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I am taking an older run Proto 2K SW1200 and turning it into one of the local shortline switchers as it was at startup in 1989. This involves changing the bearings on the side frames to roller bearings. Walthers was absolutly NO help with getting new ones as thier current production features the roller bearing variation on the AAR trucks. I have no use for that company. Thankfully the Proto engine already has the twin sealed beam style lights. I am installing a 4 function decoder as the prototype had twin Tomar brand double flash amber strobes, one on each side above the cab windows. I have the shell painted and decaled and am working on the decoder install and strobes right now. Not sure how I will tackle the rollerbearing issues. I tried this before years ago on an Athearn SW and didnt like the results. Smokey Valley still offers a rollerbearing side frame kit for Athearn SW's but those wont work on the kato style trucks used on the Proto engine. Maybe I can reuse some rollerbearing caps from a freight car side frame, as the ones on a SW are much smaller than a road unit. Here is a pic of the prototype. I will get a pic of the model shortly. Enjoy! Mike
I have the shell painted and decaled and am working on the decoder install and strobes right now.
Sounds great, can't wait to see it. Any photos of the progress so far?
Pics very soon, very sore from all the manual labor at current job so not much going on tonight, just me and the easy chair getting well aquainted!!
Pics very soon, very sore from all the manual labor at current job so not much going on tonight, just me and the easy chair getting well aquainted!!
Man I hear you there. Had a bit of a bathroom renovation sideline my little switcher project, not to mention my 1 and 3 year olds come first too. Where does all the time go?!
thats a nice looking engine. thats not an ex I.C.R.R is it. they had one that was #1201 also....
Nope, she is ex Wabash and her sister the 1202 is ex PRR. The shortline at start up in 1989 had the 1201, 1202, two GP7u's the 1750 and 1751 and an ex IHB NW2 the 819. Here is a pic of one of the GP7u's I already have modeled. Mike
This involves changing the bearings on the side frames to roller bearings. Walthers was absolutly NO help with getting new ones as thier current production features the roller bearing variation on the AAR trucks. I have no use for that company. Thankfully the Proto engine already has the twin sealed beam style lights. Not sure how I will tackle the rollerbearing issues. I tried this before years ago on an Athearn SW and didnt like the results. Smokey Valley still offers a rollerbearing side frame kit for Athearn SW's but those wont work on the kato style trucks used on the Proto engine. Maybe I can reuse some rollerbearing caps from a freight car side frame, as the ones on a SW are much smaller than a road unit.
Mike, have you tried Detail Associates Part#2804? Diesel roller bearing caps. Don't know if they are for sure the right ones for the SW, but they were close enough for me. I got 2 packages from Big 4 Hobbies in Indy a while back to try to mate them onto a P2K SW for my own project. Haven't thought about how to shave off the boxes that are on the sideframe, yet. Wondering if it will affect the way the axles sit in the truck, but I think they will work.
The copper pickups support the axle ends, not the side frames, so it might work. I am going to look at some rollerbearing caps from a spare freight car truck. Gonna have to use Walthers Goo to put them on, most glues dont work well on Delrin plastic! I have two of these switchers to build. Just really disappoints me that parts are not available for purchase. Guess one should expect this in todays market. If it wasnt for the sealed beam headlights on the Proto units, I would have used older blue box Athearn SW's for this project. Mike
Nice Geep 7!
Can't wait to see the switcher...
Thanks, not bad for a first effort, need to upgrade the decoder to a 3 function one so I can make the roof strobe work. I have the parts on hand to build the mate to it, probably this winter. I am going to get the 2 SW's done next. The roads Geeps are ext MKT, one has the full length fuel tank and roof top air tanks, both are low nose, 1750hp with 567BC engines. Cheers Mike
Here is a progress pic, I am not happy with the size of the road numbers he gave me, a bit oversize to say the least, but he got the logo spot on! I am out of numbers that are correct, I source them from a microscale CP rail set. So the 1201 is sans road numbers at the moment. I am to tired and unsteady to attempt 4 micro road numbers on the headlights tonight. BUT I did get both strobes working and golden white LED's on both main headlights, operated by a TCS AX4 decoder. The one limitation to this decoder is I cannot run both strobes as double flash versions at the same time dammit! I have to run one as a single flash and one as a double for them to both work. They are seperate units on the prototype, each with its own powersupply in the base. Gonna have to look at other decoders, unless none out there will do what I want. I am still cursing Proto's hand rails, heat staked from the factory, so there isnt much left after poking them off the unit to paint. Someone needs to offer preassembled brass handrails/stanchions for Proto and new Athearn units, good money to be made there. Anyhow, here is the new pic. Mike
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