Well I may have found a solution. Women’s eye liner pencils have plastic caps that may fit. I was looking for glass too. I may have to custom make a metal base (plastic) for the beacon.
The unit looks good Joe !
Mike , just simply 16 gauge stranded wire with red insulation.
Joe Paonessa said:
I’m going to paint a Great Trains PRR F40PH shell for Amtrak. I’m thinking that the black top version (phase) is the way to go. I never saw any painted with the wave scheme of the Genesis. I obviously don’t know what all the schemes are. Phases I, II, III, IV,… I believe they repainted some later on that were still being used in some kind of tribute scheme?
Below are the main phases Amtrak painted their F40s. The majority of the time they wore phase III.
Phase II was the early as delivered scheme. But it didn’t last that long. Phase IV wasn’t very common either. Only a few F40s got phase IV paint, and this was toward the end of their usage.
A select few that were converted to cab baggage (“cabbage”) units received a version of phase V. See the last image for that.
Hello Matt. Are you still looking?
I saw a picture of a very similar looking older model that has 6 axles. Maybe it’s an EMD F40C?? It has the exact look of a F40PH to me with an extended section on the rear.
http://www.thedieselshop.us/Data%20EMD%20F40C.HTML ???
Do you know when they ran on the rails for Amtrak?
Maybe it was actually this one?? SDP40F
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=emd+f40c&view=detailv2&&id=8B598E292036825FBD6BC5C52EA52FA19300344C&selectedIndex=133&ccid=WD8S65Y2&simid=608053798408293595&thid=OIP.M583f12eb96368f055b89b77cd9babb24o0&ajaxhist=0
I think I found a great explanation of these engines history:
Yes that is an SDP40F …one of the later ones as it has the phase 3 striping and the front walkway. They pulled them (actually traded them to Santa Fe) because of derailment issues. However I believe I read somewhere that they figured out later it wasn’t really the locomotive causing the issue but the baggage car.
If you decide to model it you would start with and SD40-2 or at least I would.
Some SDP40F derailments were apparently caused by neither locomotives nor cars:
About 2:45 a.m., on December 16,1976, 1 SDP-40F locomotive unit and 11 cars of Amtrak train No. 6 derailed when leaving a 2 degrees 30’ curve on the Burlington Northern track near Ralston, Nebraska.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the lateral movement of the high rail and widening of track gage when the deteriorated crossties were unable to withstand the lateral forces generated by the locomotive while the train was traveling at a speed of 53 mph. Contributing factors were the weakened crosstie spikehole condition and the existing wide gage that conformed to the Federal Track Safety Standards for Class 4 track.
http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/RAR7708.aspx
And note the low proportion of derailments involving SDP40F
13 During 1974, there were 34 Amtrak derailments. About six of those were pulled by the SDP40F, but at least two involved collisions with motor vehicles. About 75-80% of their trains, according to Mr. Beischer, were being pulled by the SDP40F, although only one-sixth of the derailments were drawn by the SDP40F. In 1975, there were 28 derailments, three were pulled by the SDP40F, one of which was the accident in question. Electromotive Division (of General Motors) also made tests on the locomotive March 8 and April, 1974. Mr. Beischer did not find anything in their report to indicate the locomotive was unsafe. Electromotive also conducted tests in Pennsylvania in July 1974. The SDP40F was found to exert less lateral force than exerted by the 85-foot freight train or the 3-axle freight locomotive, but greater lateral force than exerted by the 2-axle freight locomotive. In September 1974, an FRA representative suggested that before an instrumented test site was dismantled Amtrak test its SDP40F and compare it to the E 8 type locomotive. This was done, but it did not show any undue or unusual forces generated by the locomotive. Further testing on the ride was done on the Seaboard Coastline in October 1974, but nothing indicated that the SDP40F was unsafe. After the accident, an SDP40F (but not the one involved in the accident) was tested on an instrumented rail and compared to two other kinds of engines. Again, Mr. Beischer did not find the results indicating any undue lateral forces from the SDP40F.
http://openjurist.org/621/f2d/814/thompson-v-national-railroad-passenger-corporation
Right now I’m undecided on how to proceed. I figure now would be the time to stretch the GT shell. I could simply make a new chassis for it too. I don’t think it would be worth trying to add to the chassis. I don’t know how the fuel tank area is attached though.
It would be easiest to just strip it and use it as is. I have a feeling that I’ll always be making excuses for how short it is. That’s why I also looked at the 6 wheel version. Maybe if I can get my hands on more of these, I could make other variations. For now, I’d better stick to a F40PH. So I’ll look closer at David’s to see how it’s done.
Joe
Just so you understand the difference between my model and the Great Trains
Wow. Now I really understand! Thanks.
I’m running mainly 1/32 scale. It shouldn’t be that big of a difference! I’ll have to check all the dimensions! If it were 16’ high in real life, it would be 6.62" in 1/29 scale, and 6.00" in 1/32 for example only. That sure looks like a bigger difference to me.
Someone here had just emailed me the drawings of the F40PH when my old computer got hacked and crashed. I need to see if I can go revive those drawings from it.
How about a nice side picture of your F40PH so I can copy??? Buddy!!
Did you use LGB scale for measurements?
Actually I did use LGB scale. I believe my 40 scales out to like 1:26 or 1:27th but I modeled by eye so it would blend in with the LGB Amfleet cars and also the Aristo stuff. Same rule was applied when I built the Superliners and the Viewliners.
Here is a great resource for prototype pics if you don’t have it already
Hebners is a great resource. Thanks. You gave me it a few pages back.
I apologize in advance and please tell me if I should start another post. I could delete many responses too.
I’m not sure what I’ve done but it’s too late to turn back now…
Wow, it is way too short…
If you are badging it Amtrak then no need to start another thread as it’s already been started and staying on topic!
You could just stop and send me the shell? Always wanted to whore up a Ralph Brown 40. He was a pioneer along with a few others!
I was going to strip the paint off first. Then I thought to myself, I may as well wait and see what I can do. Yes of course, it has to be Amtrak. I follow this thread and love to participate. Slicing up this shell so much, I may have been as well off to build from scratch. The cab area looks horrible now that I’ve seen yours. I can add ditch lights and stuff. Making the windows better, maybe a big chore.
Maybe we could call her yours little sister?
Hmmm, too busy typing and dicing to read the post. Maybe I could sell the pieces and start fresh? I have a spare cab laying around here somewhere.
Would you make a cabbage???
Joe Paonessa said:
Would you make a cabbage???
Yep …you give me the shell to cut up
I was thinking of packing up this shell (in two pieces now) and sending it so that you’d make more Amtrak.
It occurred to me that you already have one at least. Who’s Chessie version is in the pics? Wouldn’t it be too small next to yours?
I have a USA CR SD9 that you could chop up. http://rldhobbies.com/usar22100r.aspx
Maybe farther off the mark but at least it’s 1/29.
I have a GP30 in pieces that maybe closer? http://rldhobbies.com/r22468.aspx
I found the PMI shell and it’s a Canadian cab http://rldhobbies.com/amtrakpassengercars.aspx
http://rldhobbies.com/images/products/thumb/cnsc.png
I thought they were going to offer a wide hood version of something? Might have been a better starting point. I also heard that USA was considering new projects and considered making a F40PH. Never heard which they chose to do next.
http://www.gscaletrainforum.com/uploads/monthly_06_2015/post-23-0-73145700-1433704067_thumb.jpg
http://www.gscaletrainforum.com/uploads/monthly_06_2015/post-23-0-79184800-1433704051_thumb.jpg