Hi everyone, The following new and reissued items in HO scale are now available from Imperial Hobby productions: 87107 NJDOT Arrow I MU Car KIT w/trucks 87503 Amtrak SDP40F loco shell w/ sideframes Also available now are HO scale decals for GO Transit, ACE, and Sounder. Coming next in HO scale are Comet III center-door cars and sets, and NJ Transit Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Vehicles (licensed by NJT). For those interested in improving the performance of the Walthers HO scale Amfleet I and II cars, IHP has replacment trucks for these models. These all-metal trucks have excellent rolling qualities, brake shoe detail and blackened 36" wheels. They plop right in place of the original trucks with no modification. Also available from IHP are GSI General 70 Inboard-Bearing trucks for the Horizon/Comet commuter cars. These cars are accurate reproduction of the actual trucks used under these cars, and they have 33" blackened wheels. Improve the operating qualities of your Walthers commuter cars with our trucks. All trucks are $17.95 a pair and come assembled, ready to install. Bulk discounts are available for those of you with large fleets to retrofit. More info and photos are on the IHP website. Don't forget to join our YahooGroup for commuter modelers. Some of the best modelers and discussions are here. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/commutermodeler Make IHP Your Source for Commuter Modeling today, because we're making what you want to see! (If not, tell us what you want to see!) Thanks, Mike Bartel IHP http://ihphobby.tripod.com
Hi Mike, and welcome to Trainboard... Here's a question, how close is the SDP40F to the Metra/Milw F40C's? Are they the same length? (I've been trying & failing to work that out, they look to have a smaller fuel tank at least) I'm aware of the fluted panels... Also, nice idea with the Amfleet trucks, those Walthers ones really do not behave well, I think I can forsee getting some of those next time I have some cash!
The F40C IS the SDP40F, as some traded-in SDP40Fs were rebuilt for the Chicago commuter service. They have fluted panels on the sides, which are their major distinguishing feature. Perhaps someone who knows the F40Cs better than I can tell you about a possible conversion. I don't think it's that difficult. IHP does not plan to produce the Santa Fe version of the SDP40F for three reasons: 1) they aren't commuter engines, and I'm trying to limit myself to same for easier marketing purposes, 2) I don't know enough about the conversions, and 3) the stock SDP40F shell can be easily converted. After all, that's what the Santa Fe did! I've got some links on the website to a couple of Santa Fe sites that show photos of the rebuilt SF SDP40Fs. It's easier than making a totally new master. Thanks, Mike Bartel IHP http://ihphobby.tripod.com
I'd be interested to confirm that, as that would mean that all you would need to do is add fluting to taste, remove the steam generator bits and add any Metra/Milw front end (light) fittings, as you say, pretty simple... (well, fuel tank excepting!) My own research (and I haven't managed to back it up either way yet ) had suggested these were new loco's and not trade-ins, they were delivered in '74 whilst the Amtrak ones were delivered in '73 & '74, which sounds a little quick for them to trade in maybe? I guess it's also possible they were either an "add on" order or a cancelled Amtrak order? Anyhow, I've just spent a short while comparing a couple of pics, and I think I was imagining the Metra version being shorter, (optical illusion?) the fuel tank is shorter, maybe that changes the look a little. Anyhow, counting body panels leads me to the conclusion that they are the same length! SDP40F F40C
Close, but no cigar. According to "The Diesel Spotters Guide - Update" (Marre and Pinkepank, Kalmbach), the SDP40Fs were 72' 4" long while the F40Cs with their smaller generator sets for train lighting were 68' 10". Truck centers were 46' 0" and 43' 6" respectively. The FP45s and SDP40Fs were the same length, however. It's perhaps worth noting that the F40C was built on the SD40T-2 frame and so that could be a starting point for a model. HTH.
Thanks, that does help! I wasn't imagining the length difference then.....DOH! (me & my big mouth!) So a workable possibility seems to be using the IHP shell with a 4' chunk taken out of the steam generator section (it's got to be that part of the shell that's different) on an Athearn tunnel motor chassis...sounds plausible, i'll give it a little more thought, but I may get one of these baby's built a little quicker than i'd thought! Oh, you were asking about possible other future projects, what about a shell for a "Winnebago", Metra F40/Amtrak F69?, unfortunately the Amtrak & Metra ones have a bunch of differences though... Possibly you could do the Metra ones as a replacement cab casting to attach to a Walthers F40? Just a thought. A Metra style air conditioner would be a useful detail part as well... All the best! [ 11 July 2002, 18:53: Message edited by: Martyn Read ]
Wellll....I'm not sure about that. The F40C came a bit later than the SDP40F, and was built exclusively for Chicago's Metra. IIRC, it was basically a cowl-body SD40-2 with fluted side panels, unlike the slightly longer SDP40F. AFAIK, they were built new by EMD. While the SDP40F was the same mechanically (SD40-2 innards), it was slightly longer in order to accomodate steam generators (to be later replaced with HEP gear as Amtrak bought more HEP-equipped cars). The SDP40F didn't last too long in mainline service with Amtrak, thanks to some derailments that hurt their image. The SDP40F was the suspected culprit, so Amtrak decided to replace them with the F40PH; in fact, some were traded back to EMD, where their components were used in the construction of new F40PHs! While some lingered in Amtrak MOW duty, and as testbeds for EMD, the true survivors were the ones that were swapped to Santa Fe, in exchange for SSB1200s and CF7s. After receiving mods to make them usable in freight duty (and later, mods to the nose and front platform), they spent many years pulling freight for Santa Fe, then BNSF. Many of them operated until very recently on the BNSF. AFAIK, they have now all been purged from the roster, although it has been rumored that one has been sold/leased to Maersk, to be painted in a special Maersk scheme (like the one GP60M 146 received). Now that, I'd like to see!
While most of this correct, the chassis you've described as having 43'6" ttuck centers is actually that of the SD40-2, not the SD40T/45T-2, which has a wheelbase of 45'2" (the same for the SD45X, SDP45, and the 18 Illinois Central SD40As.)
