How about this: or this: Check out the relics in this shot: Top 2 pics are from Charlie Biel's (who I actually met at the Plano show!) site, and the last one is a George Elwood site shot.
Great! Thanks, Jerry. The Elwood shot fills the bill just nicely. Thinking back, I should have thought to bring the Spectrum -8 body back with me from Oz to supply a couple of sets of grills on the DB. D'oh!
The only problem is that if you wanted to cast the master from an Atlas part, or any existing part for that matter, there are legal hurdles to overcome and copyright laws to observe. If you cast it for your own use, and show us all how to make our own for our own use, is that infringing on any laws??
At least 15 of these ended up at a scrap yard in Portland Oregon. Not sure about any others. Here is some pics of the ones in Portland.
Good idea on the Atlas alternative. Thanks. My understanding is there has to be a major change to the base unit to step around the law. In other words, if you take an Atlas GP38 and do a minor mod then make a commercial casting of it, then you are possibly in trouble. But, if you use parts of a GP38 to create a totally different locomotive (memory gives me max. 35% original content for some reason) then it's a new model. In this case we're talking possibly of using a small part (less than 2%) of an existing model to create a new piece. Not that it's going to be a huge sales winner... hehe. Now if it's up to 35% of two or three different models combined... If anyone has a better understanding of the above, please let us know. The last thing I want is to have some low-life legal type in the US trying to screw the little man. It's bad enough our respective governments do it!
Regarding the casting issues, if someone was to make the mods to a B23-7 or 30, add a grill from a Dash 8, and cast it they would probably be OK from the discussions I've seen on the topic. What it really boils down to is will Atlas ever consider doing the same thing? Doubtbful. Regarding the rest of the B-units, here is a cliff's notes version... 1. Half of the units (the first order) went to Altoona, PA. 2. Of those, Providence and Worcester bought 5 and a maintenance company bought 5 for parts for the P&W units. 3. The rest were shipped to California via the SP Sunset Route to near McClellan (sp?) AFB for use as power generators as a result of the Cali blackouts. As I understand, they have never actually been used as such, just waiting in case. 4. The second order was sent to LRC in Washington awaiting sale or scrap. 5. Central Michigan purchased a few of these units. 6. As you saw above, many of the LRC units have met the latter fate. (scrapping) Not sure how many of those are left if any. 7. The "power generator" units have been sold to a leasing company in Illinois and are supposed to begin their trek back across the US soon if not already. I will be keeping my ears open about this as I would like to chase one or two down for detail photo shots.
Did any of the units purchased by the Providence & Worcester or Central Michigan make it through the paint shop, or are they running around as patch jobs?
Nope, these beauties are now wearing one of the sharpest paint jobs around, IMHO: http://www.trainweb.org/rosters/PW3005.html
Thanks Doug that is a sharp paint job. I did some searching and found these photos of CM locos. http://www.railroadmichigan.com/cm.html Some pretty rough looking stuff here.
A little update for those of your interested (aka a bit of a tease ). There's a batch of shots I've misplaced that have some in-betwwen steps photo-documented. I'm currently working on two, an original first order unit (grey) and a rebuilt first order unit (black). Anyway, here's what I have just taken... Filling in the cab guide grooves with off-the-shelf Evergreen styrene strips and sanding as appropriate (note the sanding debris). <img src=http://www.btinternet.com/~audiosat/pics/b30_7ab_1.jpg></img> The additional filter grills on the left side of the long hood. The access door that is on the right hand side of where the cab would have been, prior to being trimmed around the hinges. The same door trimmed and glued in place. This door was taken off the left hand side of the donor shell, sanded thin and then inverted. (You may even notice the T-latch is upside down!) [ 25. January 2004, 21:32: Message edited by: Gats ]
Thanks Jerry. Not B30-7 parts, only B23-7 parts. And that reminds me - I need to put together an order of parts from Atlas.
Gary, That wouldnt be an order for some Atlas SD35 trucks??For some certain C30-7's?lol.Very nice work Gary,do you have any time for another B unit? Jason.
Jason, no I wasn't intending to but now you mention it.... What did they end up costing a piece in $US, if you don't mind me asking. What I need to do is get the rest of the bits to do the other two B30-7AB's. I have six donor chassis but only had two spare bodies so need another four. Also, I'm going to play with doing a full infill of the walkway where the cab was using matching walkway from a spare sill assembly. Maybethere will be something else that will catch my eye, too. I have a partially finished SD40B in storage and a GP9B with me here. Still thinking how to sort the handrails on that one. Certainly, the current Atlas use of stryene cast sill/walkways and separate handrails make for easier modifications that the 'traditional' cast walkway/handrails in engineering plastic!
Gary, I finally checked out your site,WOW thats some pretty cool mods you've done there.Are they JnJ CF 7's? Will be ordering my trucks as soon as I fin. here,let you know of price.Sorry I cant help you with C30-7 bodies but will keep an eye out over here if you want? Regarding the engineering plastic/walk way drama,I came across this amazing stuff,http://www.coolchem.com/ Haven't tried it myself yet cause no hobby shop will import just 1 pack for us,dangerous goods & Aust. post dont mix. but looks very promising. Regards Jason.
Neat, isn't it? I recall an article years back, probably in Mainline Modeller, going through the various types of doors used on Great Northern 40' and 50' boxcars during the 50's. All of the doors were perched on easels for their photo shoot! More shots following shortly of the progress made with the walkway infills. Been a rather productive day, actually. The method I tried on the first two units. The filller was taken from a donor sill and trimmed to fit into the area removed that had no tread pattern. Quite a bit of cutting and sanding for the final fit but a nice outcome. Next B30-7AB I'm going to try installing the 'jacket' down as far as the walkway only and the filler piece will then require far less work (in theory!) Update! - looks like the first one is done. Not 100% happy with the walkways but it was the first attempt. Best be putting together a how-to for this, eh? Phtos to follow. [ 26. January 2004, 12:41: Message edited by: Gats ]
Here's one of the finished articles. The handrails are a bit dody on the left side of the unit as I was trying to emulate the prototype top mounting rather than having a side mounting like the rest. That way the spacing is correct and not dictated by the access door positions. [ 30. January 2004, 18:18: Message edited by: Gats ]
