Post by CP_8530 on Oct 24, 2013 3:42:47 GMT -5
Background:
In 1970 and 1971, the Canadian Pacific Railway chop-nosed its first of its 200-ish fleet of early GP7/GP9 units: three 8600 series road units, part of the last of the DRS-17c order. Units 8633, 8634 and 8635 had their high short hoods removed and new short hoods installed, for better visibility. The three also had radio control equipment for Alyth Yard (Calgary AB) hump duty installed, and dynamic brakes removed (the rooftop fan was removed and plated over - DB not needed for humping). They were used over the years on the hump with pairs of SW1200RS units, in GP9-Trainmaster pairs, and eventually in GP9-F7B-GP9 sets that replaced the TM's.
Important: this was not a rebuild or heavy overhaul program, but rather experimental modifications to a small group of units. While some other damaged units received short hoods in subsequent years, others that were damaged or wrecked had their high short hoods repaired. It wasn't until the formal CP rebuild program of 1980 did the GP7/9 fleet start getting chopped en masse.
Prototype Photos:
www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%208600A/CP%208633-2.htm
www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%208600A/CP%208634-2.htm
www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%208600A/CP%208635-2.htm
Technicalities:
Getting back to the noses, CP removed the stock high-hood EMD short hoods, and new short hoods were installed. The new hoods or "noses" were likely custom fabricated in-house, patterned after the typical EMD short hood design at the time. They weren't direct replacements from EMD as the new noses were much more angled than a typical EMD end (likely to match the original Geep nose profile) and had some minor variations. Being the sometimes-thrifty company they were, CP kept the original high hoods around their backshops sitting on flat cars, to use as replacements on other future damaged units.
These early CP short hoods however differed from your typical Geep nose in that they eliminated the flat area along the front of the hood (were the headlight was mounted) in favour of both sides coming together at a point a la current EMD, and with the headlight recessed. Only 5 units total got this unique nose: 8633-35 and later wreck repaired units 8492 and 8530. Mid-late 70's chops, and the formal CP rebuild program of the 80's merely chopped a section from the middle of the hood out, lowered the top, and patched the numberboard openings.
I'd also bet that the numberboard and front wall window insert was also patterned after EMD's then-current cab, and custom-fabricated by CP. One neat thing I found is that the height of the numberboard varied slightly: the 8633-35 units had the top of it sitting a little lower than the top of the cab roof, while later rebuilds had it flush with the top.
Other modifications included the removal of dynamic brakes, installation of hump radio control equipment, and eventually drop steps and inter-unit chains (that most of CP's Geeps were getting).
Paint and Liveries
Of the 3 units, two kept their previous paint schemes when rebuilt, as the paint was still in good shape. 8633 received the new Action Red scheme with 5" striping and large multimark. 8634 kept its maroon & grey script livery, and 8635 kept its block livery. The latter two were the only two units CP chop-nosed to wear the older maroon & grey colours, and part of the decision to pick one of them to do for the uniqueness factor.
Ultimately, someone suggested the idea to do one to run with a Trainmaster in hump duty. It came down to wanting to do a script rebuild, and 8634 it was.
Past Models on the Market:
Van Hobbies did some brass chop-nose CP Geeps years ago, and appears to have done a so-so job on the M&G units. However, from what I've seen they missed a few details such as the later-style kinked handrails, rooftop apparatus placement, and the big stickler that most people miss on those 3: they didn't remove the dynamic brake fan.
Life-Like also did them in N-scale, but to about the same effect: DB fan left on, no pointed chop nose, and incorrect rebuilt-style handrails the 80's rebuild program brought. They basically used the same tooling that their 15/1600 and 8200 series units used.
So with that in mind, the goal was set to do a more accurate unit from the ground up, and the most logical way of accomplishing this is do it like CP did: chop a high-nose unit and make the required modifications. The real units were Phase 2 GP9's, so a Proto 2000 GP9 Phase 2 would be the logical starting point. An APB was issued to scoop up a fairly-priced used one.
Stay tuned...!
In 1970 and 1971, the Canadian Pacific Railway chop-nosed its first of its 200-ish fleet of early GP7/GP9 units: three 8600 series road units, part of the last of the DRS-17c order. Units 8633, 8634 and 8635 had their high short hoods removed and new short hoods installed, for better visibility. The three also had radio control equipment for Alyth Yard (Calgary AB) hump duty installed, and dynamic brakes removed (the rooftop fan was removed and plated over - DB not needed for humping). They were used over the years on the hump with pairs of SW1200RS units, in GP9-Trainmaster pairs, and eventually in GP9-F7B-GP9 sets that replaced the TM's.
Important: this was not a rebuild or heavy overhaul program, but rather experimental modifications to a small group of units. While some other damaged units received short hoods in subsequent years, others that were damaged or wrecked had their high short hoods repaired. It wasn't until the formal CP rebuild program of 1980 did the GP7/9 fleet start getting chopped en masse.
Prototype Photos:
www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%208600A/CP%208633-2.htm
www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%208600A/CP%208634-2.htm
www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%208600A/CP%208635-2.htm
Technicalities:
Getting back to the noses, CP removed the stock high-hood EMD short hoods, and new short hoods were installed. The new hoods or "noses" were likely custom fabricated in-house, patterned after the typical EMD short hood design at the time. They weren't direct replacements from EMD as the new noses were much more angled than a typical EMD end (likely to match the original Geep nose profile) and had some minor variations. Being the sometimes-thrifty company they were, CP kept the original high hoods around their backshops sitting on flat cars, to use as replacements on other future damaged units.
These early CP short hoods however differed from your typical Geep nose in that they eliminated the flat area along the front of the hood (were the headlight was mounted) in favour of both sides coming together at a point a la current EMD, and with the headlight recessed. Only 5 units total got this unique nose: 8633-35 and later wreck repaired units 8492 and 8530. Mid-late 70's chops, and the formal CP rebuild program of the 80's merely chopped a section from the middle of the hood out, lowered the top, and patched the numberboard openings.
I'd also bet that the numberboard and front wall window insert was also patterned after EMD's then-current cab, and custom-fabricated by CP. One neat thing I found is that the height of the numberboard varied slightly: the 8633-35 units had the top of it sitting a little lower than the top of the cab roof, while later rebuilds had it flush with the top.
Other modifications included the removal of dynamic brakes, installation of hump radio control equipment, and eventually drop steps and inter-unit chains (that most of CP's Geeps were getting).
Paint and Liveries
Of the 3 units, two kept their previous paint schemes when rebuilt, as the paint was still in good shape. 8633 received the new Action Red scheme with 5" striping and large multimark. 8634 kept its maroon & grey script livery, and 8635 kept its block livery. The latter two were the only two units CP chop-nosed to wear the older maroon & grey colours, and part of the decision to pick one of them to do for the uniqueness factor.
Ultimately, someone suggested the idea to do one to run with a Trainmaster in hump duty. It came down to wanting to do a script rebuild, and 8634 it was.
Past Models on the Market:
Van Hobbies did some brass chop-nose CP Geeps years ago, and appears to have done a so-so job on the M&G units. However, from what I've seen they missed a few details such as the later-style kinked handrails, rooftop apparatus placement, and the big stickler that most people miss on those 3: they didn't remove the dynamic brake fan.
Life-Like also did them in N-scale, but to about the same effect: DB fan left on, no pointed chop nose, and incorrect rebuilt-style handrails the 80's rebuild program brought. They basically used the same tooling that their 15/1600 and 8200 series units used.
So with that in mind, the goal was set to do a more accurate unit from the ground up, and the most logical way of accomplishing this is do it like CP did: chop a high-nose unit and make the required modifications. The real units were Phase 2 GP9's, so a Proto 2000 GP9 Phase 2 would be the logical starting point. An APB was issued to scoop up a fairly-priced used one.
Stay tuned...!
