O Scale SOU SD9 —> CG SD9

[davejfr0]

I kinda disappeared for a bit, but thought I'd come back and post something I've recently been working on. (Buying a house = huge time suck)

Photobucket has crapped out on us, so I am trying something new with shutterfly.  It didn't go so smooth, so I will probably just continue to post on my blog, and get those links of here when I finish something.




Here is a question for you guys - does anyone have drawings for the U-shaped fuel tank breather pipe? They don't appear to exist in O-scale, so I need to make them and can try from photos, but a drawing would be best. They were on many roads, leading me to think is an EMD drawing.




Here is an image of my initial unit, made my 3rd Rail, with 2R DCC.



(more photos and review of the unit on my blog: davejfr0.blogspot.com/2016/11/2r-o-scale-southern-sd9-by-sunset.html )


Here is what I am trying to get it to look like:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=405218

The list of things I need to do to this unit:
-Swap out Kadee 805s to 745s.
-Swap out Nathan M5 casting with a bowser cal-scale casting.
-Swap out cab shades with my own Southern Prototypical brass castings.
-Swap out the spark arrestors with my own Southern Prototypical brass castings.
-Remove all traces of the rooftop grab-iron on the front.
-Repaint and Redecal the numberboards so that the numbers are on the outsides of the boards.
-Paint the bells black.
-Paint Pilot Step Edges white.
-Reletter to CofG (black tux)
-Remove solder from the various pilot-step holes. Repaint.
-Remove either paint or solder from the round side-step holes using a drill bit. Repaint.
-Fix the middle steps on all units…remove, remove glue, repaint, reglue.
-Repaint mirrors and windshield black.
-Add The fuel tank breather pipe
-Weather.


Here are some in-progress photos of what I have done.

Get rid of SOU lettering and make hard to tell I did it: Lots of time with 1000grit wet sandpaper…and light feathering with an airbrush.




In Progress shot of filling holes with styrene rod and bondo:




Fixing Pilot Stripes (right):


Repainted interior to light gray, added better engineer figure:


New Accurate Nathan M5 (left):


New Spark Arrestors (top):




New accurate cab shades (left):





Thanks!
David

[Deleted]

Very nice build

[dale]

Who makes an O scale SD9?

[davejfr0]

Sunset Models/3rd Rail. Plastic w/ brass details, DCC ,etc.

I think OMI and PSC may have also done them back in the late 80's.

[largemike]

Nice work with the changes, always have the SD9 at the top of my favorite diesel list. It's too bad the roads I model, Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Coast Line, didn't have these units, although I've toyed with the idea of painting a couple in their schemes anyway just for fun.

Mike

[jmlaboda]

There were a number of variations done on these units once they were under Southern control even having the wheels on rails medallion applied that last time they were repainted which was a real surprise to me as I worked through a number of links of these engines. I don't believe that all received them but those that did looked just a little better... the SD24s started receiving them early on when the decision was made to add them to the standard dress (circa 1970?) but it wasn't until the late-70s that they were added to the earliest SDs, something that did not happen with GP7s and GP9s. These units were quite unique and proved their value to both CG and SOU during their service.

It's too bad the roads I model, Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Coast Line, didn't have these units, although I've toyed with the idea of painting a couple in their schemes anyway just for fun.

The Bay Line also rostered some early EMDs following CG's purchases after their initial order for ALCO RS1s.  EMD F3As and SD9s were acquired as was a SD40 (following CG's purchase of 10 SD35s, some of which were being built side-by-side with newer 645 units).  The two lines had a long relationship of working together and the influence is easy to spot if you know what to look for... there was at least one line of Seaboard that could have used such a unit had they not purchased the huge Centipedes from Baldwin which could be found operating with ALCOs and EMDs.  Too far a stretch... maybe not so much...

[tankertoad70]

Really fine work you have done there.  Love it!!

[davejfr0]

Jerry,

What's a wheels on rails medalion? Is that the rectangular plaque found near the EMD logo?

If yes or no, what is that plaque and what did it say? I would like to recreate that too, but couldn't find any information on it...just like the fuel breather pipes. Drawings for these must not exist, I've reached out to a lot of places that don't know where they could be.

All,

Does EMD have an archives or books with diagrams for all of their stuff? Since the same pipes were used on at least the SP, PRR, CG/SOU, UP, and BN, it must be an EMD part/drawing.

[Deleted]

The breather pipe you refer to details west makes them in ho.

You could use those as a guide just a thought.

[jmlaboda]

What's a wheels on rails medalion? Is that the rectangular plaque found near the EMD logo?

southernmodeler.info/MasterGraphics/SR%2020%20in%20Nose%20Herald%20Late-era.pdf

If yes or no, what is that plaque and what did it say? I would like to recreate that too, but couldn't find any information on it...just like the fuel breather pipes. Drawings for these must not exist, I've reached out to a lot of places that don't know where they could be.

The plaque you are talking about was a locomotive badge that some roads used to mark their power. Not very common on Southern but kept on the SD7 and SD9s for a time. The "SD9" plaque can be seen on the battery box just ahead of the cab in these shots, they have been available from Microscale but do not know what the decal is called...

southern.railfan.net/images/archive/southern/other_lines/cofg/cofg203c.jpg
rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=562312
rr-fallenflags.org/sout/cg203.jpg

[davejfr0]

Sorry for the delayed replies…for some reason, I thought I would receive emails when someone replied…I will have to look into that.

coaldog - I actually emailed DW and he said to copy it, but it's so small and hard to "copy" and scale up. He said his drawing was who knows where, because it was done some 30 or so years ago, lol. I can understand that. I've tried almost every resource to find the drawing. I don't know who to contact at EMD to see if they even have an archives for this kind of stuff.

Jerry -

I never heard that medallion called wheels on rails, but makes sense, lol.

As for the plaque I'm talking about, microscale does make the SD9 plaque, but I am referring to the much smaller plaque to the left of the EMD logo in this photo:
rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=562312

I have no idea what its for, but would have been nice to make and put on my SD9's.

[big train james]

Dave,
The plaque might be a trustee/lessor plate. Earlier versions would typically mention some agreement with the ICC. More modern versions refer to the Surface Transportation Board. Others would name a bank or financing entity other than the ICC. Just a guess.

Try a google search for something like "trustee lessor locomotive plate plaque" and you will see some examples.

Jim

[jmlaboda]

I'm with James... I believe it is a trust plate. The link below will take you to a Northern Pacific plate... what is on the CG unit likely is very similar...

www.pacificrailroadantiques.com/JMF%20Collection/DepotTrain/S146-1.jpg

[davejfr0]

Cool. Maybe I'll draw something up and run it by the southern modelers group to see people think and get them printed at some point.