I'd love to see that, but given how things are wont to change in the early planning stages of projects it's anybody's guess as to whether or not it will actually happen. Anybody know how well the COLA sets have been doing for Kato? -Mark
Brought my son's 3700 Class Challenger home today to test it out. As usual, it needs several wheelsets properly put into gauge (my hand laid turnouts have "tight" NMRA clearances). The CV's need some work, which is not unexpected to get the sound and performance "just right" for us (just like the Big Boys needed CV adjustment). It bugs me to hear the brakes squealing when the engine is at a dead stop , and the whistle is all wrong. I'll get it properly gauged, then he'll fix the CV's. I should be picking mine up on Friday...and it will promptly get re-numbered, the drawbar shortened, the oil bunker will get replaced with a simple 50's style bunker (handrails, rivets, an oil hatch and one vent), the ash pans get removed, and associated red wheels will also be removed. Marker lights will go on the tender for running light back to Ogden after pushing trains from Riverdale to Wahsatch, the smokebox gets painted SP Lettering Gray, the windows get opened up and a crew inserted, that big, fugly philips screw in the front stack gets replaced and rear stack gets drilled out. The stacks and shroud get painted flat black as does the brass bell. Then it all gets prototypically weathered, which is to say, heavily. I eventually will also fill the big daylight gap between the bottom of the firebox and the top of the trailing truck with a reasonable facsimile of what was really there, and also something to represent the pedestal between the rear engine (at the cylinders) and the bottom of the boiler. There's way too much daylight between the boiler and the front and rear engines on this model. I'll also open up the roof hatch and at least one of the cab side hatches, 'cause in all the non-snowy photos I look at, they're wide open. Lastly, I'll be replacing some parts with brass and lost-wax parts, including the generator and its stand (with a Precision Scale part), and the grabs on the sand and steam domes on top of the locomotive as well as add some stand-off piping along the sides and under the cab and lastly, wind deflectors on the side cab windows. This'll be for five oil-fired Challengers for helper service and three coal fired Challengers in freight and no-name passenger train service. I'll be doing somewhat the same things to my Athearn Big Boys too, so it'll be an ongoing project for the next year, with samples running at the NMRA show this November in SLC. Fun fun fun!! Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
I picked up this set and unfortunately it only provides five of the names I'm looking for (Portland Rose, Sunshine Special, Texas Eagle, Challenger and North Platte). Anybody know if there are any other sets that would have the rest of the names (Art Lockman, Howard Fogg, Sherman Hill, City of Salina, Columbine, Katy Flyer)? Or is this going to be a laser printer special? Thanks, -Mark
I'd be happy to do a Shapeways model, I was going to do it at some point anyway as I just picked up a Rivarossi Challenger and would like an auxiliary tender to go with it. To make it easier does anybody have a set of plans or drawings for it, the research is often the hardest part. I am a professional 3D modeller anyway so modeling is not the issue, I just need to know what to model. James
Spookshow, Many of those names are on 60-1056. MS calls them "Union Pacific Business Cars (1991+). Jerry Geisert
Hey, cool! Here are some drawings of the newer style - http://asterhobbyusa.com/images/Water_tank_car_generic_black.jpg http://asterhobbyusa.com/images/Water_tank_UP814_Joe_Jordan_concept.jpg I'll see if I can find any of the older style. -Mark
I haven't been able to find any drawings of the older-style tender, but apparently Lionel makes one in O scale. Here's an eBay auction with a dozen pictures from various angles - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lionel-6-38...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 -Mark
Let me check a couple of UP turbine books I have. I might be able to get some information there. What tender version, if more than one?
I have microscale 60-1056. I think it's as good as your going to get but it's not as current as I'd like as UP changed the names on some cars.
I think the only names that I need that aren't in either of the two sets are Art Lockman and Sherman Hill. -Mark
James, Here is a link for the Aster's 1/32 scale UP water car. Lots of detail pictures and it includes the two drawings that Mark gave you. http://asterhobbyusa.com/UP water tank car.htm Phillip
James, It would be cool if you could draw the trucks in shapeways also seeing as there not currently being produced. They are a feature that completes the model. Phillip
The Con-Cor trucks are pretty good, albeit expensive ($19.95 apiece from Con-Cor's parts dept) They use the same trucks on their 4-6-4 tenders. -Mark
Mark, They do look like the correct trucks. I could only find the listing for the power and dummy trucks for the turbine locomotives nothing listed for the tenders on the U50/Gas Turbine or the 4-6-4 locomotives. Phillip
I think it's one of those "call them up and ask" type deals. It'd be nice if their website was set up like Atlas's or Kato's as far as ordering spare parts goes, but I don't think that's ever gonna happen. -Mark
Hi Guys, Thnaks, some great info there. I've been called into work today, doh!, but hopfully I can make a start later tonight. And yes I will include truck frames, I have a concore 4-6-4, I will have a look at how it mounts and make it the same. Cheers, James
One note on the decals - Microscale set #60-636 is for the 1947-1991 paint scheme, and as such the coloring is wrong for the excursion cars. The good news is that set #60-1056 is for 1991+ and has the right color of lettering. And although Microscale is sold out on the latter set, I was able to find a couple of sets on eBay. -Mark
