Alan, not doubting your word, but can give me a link to any SW1000 built with Flexi's? I've looked at rosters for years and never found one. You're right that the smaller radiator area is a spotting feature for SW1000. The SW1001 was actually a bigger seller than SW1000. I'm kind of surprised that Athearn never put out a model of 1001.
Athearn 1000/1500 Diesel Locomotive
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The tooling was different for the SP version, both cab and body. The SP version had the elaborate light package on the front and rear that their SW-1500's were delivered with, as well as those cab mounted numberboards. Here's a sample: http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sw1500_photos/2453_sp-sw1500-bob_dengler.jpg
Where do you guys find all the historical data on engines. From the picture I can tell you the road # and the current road name. Anything beyond that... well, there is nothing beyond that. Coming up with the build date, I have seen where people have listed each company that owned it, when it had various conversion done, etc... knowing all that info seems pretty amazing to me. I saw this one listed on Ebay, and I thought it looked "close enough" so my son would recognize it as the one down the road. The fact that the model and the real one are both SW-1500's is a coincidence.
It comes from digging into a specific prototype, finding roster data, being in the RR historical society of your choice and buying lots of books! You should see my railroad Library! The net is great, but it can only take you so far with prototype info. Books aren't going to go away anytime soon!
That's no mystery my friend, it's a fact. Check Ron's Books or Caboose Hobbies on the web. It's sold out at the publisher's, and when I spoke with the authors I was told a reprint was not planned. I also have a copy of Ron Mele's Birmingham Southern book up here in the frozen north. Great modeling references! I'll see if I can't dig up the engine numbers for you tonight.
Jim, it took a bit of looking, but here is an SW1000 with Flexi-coil trucks. (Note the single stack and the small radiator).
Now whether or not it came like that from EMD or was a home rebuild, I have no idea. But there is a prototype for everything.
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SW-100's with Flexicoil Trucks
Jim,
I don't have a link, but if you can get a hold of the book "Birmingham Rails" by Clemmons & Key and go to page 210 you'll see a picture of one. They say the Birmingham Southern had three such units, all destroyed in an accident. They also say that these were the only three such locos, but who knows for sure? Not sure about 1001's with Flexicoils but Overland did a version of their SW-1000/1500 drive with Flexicoils. There's one on E-bay right now.
Though I model primarily the SP, 18 years of residence in Birmingham generated an interest in ths BS.
Here are two "works in progress":
I have two more to do, and one will have the Flexicoil trucks.
Jim,
I don't have a link, but if you can get a hold of the book "Birmingham Rails" by Clemmons & Key and go to page 210 you'll see a picture of one. They say the Birmingham Southern had three such units, all destroyed in an accident. They also say that these were the only three such locos, but who knows for sure? Not sure about 1001's with Flexicoils but Overland did a version of their SW-1000/1500 drive with Flexicoils. There's one on E-bay right now.
Though I model primarily the SP, 18 years of residence in Birmingham generated an interest in ths BS.
Here are two "works in progress":
I have two more to do, and one will have the Flexicoil trucks.
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Commonwealth Railway SW 1500, built January 1970.
The tooling was different for the SP version, both cab and body. The SP version had the elaborate light package on the front and rear that their SW-1500's were delivered with, as well as those cab mounted numberboards. Here's a sample: http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sw1500_photos/2453_sp-sw1500-bob_dengler.jpg
ken_23434
Member
Where do you guys find all the historical data on engines. From the picture I can tell you the road # and the current road name. Anything beyond that... well, there is nothing beyond that. Coming up with the build date, I have seen where people have listed each company that owned it, when it had various conversion done, etc... knowing all that info seems pretty amazing to me. I saw this one listed on Ebay, and I thought it looked "close enough" so my son would recognize it as the one down the road. The fact that the model and the real one are both SW-1500's is a coincidence.
It comes from digging into a specific prototype, finding roster data, being in the RR historical society of your choice and buying lots of books! You should see my railroad Library! The net is great, but it can only take you so far with prototype info. Books aren't going to go away anytime soon!
Alan, I wish I had a copy of that book since it would solve a mystery I've heard about for years - that there were a few SW1000's with Flexicoil trucks. What was the road number of that engine? Here are the only BS SW1000 pics I can find on the net. They all clearly have AAR switcher trucks.
kjd
Go make something!
The SW1001 was mentioned earlier and looks a lot different than regular SW1000. It was built with industrial clearances in mind so is about a foot shorter in height. The top of the cab is round like SW7s, 9s, etc. The whole body sits lower on the frame so the walkway is closer to the tops of the trucks.
wheeler1963
Wheeler's Trains
OK, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. So here's Athearn's switcher collection, except the Hustler and MP15.
Athearn's EMD SW7 Cow and Calf
Athearn's Baldwin S12
Athearn's EMD SW1000 D&RGW and SW1500 UP
Athearn's EMD SW1500 SP version
Athearn's EMD SW1500 SP version. Notice the 5 lights both front and back and also the number boards on the front of the cab.
Athearn's EMD SW7 Cow and Calf
Athearn's Baldwin S12
Athearn's EMD SW1000 D&RGW and SW1500 UP
Athearn's EMD SW1500 SP version
Athearn's EMD SW1500 SP version. Notice the 5 lights both front and back and also the number boards on the front of the cab.
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Cjcrescent
Master Mechanic
Alan;
Its good really to see you on the forums posting again. For a while, I thought that you forgot about us!
Here's an Athearn SW1500 that I "backdated" for Scott Meyers here. Don't know if you ever met him or not.
He's a CB&Q modeler, that owned a BB 1500 and the prototype never had a 1500. He asked if I could make it look "close" to a 1500. Wadda ya think? Of course it's got some good old fashioned "po man's details" (bent wire) to jazz it some. Scott was very happy with it.
Had to use 3 partial sets of decals, including separate yellow and red stripes, to get this thing finished. (I'm personally not happy with it.) Tried short pieces, long pieces, free placed, straight edge guided, set with decal set, without decal set, didn't matter. These stripes had a mind of their own and weren't gonna do what I wanted them to. No matter what, could not keep them straight!
Its good really to see you on the forums posting again. For a while, I thought that you forgot about us!
Here's an Athearn SW1500 that I "backdated" for Scott Meyers here. Don't know if you ever met him or not.
He's a CB&Q modeler, that owned a BB 1500 and the prototype never had a 1500. He asked if I could make it look "close" to a 1500. Wadda ya think? Of course it's got some good old fashioned "po man's details" (bent wire) to jazz it some. Scott was very happy with it.
Had to use 3 partial sets of decals, including separate yellow and red stripes, to get this thing finished. (I'm personally not happy with it.) Tried short pieces, long pieces, free placed, straight edge guided, set with decal set, without decal set, didn't matter. These stripes had a mind of their own and weren't gonna do what I wanted them to. No matter what, could not keep them straight!
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Q Switcher
Looks reasonable to me! Microscale's stripe set is OK, though when they get long enough, they get to be a real pain. Sagging, or going on right, then moving as they dry so you had them applied right but they dried crooked!
I did a SW-7 cow/calf set for a guy up here in that scheme. He liked it well enough (I got paid) It was funny because I did all this detail work, closing step wells on the calf, cutting out the factory steps and adding in A-Line etched ones, replacing that awful BB bell with a good one & air ringer line. The cost of that job versus what those models are actually worth didn't compute, but he was happy! I'll post a pic when I get home tonight.
We're always too picky when it comes to our own work.
I have met Scott, been to his house & seen his layout. Lots of Q brass steam, My kind of guy! Glad to hear he's still modeling!
Looks reasonable to me! Microscale's stripe set is OK, though when they get long enough, they get to be a real pain. Sagging, or going on right, then moving as they dry so you had them applied right but they dried crooked!
I did a SW-7 cow/calf set for a guy up here in that scheme. He liked it well enough (I got paid) It was funny because I did all this detail work, closing step wells on the calf, cutting out the factory steps and adding in A-Line etched ones, replacing that awful BB bell with a good one & air ringer line. The cost of that job versus what those models are actually worth didn't compute, but he was happy! I'll post a pic when I get home tonight. We're always too picky when it comes to our own work.
I have met Scott, been to his house & seen his layout. Lots of Q brass steam, My kind of guy! Glad to hear he's still modeling!
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That's no mystery my friend, it's a fact. Check Ron's Books or Caboose Hobbies on the web. It's sold out at the publisher's, and when I spoke with the authors I was told a reprint was not planned. I also have a copy of Ron Mele's Birmingham Southern book up here in the frozen north. Great modeling references! I'll see if I can't dig up the engine numbers for you tonight.
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Thanks, Alan, I've checked the usual places for the book but it seems to be MIA. I wrote a few articles for Extra 2200 South in the early 70's and there was quite a controversy over the question of an SW1000 with Flexicoil trucks. Several guys heard of them but no one was able to come up with a picture or railroad roster to confirm it. Does it happen to say in the book why the BS apparently ordered these few SW1000's with Flexicoil trucks and the rest with AAR trucks?
BS SW-100's w/Flexicoils
The engine numbers were 15, 16, & 17. Built in 1971 and destroyed in 1973. I think they had flexicoil trucks because BS was doing all of that ore transport between Birmingport and Birmingham/Fairfield back then. Maybe they needed more capability than the switcher trucks had, as some of this work was probably very like over the road service, with very heavy loads. It could also be because of possible longer bearing lives/ decreased maintenance. Neither book elaborates, and the experiment was not repeated.
The engine numbers were 15, 16, & 17. Built in 1971 and destroyed in 1973. I think they had flexicoil trucks because BS was doing all of that ore transport between Birmingport and Birmingham/Fairfield back then. Maybe they needed more capability than the switcher trucks had, as some of this work was probably very like over the road service, with very heavy loads. It could also be because of possible longer bearing lives/ decreased maintenance. Neither book elaborates, and the experiment was not repeated.
A big train wreck caused by the roadbed washing out. Those three SW-1000's and two more standard ones, plus a bunch of ore cars. All 5 crew killed. Terrible wreck. You should get Ron Mele's book if you're a Birmingham Southern fan. I can get you his contact info if you like. I won't post it here but I'll PM you. He has a few copies left. The Birmingham Rails book is hard to find all of a sudden. Check train shows, and e-bay. There is one copy on Amazon, but at $135.00 it's a little steep.
Thanks again, Alan. I saw the one at Amazon for $135 and one at e-bay for $150. Those older railroad books have really skyrocketed in value. I have the first editions of both volumes fo Myrick's Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California that I bought in 1964 for the then astounding price of $15 each. I saw the two volume set of the first edition with a bid price of $432 on e-bay last week! I gave almost my entire railroad book collection of over 200 volumes to the local library when I moved from California since I expected to live out my days traveling in my motorhome and would never have a layout again. Life throws you strange curveballs and I'd sure like to have those books again.
Those older railroad books have really skyrocketed in value. I have the first editions of both volumes fo Myrick's Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California that I bought in 1964 for the then astounding price of $15 each. I saw the two volume set of the first edition with a bid price of $432 on e-bay last week! I gave almost my entire railroad book collection of over 200 volumes to the local library when I moved from California since I expected to live out my days traveling in my motorhome and would never have a layout again. Life throws you strange curveballs and I'd sure like to have those books again.
wheeler1963
Wheeler's Trains
Jim, it took a bit of looking, but here is an SW1000 with Flexi-coil trucks. (Note the single stack and the small radiator).
Now whether or not it came like that from EMD or was a home rebuild, I have no idea. But there is a prototype for everything.
wheeler1963
Wheeler's Trains
Josh,
Shoot me a PM with your address. I have a complete set of Flexi-coils I'll trade you. I'm short on the AAR type.
Shoot me a PM with your address. I have a complete set of Flexi-coils I'll trade you. I'm short on the AAR type.
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