I am thinking of all the possible conversions we can do with the GP35. First, Robert and Tim is going ahead with their GP39. The one I am proposing for Mr Lajos is to make the green goat. The chassis might need to be milled to fit a photo etch body, but I dont think it is as hard to make as the sw-1. Also, I really want the GP-40. I have look at the exploded diagram of the GP35 and I think that estretching the frame to a GP40 lenght might not be that hard. It would involve cutting the frame and strech it, then make adaptor for the motor and the fly wheel. Of course it is not going to be easy, but I find myself thinking of new engines we can make whenever I am stuck in a red light. John
well, the one i had been keeping up my sleeve, but was mentioned recently by someone, is a DD-35. once the shell is lengthened (or two combined) the shell(s) can be modified ok. the sideframes for D-D trucks will be the real work. i was thinking of adding "dummy" (not powered) wheels to the front and back of the MT truck, filing the side frames in order to overlay the correct D-D sideframes. i did this once in N scale and it was an impressive model. personally, i think MT would hit HUGE heights if they were to do the DD-35 themselves. They would then be suppliers of an available road switcher (gp-35) AND a big power hog that would look great with a gp-35 pulling along. only drawback, here, is it's essentially only UP power ... but hey, it's our railroad, right? one other fairly direct conversion would be a GP-15 (baby tunnelmotor). not that hard at all. I believe the gp-35 shell/frame is already the right length (or too close to worry with) for this conversion. i'd have done one or both of these conversions by now if i had the shells. ok, that's my 2 cents. dave f.
That GP39E conversion looks awesome guys! Real Life has intervened, and I haven't had an opportunity to really do any modelling as of late. Z scale tends to eat up alot of resources, esp. when one doesn't have those resources. On another note, the GP35 chassis and wheelbase are within a millimetre or 2 of a GP7/9/18/20. THAT's what I'd like to see
I have given it a lot of thought. The easiest conversion I can do is to make a GP39 without the estrech, but it will require the removal of the middle fan and moving the front fan back a little. It will be used as a parent to a GP35 slug, but making a slug its simple, just remove all detail.
I have given another mod some consideration. A GP38. A mod from a GP35 to GP38 will take a bit of work, but can be done in a couple evenings. Most notably, you have to make a resin casting of the 48" fan . Next you have to cut off the 36" fan, and the 48" fan in front of it, leaving the rear most 48" fan. Glue your resin casting of the 48" fan just in front of the far rear one. You have to cut a rectangle of 1/32" styrene to fit over the roof panel just behind the cab, and bevel all edges, then glue it on. You have to cut off the exhaust stack from the roof panel just behind the one you made the beveled panel for, then cut a 1/32" rectangle of styrene the full size of the exhaust stack roof panel and glue it on. then you have to form 2 small rectangles of styrene that are .05" x .10" out of 1/32" styrene to represent the replacement exhaust stacks, and glue one centered in front and in back of the dynamic brake housing 48" fan. Last, you need to carefully cut down the rear sides of the dynamic brake housing bulges to protrude just half of what the front sides do, as the slope of the rear bulges is half as long as the front. 2 minutes of carefull work with a #11 exacto blade, or hobby chisel. -Robert
Sooooooooooooo ....... are you saying that you are making the casting of the fans. It would be nice if someone could make the see through fans in z.
guys, the BLMA 36" fans (made for N scale locomotive detailing) is the same size and will fit the Z GP-35 fans (larger 3). i would have done mine with these see-through fans by now, but my LHS was out of them last week. the small (Z scale 36" middle fan) is not doable yet, though one may try trimming the etched metal and try to get it done, but i'm not sure it'd be worth the work. GP-30s had the center plate (BLMA item #87) while GP-35s (according to the BLMA website) did NOT have the center plate (item #88). which is interesting -- because MT made their GP-35 WITH the center plate version of the fan! i think it's probably a matter of road style, as to which is correct. i'll probably use the center plate type (ala GP-30) like the MT has modeled (#87). i know that early SD-45s HAD the centerplate on the fan grills (along with low mounted brakes on the trucks) and later version SD-45s had the more open fan grills (and also went to high mounted brakes on the trucks). this may be more than you wanted to know, but the point is the grills are available ($4 for 2 in a package from BLMA). fyi. dave f.
EMD fans 101... All GP30s and GP35 used either a trade-in F unit fan, a 36" 'cap-top' for the center radiator fan, or a 36' 'disk-top' fan. The 36" cap-top fan is easy to spot, as it sits almost flush with the fan mounting plate. The 36" disk-top fan uses an extended height ring... The 36" 'open-top' fan wasn't made until late 1966 (on SD38s)... it is the same height as the disk-top, but uses an open grill. As an aside, the first use of the 'open-top' fan was on EL low-profile fan equipped SD45s in 1966. Open-top fans were made standard by EMD on Labor Day 1967.
thanks, robbman. this helps everyone who goes to buy detail fans to know which is appropriate. dave f.
Robbman, could you provide pictures of all the different kinds of fans. Thanks for all the information.
Tall order... All shots are from Roofer Madness ... All four fans are 36" cap-top... Upper fan, 48" disk-top Lower fan 48" cap-top Inner fan 48" pan-top Outer fans 48" open-tops In 1980, due to FRA noise regualtions, EMD went from the open-top fan to the Q-fan on the radiator fans only... these fans were first tested on a few of the ATSF GP40Xs (and eventually retrofitted to all GP40Xs built)... There are two basic variations, single conduit and double conduit (i.e, variable speed)... the variable speed Q-fan was on option (these were first seen on N&Ws SD50S' built in 1980) until late into 60 series production, whereby it became standard (with the single-conduit as an option) Double conduit Q-fan
After checking out the CSX yard, it seems it is populated with GP39s(2). Just to make sure. To make a GP39, I need make it with open top fan. Am I correct. John
