interest to you that the Army has a few GP40-2's in the inventory too. They (all, I believe) have dynamic brakes, the one I drove had a plow too. There was no "paducah" style airfilter on this one, although I can also vouch that they seem to be a common sight on the older GP9 (rebuild GP10's). I think the best approach to an easy yet highly respectable model yet still easy to come across would be an Athearn GP40-2. I recommend using one of the nicer RTR models they offer, strip the shell (that would be a great time to maybe build one of those SWEET Cannon cabs) and do a few more mods. You could easily have a great looking model, not to mention, I believe that Microscale even makes decals for US Army locos as well! If you need any pics of the unit I operated I could easily get them for you!

-Rich
 
I'm not a expert in Us army locomotive and it's for that that ask some help, i do not have see any picture of GP40-2 but if anyone have them i'm very interrested to see them. Of course that a GP38-2 are mre easy to make that a GP10 or rebuilt locomotive.

Microscale make the decal's , it's the first thing that i have check, no decals, no locomotive !

Rich : you work for Chessie ?

THanks !
 
I will begin to look for all the pictures of the locos I speak of, and as soon as I do find them (should be real soon ;) ) I will post them on this thread for EVERYONE to see. I feel doing this is more beneficial to everyone interested in Army locos. As I said before though, if I was doing an Army loco I would start with the GP40-2. Not only have I had the pleasure of operating one, but I have the most detailed pics of them. That and since Athearn makes a good GP40-2 there would be little modifications to be done to make it match the prototype.

-Rich

BTW: to answer your question from before, no, I don't work for Chessie and never have. I am a big fan and have very fond memories watching them work the Sandpatch grade in PA. when I was a kid....And Chessie was still in business:o
 


Hi !

Like a tell to wongsing in private message.

I see a old US army loco in Montreal,Qc in a shop called "CAD" , this shop rebuilt some locomotive, when i visit them it have a old USarmy and few UP MP15dc ? but i'M not sure of the model. I don't know what appens with the old US army. Unfortunatly i find the shop at the end of the day and the picture are not soo good and the acces are limited.

This summer i see a ex US Army switcher ( 80T ) in a shop called " Ciment Quebec" around Quebec city. It's a old 80T but in very great shape ! I'm very impressionned by this locomotive.

If you are interrested you can check few picture and video at

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf60Q2CYMTQ&feature=channel_page

I talk to you about US army locomotive because first of all, i had think that US army do not have locomotive, it's a friend that he are presently at Dallas that it talk about that to me last week. Today he have receive the right to take picture of the material, the only thing that i see for the moment it's that it had see two red locomotive ( He know nothing about train's )

For those that it can be interrested the military train must quit Dallas between February 7 to11 and go in direction of Quebec city, but i don't know more for the moment.

Railfan, be ready ! :)

Sorry again for my english !

THanks !
 
Hi !

Thanks for the information.

This locomotive it's a switcher and i want to make the main line locomotive.

This locomotive it's impossible to make them in HO, i think !

Thanks for the information :)
 
I check my project i little bite... I have find a Proto 2000 GP18 high hood to start.

The series of US army loco look to be difficult to know, the number a mixed with rebuilt, remake, EX GTW, EX- ... etc ! ( I hope you enderstand)

To make a GP10 : I think that it's the most accurate for the long hood, my unit have a dynamik brake and not the GP10 but all the rest are corect on the side, maybe 1 or 2 louver to scratch and the "box" to add it is a air filter or ?? . The top exept for dynamik brake, I do not have any picture but it look to be 2 48" fan ? and 4 exhaust stack ?
THe rear are ok too, only a little modification on the pilot. For the front, on my model i can remove the cab and the short hood. The cab are not accurate but i probably can replace them with a SD40-2 cab ? For the short hood i can cut them or take any other idea ? Anyone know the lenght of the front hood ? Finally the battery box are too long, but i think that i can replace them with detail associate or just cut them.

GP16 : On the side the louver are different but it's the only thing to change. On the top it's the dynamik brake again that i must remove. THe side of the walkway are different that y model, the cab have the same shape but the front of the high hood make them different on my model and the battery bos are different on the side of the cab it's the same think for to front short hood that the GP10.

GP20 : It's about the same modification that the GP16.

I think that the better it's the GP10, the front of the locomotive are different with the cab and front hood but i can remove them easily on a proto model. If a accurate cab and front hood can fit easily it can be easy to make the job.

I have 3 major question.

#1 Wich cab i can put, SD40-2 ?

#2 Wich short hood ? A hood of GP18 short nose.... it's real ?

#3 What is the box on the rear hood ? Inertial air filter ?

Thanks !
 
I'm confused by your question. Do you want to build a high hood or short hood GP-10? If it's high hood, A high hood GP-18 is almost a dead ringer for a GP-10. A short hood GP-10 would need to have the short hood fabricated and the windows and number bords changed. An SD40-2 hood would not look correct on any GP-10 since they have a typical rounded roof of earlier Geeps. Not all GP-10's have the ox yoke air filter either. Some GP-10's have the dynamic brakes completely removed and others have the dynamic brake bulge still in place but blanked off.

Do you have a picture of the locomotive you want to model? There are so many variations in GP-10's that it's impossible to come up with a "standard" locomotive.
 
Hi !

Thanks for your interrest.

I want to make a short Hood with "square" cab. I probably take the cab of GP-40 not the hood !

My question is ( if it's you that it make the model ) :

#1 The SD40-2 cab, it is the better ?

#3 Does proto make the short hood like GP18 ?

#4 What is the real name of the box on the side of the hood ? " ox yoke air filter " ???

#5 To replace the dynamik brake, do you have a solution ?

#6 What type of fan on the top ?
 


You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top