Large Scale Central

Southern F3

Modeling Motive Power
#21

Every day is a school day as they say!

I’ve got some photos of the F-unit from our recent open house, which was on the 29th, so I’ll post them as soon as I get a chance.

Thanks,

G

#22

We want pics Gavin!

#23

Here are some photos as promised! The F unit has a short local in tow, and is seen switching the wholesale lumber yard which sits on a loop in the town of Somerville:

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/supagav/f3_photos/3.jpg)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/supagav/f3_photos/5.jpg)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/supagav/f3_photos/7.jpg)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/supagav/f3_photos/8.jpg)

Thanks again,

G

#24

Nice!

#25

David Maynard said:

Rooster, do you mean the air horns, or the horns on a bull?

Air horns are required because too many folks don’t know how to drive, and the engineer needs to scare em off the crossings. And RPGs aren’t really FRA approved.

Bull’s horns. I guess that’s so they can fight, since they don’t have fists.

The RPGs may not be FRA approved, but as an engineer, I certainly advocate the replacement of ditchlights with surface to surface missile tubes.

In any case, excellent work on the engine.

#26

That is a beautiful loco. The only thing that bugs me is that USA in order to allow the brake cylinders to not hit on the steps used a different casting on the F3’s than the GP’s. The cylinders are mounted outside the axles instead of the correct location just inboard of the axles like the GP’s. I ordered all new cylinders for mine and did a slight modification to them so they sit closer to the sideframe which allows them to be in the correct position but still allows enough truck swivel for curves down to five foot radius. Nit picky I know.

#27

Thanks for the kind words Paul!

Do you have any pictures of the side frames as you modified them at all as I would be really interested please? When you say you used new cylinders, did you use GP7/9 cylinders instead of the F3 ones? I have another USAT F3 on my bench which is currently in bits so I’d like to get things as right as possible.

Please feel free to nit pick away, I always appreciate a critical and talented eye such as yours!

#28

I do see what you mean now I think about it…! I guess I just hadn’t noticed before!

Here is an EMD truck which illustrates exactly your point:

Here are a couple of photos as a little taster of the next loco coming out of the Somerville & St. Francis Diesel Shops! Not much to report but just finished installing the new 48’ cap top dynamic brake fan:

#29

looking good!

#30

Gavin,
Glad you wern’t offended by the nit picky observation. I stumbled upon the error in location by accident. When I started to make the brass brake lines for my F3’s I used one from one of my Gp’s for a pattern. I though I had screwed up when the fit to the F3 came up short. That is when I noticed the difference. Anyway I ordered new ones from USA. Same ones as the GP’s. It is a different casting for each end of the truck so be sure to get equal amounts of each. As for the modification I just ground down the small tab on the back of the tank. This will allow the tank to sit closer to the sideframe but it will need to be glued in place. It is not visually noticeable. If you have radius less than 5’ it probably still will hit the steps. Not sure if I have a photo.

#31

Hi,

I just wanted to share a few more progress photos on the next Southern F unit coming out of the Somerville & St. Francis River diesel shops.

Progress is slow on this as modern life seem to eat up all my time these days, but I’m getting there! These next shots show the new roof top air tank detail, as the Southern relocated the air brake reservoirs to the roof to make space for larger fuel and water tanks. Also I’ve finished up the new 48" cap top dynamic brake fan. I was a little heavy handed with the file and sandpaper so I used 0.03" Titchy Train Rivets to put back those that were lost in the cutting and smoothing:

This shot just shows the fattened up tanks and the removed side skirts. I used the fuel filler caps and sight glass pieces from the old skirts to make pieces for the new tanks. I’ve still a little more piping and detail to add here too:

These last two shots are just mock ups of where I am at so far with this. Still quite a bit to do with detailing the nose and pilot with MU connections, air hoses, a firecracker antenna and a 5 chime air horn, as well as a new headlight reflector and lens. Oh yeah, and a repaint into Southern’s Tuxedo Black paint scheme too…!

Thanks for looking,

G

#32

Hi,

I just wanted to share some more progress photos on the next Southern F unit to roll out of the Somerville & St. Francis River Diesel Shops.

Progress is slow but steady on this. These pictures are a little old now as the loco has since been re-painted in Southern’s Tuxedo paint scheme, but they give an idea of all the various bits that have been added so far. This particular loco is one of the Southern’s dual service units, which was used both in freight and passenger service. The Southern upgraded these units in their Spencer shops, and in particular they moved the torpedo air tanks up on the roof to make room for larger fuel and water tanks below.

(http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii552/supagav/IMG_2455Resized.jpg)

(http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii552/supagav/IMG_2451Resized.jpg)

(http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii552/supagav/IMG_2448Resized.jpg)

(http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii552/supagav/IMG_2421Resized.jpg)

(http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii552/supagav/IMG_2426Resized.jpg)

#33

Here are a few more recent shots.

Most of the paint work is done now and I’m beginning to put things back together at last. I started putting all the glazing back but I just wasn’t really happy with the stock USAT glazing. For most of the side windows I used some automotive polish (T-Cut is the brand here in the UK) to removed the grey ring around the glass, but the windshield panes just didn’t really look right. In the end I decided to fabricate my own from Evergreen clear styrene, and these two pictures show the new glazing in place:

(http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii552/supagav/9.jpg)

I also used a permanent sharpie marker to colour in the outside edges of the all the glazing in black to try and reduce the prism effect where the light shines and reflects off the inside edges of the clear plastic. It’s not perfect, but I’m happy with the results as they are a big improvement on the original USAT pieces.

There is still a little bit of work left to do before I can finish up the decals and weathering. I still need to add some more detail to the underbody around the tanks where the side skirts were removed as well as fit the new headlight and reflector. A bit more detail also needs to be added to the pilots to simulate all the upgraded MU hoses etc, but I feel I’m finally getting somewhere with this at last!

Thanks,

Gavin

#34

All those details sure make it stand out from the crowd.

#35

Great job, there, Sir. I’m guessing that you know Fraser Neilson and Sandy of SGT?

Best frae doon here in the fens.

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS

#36

Yea, I can not understand why model train manufacturers can not get the windshields right on covered wagons.

That’s looking good. I may have to tap your brain when I finally get to my F unit rebuild.

#37

…winking…

#38

Thanks for the kind words! :slight_smile:

Tac, I know them well! Like my father and I, both Fraser and Sandy T have been involved with garden railways here in Scotland for a long time now, since the humble beginnings of our own Scottish branch of the UK G Scale Society. Sandy runs a very good service through his shop and still supplies us with our all our DCC and sound needs. This loco has a Phoenix board which was sourced by him!

David, please ask away! I’m doing a lot of this just by experimenting through trial and error so I would be more than happy to share this if you need anything. I also have a ton of progress photos if you want anything there too.

All the best,
Gavin

#39

Gavin Smart said:
I’m doing a lot of this just by experimenting through trial and error so I would be more than happy to share this if you need anything. I also have a ton of progress photos if you want anything there too. All the best, Gavin

I’ve been thinking about replacing the USAT glazing as well. What thickness styrene did you use? For flat cab windows wouldn’t slide glass work as well? But that curved front window(s) would present a tough challenge for slide glass. Here’s a thought to reduce the ‘reflection’, why not make a black gasket around the edge of the window opening much like the prototype?

Do you have pictures of your weathering process for the first F3? It’s nicely done, but not overdone.

#40

Craig: I can’t remember the thickness of the clear styrene, but it was the larger of the two sizes that Evergreen offer. It’s a good idea about the gasket but for me just using a black sharpie was enough. There is still a wee bit of reflection from the the stock USAT pieces that I reused, but with the blackened edges it’s acceptable to my eye! Plus the original unit was in the twilight years of its career in the late 60s, so if I weather like the prototype it will further help to hide things.

I’m more than happy to share the weathering, I’ll post some more pictures when I get to that stage.

Thanks again,
G