Just received MT set of EJ&E flats. The load is something I had never heard of. M65 "Atomic Cannon" !!! Researched the real thing, checked out the model closely. Although I'm ex-USN, I HAVE to build this Army vehicle / weapon !!!
Some day I'll stop buying LL GP20s and start buying decoders to covert the half dozen or so I already have to DCC. But today was not that day. Yet another SP 4077 is on its way to me to get re-numbered and added to the flock.
Today I received a GP38 BNSF patched Santa Fe shell that I had ordered off of ebay and a Centerline Products rail cleaning car from Factory Direct Hobbies. The track cleaning car came with 20 free cleaning pads as a Black Friday/ Cyper Monday deal. This was a great deal as the car already comes with a bunch of cleaning pads and since this was my first mail order with them, they gave me a $15 online gift card which I already used to order a couple of N scale delivery vans. They were great to deal with, they shipped the same day I ordered and it came labeled "fragile", a first for me. And true to his word, the guy I purchased the shell from also packaged it well. I was glad because as many packages being shipped, they sometimes float around the system awhile before being delivered. I don't know how our postal delivery people do it, it's like they get in their vehicle them someone pours the boxes around them, even stacked on their lap. We always give them a giftcard for Christmas so they can have a treat or coffee/donut. Now I'm going to purchase me a GP fuel tank cover to paint black to complete my GP38 ensemble. Ralph
UMTRR, the "load" needs to be assembled, painted, decaled, etc. This will take a while. It takes 4 flat cars to move this thing !!! It's BIG !!! The cars are FANTASTIC, but I like anything EJ&E. Family and friends worked there, I live 1/4 mile from the Joliet yard, alot of history.
jwaldo, leave my GP20s alone !!! I have 4 for BN, 3 for AT&SF, 1 for PC. I also have 3 undecs that will be high-nose for BN someday. Want a couple more for PC, maybe one for N&W. LOVE the things !!! Used to see them here and there on AT&SF locals here in Joliet, IL. Saw a brace of 5 pulling a grain train through Knoxville, IA and just knew I had to get more of them !!!
That LL GP20 is an absolute gem in every aspect! Shell detail, paint, handrails are all stunning (I have a pre-DCC-ready one in SP). Runs flawlessly too. Blows my mind every time I look at it (LL could really knock it out of the park when they wanted to). I still need to convert mine to DCC and maybe even sound If I can figure out how. Edit: I think there might have been an even earlier version of the GP20 that isn't even mentioned at N Scale Encyclopedia. That one looked pretty rough by comparison.
At one time in early 2000s the LL GP20's were so over produced that several retailers had them on close out special for as low as $15.00 each. I bought 10 UP #474 units to repaint for other railroads. I really wanted to do high hood Western Pacific units. Always hoped Walthers would do the high hood units. Maybe Atlas will do them???
Calzephyr, I have read two ways to make the highnose. Grafting Atlas GP9 nose seems to be the best. That way you can retain GP20 fuel tank. Mine will be BN, inherited from GN during the merger. Hi-nose, long end forward... it just doesn't get any better !!!
Western Pacific ran theirs short hood forward. They only a few and had a big barrel light mounted somehow on that end. Not sure if they had the same light arrangement on the long hood.
WP had 10 GP20 #2001 - #2010. Diesel Locomotives of the Western Pacific by Joseph A. Strapac has a photo on page 101 of silver and orange GP20 #2004 with a barrel head light on the rear. Numerous photos in Chapter 7 show as delivered silver and orange units with barrel headlights both front and rear. Additional photos of the later green painted units are shown with and without barrel head lights. There are photos of green #2009 and #2010 with sealed beam headlights on page 108 and 109. The caption for green and orange #2010 states that "At the end, almost every WP hood unit that had been built with single-bulb headlights had been converted to dual-element, sealed beam devices".
The GP20 high hoods were delivered with the twin lights on both ends... but WP immediately changed them to the large single "barrel" light. The original numbers in the silver/orange/black scheme were 701 to 710. Union Pacific's acquisition of WP lead to the Perlman Green body/orange lettering and the renumbering from 2001 to 2010. Eventually Union Pacific repainted them to Armour Yellow/Harbor Mist Grey and put back the twin beam lights on each end as originally delivered.
Oh wow, I bought myself a Christmas gift! I've been obsessed lately with Shays, and found a decent one on the auction site, Yay! Damn these cost a lot considering they're only DC, but at least this one seemed to be on the lower range of costs. I think I'm going to build a small (micro?) switching layout just for this.
Well... Lowell Smith sent me a surprise package with 4 newly tooled 'blunt end' observation cars. They are prototypical for the roads sent. Southern Pacific 1958 general service. Southern Pacific Cascade (TTG). Union Pacific CoLA. Union Pacific CoSF. These are really nicely done. They have lighted tail light. The placard is not lit though.
While I was at it, I decided wny not get this one as well. It is always nice to have an East and West bound passenger train. I have the first release of this passenger train already.
