Post by lyled1117 on Jan 7, 2013 22:26:02 GMT -5
In a couple of other threads I've talked about a few of locos I have in progress. Two of them are B23-7s for the Illinois Railnet (now Railway). The two I'm doing started life on the Southern, then the NS as high short hood, long hood forward units. Livingston Rebuild took them and chopped their noses. When they arrived on the IR they were still designated with the long hood as forward. IR remarked them and turned them around.
There are a couple of distinct features that tip these locos off as former high nose units. The most obvious to me is the front of the short hood and the flat that goes down it's middle. Most GE noses are curved entirely across the face, but not these. The high hood had this feature, perhaps as a stiffener but perhaps just a flat section for the headlight (these are speculation on my part). The other feature that's not quite so obvious until its pointed out is the number board/headlight arrangement. The number boards are low relative to the horizontal centerline of the headlights. This is the way they were positioned on the high hood, and by what ever logic this arrangement was kept when they were moved to the cab. Another feature still in place from their Southern/NS days are the walkway lights that are still on the long hood side. The Southern window shades and a tool box (I think added by NS) are still in place as well.
(photo look familiar, it's member Railnet's avatar!!
)
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165849118.aGxX3XdB.IR3b23-7_3_zpsba454faf.gif)
The models are Atlas' B23-7s. I took a Hi-Tech Details high nose kit and cut it to height and to fit the sub base. I took two Atlas headlight assemblies to create a single headlight fixture, taking the number boards from one and the headlight from the other. The two units I am doing have different exhaust stacks, I have installed the appropriate Hi-Tech stack (#6001) on unit #7, but have yet to cut the opening for the stack on unit #6. I'm still trying to determine for myself if the original Atlas part is correct for #6, or if Hi-Tech #6000 is the one to use. I think its the HT one, but am still analyzing this for myself. If nothing else, the HT one has a flange present where #6 does as well. Unit #6 has a cab that had a four window cab that has two of the windows plated over, unit #7 has a two window cab. The two units have slightly different antenna/ground plane arrangements as well. #6 has no ground plane and the antenna is on top of the headlight where #7 has the ground plane present but displaced to the side of the headlight. All the other units that came to IR had the ground plane and had it centered on top of the headlight.
I have a few things left to do to these. I'll be putting on a Railflyer pin lifter, and have yet to place ditchlights on them. I'm not yet satisfied with how I've adapted a snow plow for these, and will continue to noodle on that.
Lyle
Here are some images of the models in progress
Unit #7
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850067.OoS1tMiu.ir7_b23-7m_zps4ac49d96.gif)
Unit #6
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850062.21QGCdiQ.ir7_b23-7h_zps34fc97d0.gif)
#7 with the higher stack
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850059.Vodd75Cp.ir7_b23-7e_zps2089864d.gif)
![](http://m6.i.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850046.cUUknAg6.b23-7_headlights_zps36f1febd.gif)
There are a couple of distinct features that tip these locos off as former high nose units. The most obvious to me is the front of the short hood and the flat that goes down it's middle. Most GE noses are curved entirely across the face, but not these. The high hood had this feature, perhaps as a stiffener but perhaps just a flat section for the headlight (these are speculation on my part). The other feature that's not quite so obvious until its pointed out is the number board/headlight arrangement. The number boards are low relative to the horizontal centerline of the headlights. This is the way they were positioned on the high hood, and by what ever logic this arrangement was kept when they were moved to the cab. Another feature still in place from their Southern/NS days are the walkway lights that are still on the long hood side. The Southern window shades and a tool box (I think added by NS) are still in place as well.
(photo look familiar, it's member Railnet's avatar!!
![:)](http://storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165849118.aGxX3XdB.IR3b23-7_3_zpsba454faf.gif)
The models are Atlas' B23-7s. I took a Hi-Tech Details high nose kit and cut it to height and to fit the sub base. I took two Atlas headlight assemblies to create a single headlight fixture, taking the number boards from one and the headlight from the other. The two units I am doing have different exhaust stacks, I have installed the appropriate Hi-Tech stack (#6001) on unit #7, but have yet to cut the opening for the stack on unit #6. I'm still trying to determine for myself if the original Atlas part is correct for #6, or if Hi-Tech #6000 is the one to use. I think its the HT one, but am still analyzing this for myself. If nothing else, the HT one has a flange present where #6 does as well. Unit #6 has a cab that had a four window cab that has two of the windows plated over, unit #7 has a two window cab. The two units have slightly different antenna/ground plane arrangements as well. #6 has no ground plane and the antenna is on top of the headlight where #7 has the ground plane present but displaced to the side of the headlight. All the other units that came to IR had the ground plane and had it centered on top of the headlight.
I have a few things left to do to these. I'll be putting on a Railflyer pin lifter, and have yet to place ditchlights on them. I'm not yet satisfied with how I've adapted a snow plow for these, and will continue to noodle on that.
Lyle
Here are some images of the models in progress
Unit #7
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850067.OoS1tMiu.ir7_b23-7m_zps4ac49d96.gif)
Unit #6
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850062.21QGCdiQ.ir7_b23-7h_zps34fc97d0.gif)
#7 with the higher stack
![](http://a4.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850059.Vodd75Cp.ir7_b23-7e_zps2089864d.gif)
![](http://m6.i.pbase.com/o10/64/1272964/1/165850046.cUUknAg6.b23-7_headlights_zps36f1febd.gif)