This is exactly what I was thinking. Well done.
Michael Glavin said:
What prevents one from recycling the original cab and hood? It worked for me… I sectioned the number boards, the hood top and removed some form the middle and had a low hood. Took the number boards section and fitted it to the cab. Recreated roof line, added plastic for window frame and finally massaged all some.
Why did you shorten the steps? On the picture of the STMA 101 the steps extend to the fron of the nose just like they do on your high hood.
Devon
I have some Geep 7/9 stuff laying around if you get into a bind.
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Here’s some detail parts & a winterization hatch. Ozark has some details as well
Thanks for all the help guys. I have to work with chuck but once a deal is struck I will likely run the loco as is until some other projects get done. I need a loco to take to club meetings and this will be a good one for that. Then when I have something esle to run I will send this to the chop shop.
Devon,
Amongst other things the GP9 low hood units had the shortened steps. SP prototype for my model below.
Thats interesting and goes to show you that on these low hood 9s they were not really a standard. Here is the 102 sister to the one I posted in the OP
And the steps most certainly come to the very front like the high hood. So our prototypes are different at least in regard to the step issue. Now I wonder does this have something to do with being produced from the factory as a low hood 9 or being rebuilt as a low hood 9. The story I was told is that these started life as high hoods and were chopped down. I might even think they were 7s made into low hood 9s. but don’t hold me to any of it. they made several upgades when they were purchase and refurbished for STMA.
Devon,
I believe you answered the question in regards to short steps or not. EMD low nose units were shipped with the shorter steps.
Looking over STMA 101 and 102 they clearly stand out as GP-9’s; there are many tells. As you allude to if, 101 and 102 were originally shipped with 36" fan they are GP-9b’s . The last iteration of the 9’s was GP-9c with 48" fans.
Milwaukee Road ran GP-9c’s exactly as depicted in your pictures (#320), just sayin…
Michael
Michael,
I will certainly buy that they were built this way from the start. They are ex Milwaukee and STMA came into being when they folded and basically picked up where Milwaukee left off. The guy I got m info from was the engineer but was not there in the beginning and just said the were rebuilt and upgraded. Now he did say specifically that the fans were upgraded and the noses chopped. So I don’t know. At the time I didn’t care but now I would like to know exactly. Maybe they have the records it was 35 years ago and is under second ownership so who knows. You say Milwaukee had c’s that look like these but did Milwaukee have Highhood 9’s or7’s with smaller 36inch fans that could have then been upgraded to chop nose c’s???
Oh and after intense negotiations a deal was finally brokered and STMA bought a USA Trains GP9 from NP. It will soon make its way to the STMA shops for fan upgrades and chop nose modification as well as a likely remote operation upgrade. Thanks to Chuck Inlow for negotiating the deal on the NP side as he was very accommodating to STMA’s financial constraints. This generous accommodation wiil ensure a lasting friendship between the two lines.
As such this now frees up STMA to pursue an interchange arrangement with Washington, Idaho & Montana for an interchange at Bovil, ID. Steve will be negotiating the deal for the WI&M and STMA looks forward running there new locomotive on that line just as soon as the modifications can be made and the locomotive being released for service.
This is an exciting time for the STMA and there plans have been excellerated way beyond there orgnal expectations, going from hypothetical exploration to realized project very quickly.
Devon,
It took some digging but I confirmed, STMA 101, 102 and 103 were originally Milwaukee Road, 292, 301 and 322. All were new 1959 and were GP-9c’s as shipped with high hoods and 48" fans.
Congrats on your USAT GP-7 find!
There is a guy on Shapeways offering a real nice 3D printed GP-9 winterization hatch, but its not right for 48" fans… The frame rails are easy enough to modify, but the louvers on the hood and steps takes a little more effort.
Michael
The line to St Maries is already in. I’ll be building the turnout for the line to Elk just as soon as Joe and I can get some more frogs cast. This should be fun.
Michael Glavin said:
Devon,
It took some digging but I confirmed, STMA 101, 102 and 103 were originally Milwaukee Road, 292, 301 and 322. All were new 1959 and were GP-9c’s as shipped with high hoods and 48" fans.
Congrats on your USAT GP-7 find!
There is a guy on Shapeways offering a real nice 3D printed GP-9 winterization hatch, but its not right for 48" fans… The frame rails are easy enough to modify, but the louvers on the hood and steps takes a little more effort.
Michael
Hey thanks for the help and the information. That lines up close enough to what I remember being told 15 years ago or more from a guy who may or may not have had the correct story to begin with. For me and the story it is important to know that they were high hoods especially in light of your information about the factory low hoods having shorter steps. This makes sense why mine are longer. So now I know the story at least enough that I can speak reasonably intelligent about it.
As for the winterization hatch thanks for the lead but it would need to be the 48" fan size and really I have no bones about making one. I am sure I can make one easy enough its not like its a highly intricate part. The best part of this line is the availability of viewing the prototype pretty much when ever I want. Every Friday I know exactly where it will be and when it will be there. They don’t get to excited about people walking around taking pictures and there are some great vantage points that allow you to photo the tops of them so It will e an easy and fun project. Like I said this will be a runner and not a shelf queen so the ten foot rule applies. I even already have paint formulas for polyscale paint to match the colors.
Steve Featherkile said:
The line to St Maries is already in. I’ll be building the turnout for the line to Elk just as soon as Joe and I can get some more frogs cast. This should be fun.
Well you do realize that your line will have to be the place for the inaugural run. It will only be fitting that the STMA operate on a WI&M branch on its first go. Since this is very real world prototypical.
For those who care about what Steve and I are rambling about, the St Maries River Railroad bought the Ex Milwaukee Road mainline between Avery Idaho and Plummer Idaho and a branch line from St Maries (in the middle of this chunk of mainline) to Bovil, Idaho where it had a connection to the WI&M. STMA was a subsidiary of Potlatch Lumber Co. and when Milwaukee died it left them with out their vital rail link to the log decks up the two rivers down to their mill in St Maries and their connection to the outside world. STMA formed to continue this important rail link. It was the last of the true logging railroads thats main purpose was moving logs and lumber products and was owned by a lumber company. It is a shell of its former self the branches up the rivers closed and its only purpose now is to move finished lumber products to a connection with UP in Plummer. Its under new ownership and that owner buys up small RR and triess to keep them viable. STMA has a top notch shop and they do car repairs their and want to get into loco repairs. They are also looking into car storage and an excursion train.