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Post by shinobi on Jan 18, 2016 6:03:19 GMT -5
So I've come into the possession of an Athearn GP40-2. It's the post '77 model with the corrugated grills, dynamic brake, blomberg B trucks, full length fuel tank, etc.
It's been fitted with a Cannon 88" nose kit, and three Cannon Q fans. It was fitted with a Details West Chessie rock plow, and a scratchbuilt late type anticlimber. The rock plow application was botched, looks like it was a bad casting so they filed the back of it down in an attempt to get it to sit better, but ended up removing too much making it point slightly downwards. I've removed it and sanded the mess flat but now I'm left with a blank pilot. The front pilot has at least been correctly notched. I'm not entirely sure how accurate the anticlimber is, but suffice to say it's not good workmanship and I'd like to replace it. The nose kit is passable but may not have the right details, so I might replace it. Also, the front handrails are missing. There is no horn or bell.
Since this locomotive runs nicely and I got it for free, I'd like to make something of it. I want to build it as a late phase GP40-2 with the 88" nose. My problems are thus:
1. The front pilot is a mess. It either needs a new rock plow which will limit this to a Chessie/CSX build, neither of which had Q fans (plus I don't really want to do Chessie or CSX), or it will need a new pilot. Any advice? I'm not even sure where to begin when it comes to rebuilding an EMD pilot.
2. The 88" nose means that I cannot avoid having an anticlimber on this unit, which means I will need the right handrail set. I'm having trouble finding somewhere on the net where I can buy them, ebay has been a no go so far.
3. I'm having a hard time finding a prototype unit to model. It needs to be a late phase with a 3600 gallon tank, q fans, 88" nose, and dynamic brake. So far I'm thinking Rio Grande, either original or UP patched. I think this would mean I'd also have to add an angled blower housing, exhaust silencer, large sinclair type antenna, 3 chime horn (P3?), ditch lights, and underframe mounted bell.
4. I can't seem to figure out what is the right type of anticlimber, and which detail part product corresponds to it.
5. I'm kinda stuck on couplers. I've been out of the hobby for a while and I honestly can't remember which coupler I used to go for. I remember it being a particularly good balance of realism and reliability. I'm gonna cut off the old coupler mount, and shell mount them instead so that I can avoid gappy pilots.
What I'd like to do (assuming I go for Rio Grande):
1. Cannon cab, nose and sub base.
2. Brass walkways and steps.
3. Fuel tank details.
4. Small details such as windscreen wipers, speedo cables, antenna, horn, lift rings etc.
5. Coupler cut bar.
6. Digitrax decoder.
7. Lighting. Step, ground, ditch, and head.
8. Cannon DB fan.
9. MU cables, brake hose, etc.
10. RTR handrails.
11. Plow.
12. Correct blower housing.
Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.
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sgoti
Chairman
Posts: 459 
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Post by sgoti on Jan 18, 2016 13:49:12 GMT -5
Chessie 4447 DID have Q fans (also others, this is just the first one I found).
You are correct on needing to change the blower bulge for a DRGW unit (3129-3130).
WP's last order of GP40-2s would be another option, either in orange/green or UP repaint.
Do a search on Phase IIc GP40-2 and you might find something interesting...
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sgoti
Chairman
Posts: 459
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Post by sgoti on Jan 18, 2016 13:50:21 GMT -5
Forgot to add the GP50 handrails have the correct shape for the front.
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Post by iomalley on Jan 18, 2016 14:17:51 GMT -5
FEC had some of the last built, 424-429 would be closest to what you have. (except for DB) 430-434 are good too, but you'll need the blower bulge and simplified side sill for those.
Use the #58s from Kadee for couplers.
Just a sug
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sgoti
Chairman
Posts: 459
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Post by sgoti on Jan 18, 2016 14:33:40 GMT -5
Also low nose light for Grande locos.
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Post by shinobi on Jan 18, 2016 15:21:51 GMT -5
Chessie 4447 DID have Q fans (also others, this is just the first one I found). You are correct on needing to change the blower bulge for a DRGW unit (3129-3130). WP's last order of GP40-2s would be another option, either in orange/green or UP repaint. Do a search on Phase IIc GP40-2 and you might find something interesting... Hmm okay, all good suggestions. Would Phase III be correct too or am I imagining things? Forgot to add the GP50 handrails have the correct shape for the front. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH you're kidding me! Thank you so much! Haha I'd been going nuts trying to figure that out! FEC had some of the last built, 424-429 would be closest to what you have. (except for DB) 430-434 are good too, but you'll need the blower bulge and simplified side sill for those. Use the #58s from Kadee for couplers. Just a sug FEC? I dunno man, I kinda hate palm trees. Haha. Shame the all the Canadian roads seemed to prefer GP40-2s without the DB. Cool, thanks for the heads up, #58 kadees, right on. Took a look through your photobucket earlier by the way, that's some real nice work. Also low nose light for Grande locos. From what I've seen they had the whole shebang; ditch lights, nose lights, class lights AND numberboard lights. Front end is lit up like a damn christmas tree. Thanks for the posts y'all! I'll keep digging around and see if I can come up with something. |
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sgoti
Chairman
Posts: 459
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Post by sgoti on Jan 18, 2016 17:17:30 GMT -5
I mentioned Phase IIc because that is closest to what you have. Phase III would mean changing the blower bulge.
Make sure you get the correct GP50 handrails- Get the Phase II if you are changing the blower bulge. If you are using the wider anticlimber, use GP60 handrails.
SP/Cotton Belt had Phase III units as well.
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sgoti
Chairman
Posts: 459
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Post by sgoti on Jan 19, 2016 0:17:37 GMT -5
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Post by shinobi on Jan 19, 2016 7:29:13 GMT -5
So after some reflection on the matter, I now think the best approach would actually be a CSX ex-chessie unit. The D&RGW unit started to lose it's appeal when I began to think about just how many lights there are at the front! Also it would've been considerably more expensive to model. I have a few of the right parts here for the CSX unit already so it's pretty much a no brainer.
I'll have to slightly modify the dynamic brake section by cutting it and moving the grid back by a couple mm, and also modeling the asymmetric sides. To add a silencer over the exhaust hatch I may have to scratch build this part since it seems nobody makes one.
For the rest of the parts, I will need:
Details West rock plow.
Cannon & Co 2105 EMD 50 Series Anticlimber.
Cannon & Co 1202 Sub Base - Dash 2.
Cannon & Co 1501 Thinwall Cab - Dash 2.
Cannon & Co 1204 CSX and Conrail Battery Box Doors.
Athearn RTR GP50 handrails.
Atlas parts speed recorder.
Atlas parts MU cables.
Detail Associates 2211 coupler lift bar.
Some lift rings and wire grabs.
I'm not sure on the horn, but it looks to me like they used Nathan K5LA, in a 2 bells back 3 bells forward configuration. If I'm correct then that's pretty cool because the K5LA is one of my favorites.
Hopefully I got all of that correct and I'm not missing anything.
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sgoti
Chairman
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Post by sgoti on Jan 19, 2016 8:45:31 GMT -5
If you can get ahold of one, the silencer can be salvaged from a GP50 DB hatch. Or an Athearn post-1980 SD40-2 DB hatch.
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Post by iomalley on Jan 19, 2016 9:59:54 GMT -5
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Post by shinobi on Jan 19, 2016 10:48:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the offers and advice Glenn and Sean. I've already gotten started on the modifications to the DB following the phase IIc drawings on trainiax. So far I've moved the grids back, shortened the engineer's side DB bulge, glued it back together and filled the gaps with styrene. Right now I'm just waiting for glue to dry before I start filling the gaps with filler putty. So far so good. I was actually able to re-use the bit I'd cut off the engineer's side to patch up the gap on the conductor's side, which saved a lot of time. Having had a look at the GP50 silencer and the product from MBE, I think I'm honestly better off just scratchbuilding one to fit around the original exhaust stack. It's not exactly a complex object. Once I'm done with the DB section, I'll take some photos and start a build thread. Thanks for the help guys.  |
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spike
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Post by spike on Jan 19, 2016 22:35:58 GMT -5
The other day at work I was looking at one of our ex B&M GP40-2s. They were built in late 1977, and have the 88" nose, with the GP50 style pointed anticlimber. I noticed that the middle step was more narrow. The inward stairwell was not smooth all the way up. On Shapeways I noticed someone was selling this type. Was this standard for phase II? I know that EMD had some odd types, as in the thread about the LIRR/NY&A GP38-2. I've also been on some Santa Fe modern GPs like this. Was it customer option or a phase?
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Post by shinobi on Jan 20, 2016 7:12:42 GMT -5
The other day at work I was looking at one of our ex B&M GP40-2s. I noticed that the middle step was more narrow. The inward stairwell was not smooth all the way up. On Shapeways I noticed someone was selling this type. Was this standard for phase II? I know that EMD had some odd types, as in the thread about the LIRR/NY&A GP38-2. I've also been on some Santa Fe modern GPs like this. Was it customer option or a phase? I think what you're talking about are the notched stepwells, which would be a phase. The step widths are the same from phase to phase, but the step well itself has a notch in it starting at the inboard side of the second step, going all the way up to the frame edge. These appeared on phase 2 onward, meaning the majority of gp40-2's have notched stepwells. It's the one thing Athearn kinda screwed up on, because their model is of an early phase 2, but has phase 1 non-notched stepwells. All their blue box and RTR GP models have this error if I recall, with the only correct model being their gp38-2. It's relatively easy to fix on the GP40-2 because thankfully the notch is pretty shallow. You don't have to scratchbuild an entire stepwell, you just have to cut out the corner from the second step up to the frame, then replace it with some styrene in the correct shape. When you're done you have to put a little block of styrene in place so that you have somewhere to drill a hole to fit your handrails. I'll be doing it on my model, since I've gone through all the effort of correcting the dynamic brake section. Another error that has to be fixed are the top corners of the pilots, which should have a small cutout. This is to allow an operator to grab the coupler cut lever while standing in the stepwell without having to reach around the pilot. Other than those details, it's a good idea to fix the bit of the pilot that was left open below the coupler. This is an issue Athearn caused themselves by insisting on securing the coupler draft box from above rather than from below, meaning the shell needs to fit down over the couplers. Fixing this means you have to find an alternative method of securing the coupler. I usually do this by simply gluing a block of styrene inside the pilot above the hole, drilling a pilot hole into it, and then fixing the coupler to it using a self tapping screw. Technically the interial filter screens are wrong too, but to my eyes the difference is so minimal that it's not worth the hassle and the $4 to cut them out and replace them with Cannon parts. |
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Post by shinobi on Jan 20, 2016 7:28:32 GMT -5
 This shows the stepwell better. I was actually incorrect, the notch technically starts at the first step. The first step is also more open, because the angled side panel doesn't continue below the second step as it does on the phase 1. |
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dtinut
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Post by dtinut on Jan 20, 2016 14:27:27 GMT -5
This is the type of steps found on the 2nd phase GP40-2. I know Athearn is doing these, maybe Atlas? I bashed an Athearn using the RFPM etched steps to build one of the last 40-2's the DT&I picked up. Brian This shows the stepwell better. I was actually incorrect, the notch technically starts at the first step. The first step is also more open, because the angled side panel doesn't continue below the second step as it does on the phase 1. |
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Post by shinobi on Jan 21, 2016 12:29:48 GMT -5
This is the type of steps found on the 2nd phase GP40-2. I know Athearn is doing these, maybe Atlas? I bashed an Athearn using the RFPM etched steps to build one of the last 40-2's the DT&I picked up. Brian The Atlas model does also have the correct steps, yes, and Athearn did them correctly in their Genesis line. For all who want to follow my build, I've now started a new build thread. You can find it by following this link: dieseldetailer.proboards.com/thread/16710/shinobis-gp40-phase-athearn-buildThanks for all the helpful tips everyone. |
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