Well, in an effort to insure someone will come-out with these in another month or two, I decided to start a GP60M kitbash! Since the SD60M cabs are actually incorrect for this model, I came up with a 2 window and a 3 window SD60M cab "splice". This technique rendered the correct GP60M-style nose shape (non-angular) from the 3 window cab I used. The cut locations also eliminated the rear SD60M window and shortened the window and roof area to a more correct length. There's still plenty of work to do, but notice that the front has been sanded smooth in preparation for a new door and headlight. Russ [ 26. February 2003, 02:03: Message edited by: tehachapifan ]
Hey Russ, You are a very smart man, ingenious might I add! I can't wait to see the results of your labor!
Russ, you are meticulous in your quest for accuracy, and you have just about guaranteed that someone will now produce one
Thanks SD80 and Alan! Here's today's progress.... Nose opened up for a new door (off a 2nd 3 window cab)..... Here's the new nose door in place. Notice the new headlight opening and the putty filling the top headlight..... Russ [ 27. November 2002, 04:01: Message edited by: tehachapifan ]
Russ, You never cease to amaze me! I have an Athearn GP60 that I hacked on, creating the correct step-well notches and adding a Smokey Valley GP60M cab. Because I put all that work into it, I am going to finish it. But, I have three more SV cabs that will be used on Liflike P2K GP60 shells.
AWESOME to say the least Russ!!! VERY, Very clean work as always! A very inovative and cleaver idea to say the least! Now, please, please, please post a photo of that cab mounted on the rest of the shell!
Thanks, guys! Here's the latest progress. I added battery compartment doors that were fabricated by stretching some Atlas SD60 battery doors. The other compt. doors and sill unit are from an Atlas SD60M..... And, at Craig's request, here's the new cab and sill unit affixed to a JnJ GP60 shell. I removed the stock JnJ cab, sill and pilot (under great duress and anguish!).... Russ [ 04. December 2002, 20:19: Message edited by: tehachapifan ]
That is awesome, I have been thinking about trying that, but was unsure what to use for the cab. Very nice work and thanks for the motivation. Will it be a warbonnet or a heritage 2?
Thanks, seant311! Glad to motivate! This will be an ATSF warbonnet with the small, white BNSF lettering below the cab number. For some reason, there's several of these units still running around in the original ATSF warbonnet scheme that look like new. They must have been fairly recent warranty repaints or something. You can see what I mean at http://www.bnsfpix.com/search/roster_results.php?b=100&t=162 The H2's are nice, but nothing beats the warbonnet on these particular units. Russ [ 04. December 2002, 23:04: Message edited by: tehachapifan ]
I have to agree with you there, Alan! And thanks for the compliments! Russ [ 05. December 2002, 05:28: Message edited by: tehachapifan ]
very nice work russ!!! kudos!! I'd like to know what your opinion is of the JnJ gp60 shell.... will there be any surgery performed??? from the pics, looks like the DB blister and the blower have decent detail... better than some units I've seen on ebaY!! One last ?... will you be using a atlas gp40-2 mechanism?? TIA Ed Dillard
Thanks, Ed! The JnJ shells are quite nice. The details are very crisp and there's few imperfections. A shell could easily be used unmodified (aside from some minor cleanup) and detailed and painted to taste. I did put together the master model for these shells, but I think I'm giving them an honest appraisal These were designed to ride on an Atlas GP40 series chassis (40 or 40-2). They MAY ride on a Kato GP50, but I have not actually tried it. The jacking pads of the shell line up nicely with the truck centers of the 40 series. Some basic shimming will need to be performed to get the shell to sit a bit higher than the 40 series shell would, so that the pilots clear the rails (the sill hight matches SD60 series models which sit higher than GP40 series). Russ
OK, I went ahead and purchased two JnJ shells today at the GATS show. After careful examination, I'm wondering if my original idea has some merit. My plan, using gp40-2's (non-DB), is to remove the DB blister from the JnJ shell, remove the flat area of the non-DB atlas shell, then slowly and carefully sand the JnJ DB blister to fit the opening in the atlas shell. These will end up as NS units, so the cab isn't an issue. Any thoughts??? happy holidays Ed
Ed- Is there a reason you don't want to use the JnJ shell as is? Is it simply an issue of using existing handrails? The reason I ask is that a GP40-2 has completely wrong radiator screens (too skinny) and an incorrect blower duct housing. I plan on adapting some Atlas SD60M handrails to this GP60M model and SD60 handrails to my standard-cab GP60's. Should be a fairly straight forward cut-and-splice for the side rails and an easy fit for the front and rear ones. Seems an easier operation than replacing the DB section. BNSF Fan, I plan on adding grab irons from BLMA, ditchlights, wipers, MU hose, new antennas. Maybe BLMA cut levers. Russ
OK, I finally got some photos uploaded! Here's the latest....fresh out of the paintshop. Still plenty to do though! Russ [ 05. February 2003, 03:43: Message edited by: tehachapifan ]
Russ, you out-do yourself on every project! Excellent, excellent, excellent work my friend! Keep 'em comin'!
