I signed up years ago when they were first announceed and got 4 of the intermountain tunnel motors. I have never run one of them on a train. Decoder installation problems, flimsy handrails, incorrect details for the speed lettered ones, etc etc and although I detailed two to fix some of the inaccuracies, one thing always put me off going further - I reckon the 'tunnel motor' top radiator fan screens sit too high. So last night I took a knife to them and... damn, fixing them is a sub 10 minute job with a 1-beer degree of difficulty. So to fix the high-rider... get out a knife, pop out the rads, file down the bottom edges and make some minor plastic removals on the body so it all fits together snugly again. Glue in. Couldn't be easier! File to taste... Voila! Note stock height on the one at the back. I should slap some paint on to cover unevenness in the join, but its only really visible when staring in from a low level - from the requisite two feet away and above, it isn't noticable. Much better! Cheers, Darryl
Darryl - That looks really good. Are the pictures taken on your layout? It looks like Tehachapi, especially the 2nd one, looks like the train is westbound over the 4th crossing of Tehachapi Creek... Let's see some more pics of the layout (I model Tehachapi also -- pre UP/BNSF)
Looks like you removed the red UDE light on the nose too Darryl - how was that process? It's one of the reasons why I still don't have any speed lettered SD40T-2's yet.... I've always loved seeing your layout too - top notch!
Modernizing... When I first went to the Tehachapi loop 10 years ago I fell in love(platonically speaking of course!), and eventually I just had to switch to US N scale a few years ago and try to build a vague approximation of it (Dave - love your layout!) set around the turn of the millenium to the present. On my SP tunnel motors, i removed the red cherry and either filled it or left a notch per the prototype. I also blanked the headlights between the number boards and added 'fake' MV lights to the nose. Also added MV ditch lights, MU air hoses, A/C on the cab, I think I moved the bells (but don't really remember!), moved the air horns back to the long hood as well. The Speed Lettered one is one of my more subtle weathering jobs...! Some more pics of the layout... The green, green grass of home! needing some more trees and stuff:
I had a chance to see the top of a DRGW tunnel motor few years ago when a train paused at the Summit cut in Cajon Pass. I didn't realize that under the grill was a louver system! As the engine sat there panting from the run up the hill, the louvers would open and close! The screening was really very fine, so all you saw were the louvers opening and closing, giving a lound BANG each time. The louvers were about a foot wide, and stretched the length of the opening. Perhaps a winterization adaptation because of Moffat Tunnel route?
IIRC, all the tunnel motors have louvers above the fans. I've been thinking of ways to replace the fans with louvers in the IM units.
All Tms have the radiator core above the fans, then the louvers above that.. looking down you won't see the fans. The vertical length of the core assembly is ~16", from the bottom edge to top edge, before the grill. All EMDs have louvers behind the radiator grills... there just a lot easier to see on a TM
I have looked at photos of D&RGW TMs on the web and in D&RGW Locomotive Vol 2 and it looks like IM did a pretty good job getting that part the right size. Yours are way too short now, might look better to your eyes though. Just look at these photos http://www.geocities.com/drgwlpd4/Closeups/DRGW5350Detail.htm http://www.pbase.com/espeef5/image/39934528 I will have to look at mine I do not remember seeing that large of a difference
I can see merit in both lines of thinking, and that's weird because measurements can be taken off the real engine but the result is not comely to some. Contemplating this, I think it's a perception thing. If you look at the DRGW unit in the first picture, the grids are at the IM height, but the upper height is all grillwork and very lacy in appearance. The casting IM uses is, by necessity, much thicker than in reality, giving the model a slight "hunchback" look from a distance. Hmm, which to do, exacting height or a more pleasing "sense" of what would be experienced in the field.
