Post by fr8kar on Feb 3, 2018 3:45:09 GMT -5
Prototype photo:
www.railpictures.net/showimage.php?id=40093&key=9388288
Norfolk & Western took delivery of C36-7 locomotives from GE in three groups: 8500-8505 were built in March of 1981, 8506-8530 were built between May and June of 1982, and 8531-8542 were built in May of 1984. The first two groups were equipped with standard range dynamic braking and looked very similar to C30-7s built during the same period with a plain looking hood. The third group was equipped with extended range dynamic braking, which was visible in the form of a distinctive hump on the long hood a few feet behind the cab.
Another difference between units equipped with standard range dynamic braking and extended range dynamic braking is in the radiator section. Early C36-7s, like the C30-7s that came before, had a single large rectangular intake grille. Most GE locomotives built toward the end of Dash 7 production got a stacked pair of large radiator intake grilles. From what I've read, this was due to the cooling requirements of a new air compressor design. GE would install grilles into doors on Dash 8 units in place of these large, immovable grilles, a feature that continues to be seen in the present-day EVO series.
At some point after October 1982 (I haven't been able to pin down the date), NW 8501 was retrofitted with extended range dynamic brakes. A section of the auxiliary cab - the area between the operator's cab and the engine cab (GE calls sections of the locomotive "cabs") - was replaced with large grilles where the hood doors were and an elevated dynamic brake intake/grid/blower motor/exhaust section was installed above that. This is the hump later C36-7 and late BN B30-7A1B units were known for. The radiator section was also modified with the stacked grilles mentioned above. Other than the new hump and the stacked radiator intake grilles, NW 8501 was similar to other early C36-7s.
Another distinctive feature that Norfolk & Western modelers know all too well are the clasp type brakes used on their six axle fleet. These can be a challenge to model on EMD locomotives like the SD40-2, but with the right combination of brake rigging from Blomberg or Flexicoil switcher sideframes and some HT-C sideframes cleaned of their brake components, you can get pretty close with a little effort. Unfortunately, there isn't such an easy way forward if you're modeling N&W's U30C, C30-7 or C36-7 locomotives. I have tried for a long time to come up with a way to build these sideframes. I think I've bought every GE sideframe there is from Smokey Valley to Athearn to Atlas trying to figure it out. Recently I had a breakthrough in my quest to get some high resolution photos of these trucks. I was able to create a 2D drawing then a 3D model of the sideframes. I adapted the design to fit the Atlas U30C/U33C/C30-7 drive and printed a set of sideframes for the U30C (without a damping strut on the center axle) and a set for the C30-7 or C36-7 (with a damping strut).
If you want to make the modification to the auxiliary cab, there are parts available from Smokey Valley for the dynamic brake components and Hi-Tech for the intakes below the dynamic brake. The Hi-Tech parts are fine as far as I can tell, but they aren't an exact match for this particular locomotive. In fact, neither are the Smokey Valley dynamic brake parts (those parts have other issues besides not matching the dynamic brake exhaust style used on NW 8501). So again I chose to draw and print a new part that is a match for the prototype.
Previously I had printed a couple radiator section inserts for the Atlas body for both my NW 8534 and MP 9023 C36-7s. I'll do the same for this model. Here's a shot of the part I used on NW 8534:
And a similar part installed on MP 9023:
Here is the section of the auxiliary cab that contains the dynamic brake equipment (looks like I got a little heavy with the primer):
And finally the clasp type truck sideframes:
There's more to come as I get going on the actual build now that the hard stuff is out of the way.
www.railpictures.net/showimage.php?id=40093&key=9388288
Norfolk & Western took delivery of C36-7 locomotives from GE in three groups: 8500-8505 were built in March of 1981, 8506-8530 were built between May and June of 1982, and 8531-8542 were built in May of 1984. The first two groups were equipped with standard range dynamic braking and looked very similar to C30-7s built during the same period with a plain looking hood. The third group was equipped with extended range dynamic braking, which was visible in the form of a distinctive hump on the long hood a few feet behind the cab.
Another difference between units equipped with standard range dynamic braking and extended range dynamic braking is in the radiator section. Early C36-7s, like the C30-7s that came before, had a single large rectangular intake grille. Most GE locomotives built toward the end of Dash 7 production got a stacked pair of large radiator intake grilles. From what I've read, this was due to the cooling requirements of a new air compressor design. GE would install grilles into doors on Dash 8 units in place of these large, immovable grilles, a feature that continues to be seen in the present-day EVO series.
At some point after October 1982 (I haven't been able to pin down the date), NW 8501 was retrofitted with extended range dynamic brakes. A section of the auxiliary cab - the area between the operator's cab and the engine cab (GE calls sections of the locomotive "cabs") - was replaced with large grilles where the hood doors were and an elevated dynamic brake intake/grid/blower motor/exhaust section was installed above that. This is the hump later C36-7 and late BN B30-7A1B units were known for. The radiator section was also modified with the stacked grilles mentioned above. Other than the new hump and the stacked radiator intake grilles, NW 8501 was similar to other early C36-7s.
Another distinctive feature that Norfolk & Western modelers know all too well are the clasp type brakes used on their six axle fleet. These can be a challenge to model on EMD locomotives like the SD40-2, but with the right combination of brake rigging from Blomberg or Flexicoil switcher sideframes and some HT-C sideframes cleaned of their brake components, you can get pretty close with a little effort. Unfortunately, there isn't such an easy way forward if you're modeling N&W's U30C, C30-7 or C36-7 locomotives. I have tried for a long time to come up with a way to build these sideframes. I think I've bought every GE sideframe there is from Smokey Valley to Athearn to Atlas trying to figure it out. Recently I had a breakthrough in my quest to get some high resolution photos of these trucks. I was able to create a 2D drawing then a 3D model of the sideframes. I adapted the design to fit the Atlas U30C/U33C/C30-7 drive and printed a set of sideframes for the U30C (without a damping strut on the center axle) and a set for the C30-7 or C36-7 (with a damping strut).
If you want to make the modification to the auxiliary cab, there are parts available from Smokey Valley for the dynamic brake components and Hi-Tech for the intakes below the dynamic brake. The Hi-Tech parts are fine as far as I can tell, but they aren't an exact match for this particular locomotive. In fact, neither are the Smokey Valley dynamic brake parts (those parts have other issues besides not matching the dynamic brake exhaust style used on NW 8501). So again I chose to draw and print a new part that is a match for the prototype.
Previously I had printed a couple radiator section inserts for the Atlas body for both my NW 8534 and MP 9023 C36-7s. I'll do the same for this model. Here's a shot of the part I used on NW 8534:
And a similar part installed on MP 9023:
Here is the section of the auxiliary cab that contains the dynamic brake equipment (looks like I got a little heavy with the primer):
And finally the clasp type truck sideframes:
There's more to come as I get going on the actual build now that the hard stuff is out of the way.
