Prime Mover Location

[railfan1354]

Hello All,
a few questions I hope some of you can answer for me.
I am thinking of embarking on a SD40-2 mission that will have the center doors open on both sides.

1st question... Dose anyone know the location inside the frame where the prime mover should really be? I was thinking centered over the fuel tank but I would like to get it as close as I can.

2nd Question... Are there any locomotive drawings out there that show the prime mover in it's correct location? I have looked at several of the sites that have the detail and Technical drawings but cant find one of them that has the prime mover in place.

3rd Question... I will be putting a Walthers Prime Mover in this project and I was wondering what is the best tool to use on my Dremal to remove any of the frame that will need to go. I am using an Athearn unit for this project.

Thanks guys
Paulie

Read more: dieseldetailer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=que&action=display&thread=7055#ixzz17XmkkpGJ

[beentherecnthat]

The tall hood doors between the intake/blower bulge and the rads are the doors for the power assemblies (cylinders) on and EMD loco. If you SD has dynamic brakes, they are the doors below the DB's. The generator goes to the front of the prime mover. The Walthers is of an EMD 567 which is a first generation prime mover, but I think it looks close to a 645 which would be correct for an SD 40-2. Maybe someone else can comment on that.
For modifying the frame with a dremel, I would suggect rotary files or cutters, they work well on the soft metal of the frame. Trains magazine did a cut-away drawing of an SD 40 or a dash 2 which I have on my train room wall and it shows the prime mover location. Send me a PM with you e-mail and I will scan it and send it to you.

[railfan1354]

Dec 8, 2010 14:20:02 GMT -5 beentherecnthat said:

The tall hood doors between the intake/blower bulge and the rads are the doors for the power assemblies (cylinders) on and EMD loco. If you SD has dynamic brakes, they are the doors below the DB's. The generator goes to the front of the prime mover. The Walthers is of an EMD 567 which is a first generation prime mover, but I think it looks close to a 645 which would be correct for an SD 40-2. Maybe someone else can comment on that.
For modifying the frame with a dremel, I would suggect rotary files or cutters, they work well on the soft metal of the frame. Trains magazine did a cut-away drawing of an SD 40 or a dash 2 which I have on my train room wall and it shows the prime mover location. Send me a PM with you e-mail and I will scan it and send it to you.

PM Sent
Thanks Mike!

[railfan1354]

Dec 8, 2010 16:40:21 GMT -5 @cp9302 said:

The book 'General Motors Phenomenal SD40 Series Diesel Electric Locomotives' has a couple schematics for the SD40-2 showing the positioning of the engine.

The engine block is basically centered under the dynamic brake fans with the Generator towards the cab end. The cab is not always the designated 'front' of the locomotive.

Thank you.
I knew you guys would know!
I am learning all the time!

Paulie

[ssgburme]

The 645 series has round access holes while the 567 series has squared hole's. I don't know which of the 2 the Walthers kit has.
Karl

[railfan1354]

Hey Karl,
I went to Walthers website and checked into it and it is the 567 P/N#
933-3119. So I guess this will have to be a rebuild, and maybe I should put it in the B Unit instead so it would be a considered a complete rebuild , this would be a bit more prototypical correct?

You guys know A LOT more about this than I do! Now keep in mind this build will not be something that will be judged at a show but I do want to make it at least believable. Maybe I should use a freelance railroad so that way I wont have to worry about it being numbered wrong or any of that stuff. What do you guys think?

Paulie

[ssgburme]

Weren't they able to put 645 cylinder assembly's in the 567's?
Karl

[geep15t]

the best drawing is in a emd service manual. You can find this on the fallen flags photo website. The walthers prime mover is of a roots 567 B or A block. Very early engine. When they built the 567 C block they switched to round covers. The outside dimensions were the same for a 567, 645 and 710.

so the walthers kit would not be a suitable choice unless you give it round covers and a turbo(if you had the turbo doors opened). I was considering this modeling option myself.

@karl. You can put 645 packs in a 567, but it makes for less then desirable conversion. I've got one engine property with this mod. Nothin works right and it is not fuel efficent.
Joe


fixing the real ones by day and the little ones at night

[railfan1354]

Dec 9, 2010 9:44:44 GMT -5 geep15t said:

the best drawing is in a emd service manual. You can find this on the fallen flags photo website. The walthers prime mover is of a roots 567 B or A block. Very early engine. When they built the 567 C block they switched to round covers. The outside dimensions were the same for a 567, 645 and 710.

so the walthers kit would not be a suitable choice unless you give it round covers and a turbo(if you had the turbo doors opened). I was considering this modeling option myself.

@karl. You can put 645 packs in a 567, but it makes for less then desirable conversion. I've got one engine property with this mod. Nothin works right and it is not fuel efficent.
Joe


fixing the real ones by day and the little ones at night

Hey Joe,
I would really like to see this drawing can you give me a bit more help to direct me to it PLEASE!
Paulie

[railfan1354]

THAT IS AWESOME
Thank you so much, and one of my all time favorite locomotive too

Man I love this place, you guys are great.
I may not ever get to be as good a modeler as some of you all are but I sure will have a much better education by hanging around here.

Paulie

[sd45longhoodfoward]

Paulie that will make a very Interesting Model i cant wait to see your results I think most of us Including my self should think on doing projects like that instead of the usual model locomotive especially those of us in here that have the skills to build this kind of model .never in my 36 years of being involved in model railroading have i seen a complete shop with several diesels in different states of repair in a single shop.it would definitely make a prize winning model.the skills in this forum is Thur the roof there is an intelligence level in here that almost matches NASA to bad locomotive don't fly????lol

[railfan1354]

Thanks for the encouragement, I just hope it all comes together according to plan. My brother is sending me the unit that he cut the center section out of to try something like this years ago but never got around to it. He has since changed scales and offered it to me when I told him I was planning something like this. I have other plans for it as well and hope to get all my ducks in a row for that so when the Prime Mover gets to the hobby shop where he works then all the rest of the stuff will be on it's way to me. I know that by what I am being told by Joe that the Walthers Prime Mover is really not the correct one for an SD40-2 but I still want to move forward with the project (Don't be mad Joe you wont have to service it LOL)

All the great responses I have gotten so far and the education I am receiving will help with this one and the next idea that will follow and that one will be much more prototypical.

Again thanks to all that have jumped in with your help and I hope to get started on this soon. I am sure I will have more questions as I get into this.

Paulie

[big train james]

Dec 8, 2010 12:55:50 GMT -5 railfan1354 said:

2nd Question... Are there any locomotive drawings out there that show the prime mover in it's correct location? I have looked at several of the sites that have the detail and Technical drawings but cant find one of them that has the prime mover in place.

Just curious what are these sites that have the detail and technical drawings for an sd40-2. I would really like to get my hands on some accurate technical drawings with dimensions for this engine.

Thanks
Jim

[Freightrain]

If you haven't seen my thread already heres the link dieseldetailer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ot&action=display&thread=3165 you can use it to color and weather the prime mover.