All Weather Windows on EMDs?

[ednadolski]

Hi, I'm needing to scratchbuild some all-weather windows.  As it will be O-scale, I'd like to detail these as much as possible, and I was wondering if anyone might have any dimensions, details pics, or other info that you wouldn't mind sharing.

Here is the specific prototype that I am interested in building:


www.locophotos.com/pix/109/Montana%20Rail%20Link%20MRL%20132_Paradise%20%20MT_Matt%20Farnsworth_2010-05-15_109768.jpg


So I guess that is a 3-pane window?   Do all the panels slide in separate tracks?

I'm thinking of making these from etched metal.  (BTW I did see something like this on Shapeways, but it was the smaller, 2-pane style, and it was printed in the FUD plastic which might be fragile for this sort of part.)

Thanks in advance,
Ed

[Deleted]

Ed on the same style we had on the BN's gp5/7/9's and sd7/9's the last 2 windows slide while the one facing the front is a solid mounted pane it can be at either end depending on which is the front hope this helps some

[milw199]

On these, the front edge is by the front edge of the window, and the 2 moving panes slide back to the 3rd pane area.

[ednadolski]

Hi Mike and Vince, thank you very much for the pics and info, this will be a great help!

Ed

[stevef45]

what is the reason for an all weather window?

[iomalley]

Sometimes getting your head 6" past the extreme width of you consist is just enough to see down the length of your train. With the all-weather window, you can do it in the comfort of your cab heater, and out of the rain.

[stevef45]

Ahhhhh, so why haven't the manufacturers used this as a normal option?

[milw199]

Money.

These window boxes are something like $600 a piece.  Plus, they freeze up in winter, can't get the window open.  And it is something else to clean. 

A sunshade and mirror cost a lot less.

[iomalley]

CP is a good example of this. They only put all weather windows on Switchers and road switchers only, and used to make a point of pulling them off when the unit was scrapped so they could put them on other switchers. The road units never had them, and only had a single wind deflector to the front, and no sunshade....on the el cheapo. They changed somewhat since the 90's when they were dominated by leasers for that decade and have deviated since then.

They are called 'all-weather' but like Mike eludes, they are not 'all-warm' as the main inside slider panes tended to disappear when broken and not replaced, so you had to rely on the all-weather 'leaky' window panes to keep the cold out. They are like the old single pane frameless slider windows on houses, very crude, very inefficient.

[tjmfishing]

Here's a rare view of the inside of an all weather window. This is a CN RS-18, 3624, taken in '82. Sean isn't kidding, this engine still has the original sliding windows intact, however, note the pile of rags stacked on the lower left corner of the window sill.

[ednadolski]

From the pics I am estimating the size at 54" wide by 26-27" high (not including the sloped 'roof' portion). The depth I'm figuring at 6-8", does that seem reasonable? I figure I can split the difference at 7" and that way be no more off than 1 scale inch either way...

I'll try to make this as a photo-etched part, probably several layers. Not sure if I can make the windows actually slide, but that would be nifty.

Thanks once again!

Ed

[ednadolski]

Many thanks to all for your very helpful inputs on this. Here is the window that I have come up with based upon your info. This is made from several layers of 0.010" photoetched phosphor bronze. Assembly was a matter of forming the parts and soldering everything together. The forming was tricky for some of the parts because of the thin frame, which made it hard to get a good grip on the part. The window glazing is made from 0.010" clear styrene, cut to fit and glued in with micro krystal klear:



So just some weathering and it will be all ready to install on my GP9 model, the build thread for that is here:
dieseldetailer.proboards.com/thread/14057/mrl-132-gp9-proto-48

Thanks again!
Ed

[jakeloyst]

that looks terrific, did you do the etching yourself, or send it out somewhere??

[m a y o r 79]

That looks great! (make some in HO scale for me

[ednadolski]

Thanks dudes for your kind words. Jake I did the design myself, but sent it out to an etching place (PPD Ltd.) I know there are at-home techniques but I prefer to avoid ferric chloride and such, and besides the etcher does a much better job. Mayor79, I think there are already some existing HO parts (Details West maybe?) but in any case due to the process it would be hard to scale down the design as-is without significant changes.

Cheers,
Ed

[Deleted]

Awsooooooome work there Ed that turned out great, so which one of us gets the royalty fees hehehehehehehe, Mayor MLE makes those 3 pane all weathers they are in stock at Highball graphics