More info, it will be the only way I'll ever afford one. Looking at what they go for on Ebay $1000Us, the HO/O scale ones are cheaper </font>[/QUOTE]Espeeman is waiting on "someone" who's now doing an AC-9 based on the LL Mallet and after that's done (we'll be very old and grey) a 'late' (AC12?) CabForward is planned. While the CabForwards are distinctive and fantastic the AC9 IMHO is the most beautiful steamer (well, maybe other than a Daylight) that the Espee had! The wonderful pilot, skyline casing and the way that the mammoth beast somehow was made to look like a racing greyhound is really something! Hopefully Espeeman can be bragging about receiving it someday? Don [ August 29, 2005, 08:43 PM: Message edited by: WestCoastDon ]
The CC 'War Versions' make into a pretty nice WP class GS64 too! Those shots show the recontoured steps, brass smoke lifters, new grab rails/stanchions, resin cast and modified nose, Zcoupler etc...but are before final weathering and assy- IE: no glass. While I primarily model the WP I also chose the Espee so CC made me pretty happy with this loco! Don
The CC 'War Versions' make into a pretty nice WP class GS64 too! Those shots show the recontoured steps, brass smoke lifters, new grab rails/stanchions, resin cast and modified nose, Zcoupler etc...but are before final weathering and assy- IE: no glass. While I primarily model the WP I also chose the Espee so CC made me pretty happy with this loco! Don </font>[/QUOTE]How could you do that to a GS4!!!
Ahh, the joys of kit bashing. Personally I find it very hard to take a steam engine out of the box without doing something to it to get closer to a particular prototype. I really like what Don has done to his.
Ahh, the joys of kit bashing. Personally I find it very hard to take a steam engine out of the box without doing something to it to get closer to a particular prototype. I really like what Don has done to his. </font>[/QUOTE]Russ, Ah, that's hardly 'kitbashing'- more like a lil extra detailing really. Doesn't compare to what I've seen you BUILD! Oh, and "how could I"? Blame the WP! Don
Don: Where did you get the brass smoke lifters and the new grab rails stanchions for the CC War Baby. How did you modify the nose? I have one Wartime GS-4 that I'd like to modify. Stay cool and run steam........
PSG, The smoke lifters are simple brass sheet, cut and shaped. The sections of handrails are brass wire using various Kato Mike stanchions which are the accumulated 'spares' from my fleet. Thankfully I never had issues installing those Kato stanchions and after a half dozen or so Mikes they add up to nice fodder for other uses. It's hard to tell from the pics but there is also a small hole which the stock marker lamps will show through. Various GS64s had dropped railings which looped around this hole and exposed the light better, but the prototype I modeled had a straight railing which obscures the holes. That nose is cast from a 'Daylight' GS which is a different contour than the 'War Versions' and then a styrene tube replaced the old dual headlight housing while the very small numberboards on that smokebox door were saved in place. Looking at the few GS64s which the WP ran showed some slight differences in contours and such between them but I chose the one I liked and then modeled that smokebox door/headlamp configuration. A very straightforward, not too involved project that yields the distinctive looks of the WP versions, I think. Don
There's alot of bidding left with three days to go. A final price of $1400 is a distinct possibility as the final hours of auction "frenzy" approaches. Stay cool and run steam.....
Verrrrry nice, Jason...congratulations on your second great motive power find in the past two months! (heh heh)
check the sellers other items - and the MYSTERY BIDDER that has bid ALL of the items to $1400 !!!! Mystery bidder wouldnt be the seller by chance?
QUOTE] While the CabForwards are distinctive and fantastic the AC9 IMHO is the most beautiful steamer (well, maybe other than a Daylight) that the Espee had! The wonderful pilot, skyline casing and the way that the mammoth beast somehow was made to look like a racing greyhound is really something! Hopefully Espeeman can be bragging about receiving it someday? Don [/QB][/QUOTE] Beautiful WP model Don! And thank LIMA for the beautiful design of the AC9.......boy could they build um!
Agreed on the AC9, OC Engineer JD. Specifically made to burn New Mexico coal. Later converted to oil and moved to Oregon. Also, the AC1, AC2 (On sale here), AC3 were the same type engines delivered to UP that UP referred to as the "Ocean Toads." Espee couldn't handle the smoke in the tunnels and snow sheds, so Espee engineering came up with the cab forward solution. The early ones were compound and were heavy tonnage luggers, slow speed. Later engines were simple and were faster. If you look at the AC2 for sale, I think that those big pipes along the boiler were a solution to reuse the steam (compound) on the rear of the engine. Is the AC9 above compound? (I identify them by the larger steam cylinders on the front. Don't know if this is correct.) I think all the AC9s were simple steamers.
Did you also notice the mystery bidder has no feedback and this person became a member only 2 days ago! Rather odd, huh?!
