The Dash-9 Project

[emd16645]

This project will be the biggest locomotive building project I have ever jumped into and has been a few years in developing.  It will also likely take several years to complete.  I picked up a few athearn Dash-9s about 5 years back knowing that I’d be wanting some modern GEs as runthrough power on my mainline.  Over the next couple years I added a few more Dash-9s and AC4400s to the eventual fleet.  As the development of the operations on my railroad developed for the timeframe I intended to model, I realized that I’d need several of the BC Rail Dash 9s for pool power.  Since the athearn shells aren’t a good match for the Canadian Dash 9s, I looked picked up several Kato units.  One of the big spotting features for the Canadian units is the use of 5 steps to the walkway rather than the more common 6 step designs.

So the purchasing of the Katos began. However, I foolishly got confused for a bit as to the number of steps I needed for the BC Rail units. The ended up with be having more 6 step units that I knew what to do with, at first. Slowly I developed a plan to use all the locos I’d purchased, along with a few more that came in along way. I now sit at 19 C44-9Ws and 7 AC4400CWs.

Over the past year I’ve been accumulating detail parts to start putting some of these GEs into service. My plan is to begin with finishing one that I started a few years ago, along with 5 new builds. Previously, I’d been working on completing NS 9251 (Build Thread).

The new builds I will be jumping into first:

- CNW 8646 C44-9W starting from a decorated Kato shell
- BNSF 56xx AC4400CW starting from an undecorated Kato shell
- BNSF 1012 C44-9W starting from an undecorated Athearn shell
- CP 95xx AC4400CW starting from a decorated Athearn shell
- SP 181 AC4400CW starting from an undecorated Athearn shell

[ricnok]

Chris
Might be a silly question. Why the Kato over the Athearn? Don't they all have 6 steps? I have a stockpile of the Athearns and Kaslo cabs, just waiting to get started. The last one I did, I removed all but the bottom step and re-spaced them to get the 5 steps.

[emd16645]

Kato offered both 5 and 6 step models. The Kato CN and ATSF versions are 5 step models, along with associated undec models. I can post a few pictures when I get home from work. I have a decorated Kato CN Dash 9 in the line, needing only a few detail parts and the Kaslo cab. Respacing the athearn steps is an option but one I'm gonna be a bit lazy on and just purchase the right ones. The other plus for Kato is I feel in the shells are superior. Also the Kato drive is far more preferable to me as well.

[ricnok]

Interesting. I didn't know Kato did the 5 step....hmmmm.

[emd16645]

The 5-step design was used on the following units:
ATSF 600-699 only (All other BNSF units have 6 steps)
BC Rail 4641-4654 (All CN order add-ons)
CN All C44-9W(L) and ES44DC 2220-2309 (2310 first with 6 steps)
QNSL All C44-9Ws and AC4400CWs (The QNSL AC4400CWs were the only AC4400CW so equipped, from my research)

[diesel]

Hey there emd, did you realize that the Kato unit is a phase I unit?

I'm not sure what the Athearn shell is, I just know that it's not 100%
accurate and I think can be made to fit phase 3-5 pretty easy.

I've also been putting off my modern GE builds in favor of geeps ect.
looking forward to see these come along.

[emd16645]

Yes I was aware that the Kato dash 9s are of the first phase. They were supposedly based on the first batch of CNW units.

On the other side of the coin, the athearn AC4400s match best for early units, pre 1995 when access doors were used on the AC equipment on the conductors side. After 1995 bolt on plates were used instead. My Kato AC4400 reflect that change.