Z Scale GP60

GP60 and Trade

Joe you indicated that you might be willing to trade cast shells of the GP60.
If so I sure would like a couple shells, but I don't know what kinda stuff you'd want
for a trade. How about one half trade for rolling stock etc, and the other half for cash.
However how you want to deal is allright with me.

 

John,

What is the story on that CSX unit? The nose curves seem pretty broad. Was it the first GP60?

Edit:
Nevermind I found it. It was a demonstrator unit:
http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=82214
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=169705

 

Yep. I'm using three sources, one is the set of drawings in the 60th anniversary issue of MR, another set from Model Railroad Craftsman and one from Diesel Era...looks good enough for me.

 

Weren't there three demos?

 

Progress...I got the chassis modified and no new holes in my fingers! Yea!! Life's little victories. Anywho...I used .045" Brass rod, which makes drilling the holes very tricky. I was going to set it up on my Unimat Mill at home, but ended up doing it freehand just to prove it could be done by the average guy with handtools. I used a set of calipers to mark the drill spots, used a .020" drill bit in a hand vice to start the hole and then finished up with a dremel. It can be done by hand, but it takes awhile. I made sure to drill through to the void where the motor sits so I could adjust the length of the spacer. Once I got things fixed, I trimmed the excess rod, superglued everything and then made sure things lined up. The brass is great for minor adjusting. As you can see from the photo, I used the worm gear and shaft from the new SD40-2, works out great. No extra spacers, just pulled the parts off the GP35 shaft and refit them. Still have to test run it today, but don't expect any nasty surprises.

The shell has it's first coat of paint...sorry, no CSX running around here! :O) The vents on the Dynamic brake will be a decal this time around, when I rework everything on the final pattern, I'll have etchings for all the parts I hand fabricated. Today I'll get the artwork for the railing finished at lunch, hopefully will have it ready to glue on later tonight.

Cheers

Joe
MTL

 

cast the shell and stick a cab on it, and you can have one of these:
http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=28627
dave f.

 

Joe, great thing, I'd like a shell too, What do you need?

 

Running Update. Got the frame together and it runs as smooth as the top of Loren's head ) That new Worm Gear makes all the difference in the world.

Joe
MTL

 

joe, is this the first one you've done? it's so gratifying to see the cut-up parts go back together and function as well as before. you did a really nice job on it too. my first one was a little "twisty", but that is the beauty of this approach. you can bend and twist to get it in alignment and then fill the gap and have a nice solid chassis.

have the people at MTL seen it yet? i wish i could see their reaction when you bring it in -- and run it! NICE!
dave f.

 

I've cut two apart and neither got much beyond the butcher stage. The difficult part was making the adapter to make the worm shaft longer. Now that's not a problem! Most folks at work aren't really model railroaders so I don't think they really appreciate the bits and pieces, but the finished stuff they really like. I think the first reaction was "why did you cut a good chassis apart?" "Cause it's there" I responded. I think they expect I'm never going to leave well enough alone and kinda humor me. You know Dave, we all sort of move through the minutia of this hobby and can tell the difference between a GP35 and a GP38, but to most everyone else they look the same. When they looked at the GP60 they thought they were looking at a GP35 and couldn't figure out why I was waving my arms in the air. Thank goodness for Boards!

Joe

 

I made the same experience with "non-zetties" or "non-railroader": the only difference they can figure out is between a high and low nose unit.......