And I don't really know where to start. I can't tell the difference between an SD90 or an AC4400 unless someone told me which was which. What makes you all decide whether you model one or the other? Same question goes for any other diesel locomotive. -Sheldon
It all depends on what you want your power to do and what era you are modeling. Here's an interesting link that TrainGeekBoy posted just this morning: http://www.urbaneagle.com/data/RRdieselchrono.html Look over the list and see if anything strikes your fancy.
Sheldon; It all depends on the era you're modeling.For the steam transition era I don't have any modern diesels. I don't even look at at SD-90's or AC4400's. I have two SD-60's which were purchased before I knew that I wanted to model the steam-transition period in railroading. Stay cool and run steam....
to Fiveflat: All I can say is that you picked an excellent road to model diesels in. Southern Pacific always has a roster of diesel locos of great variety, and guest power from other roads add to the mix. Me, I like the era from the 80's to present, when Espee had unique diesels such as the EMD Tunnel Motors that no other railroads (except the DRG&W) has. So pick an era and pick a locale, then start poring over Southern Pacific period photos and see what you can work into your roster!
I mostly like the transition period because I love steam and I really like the lines of the first diesels like the PA's and E8's and F7's (who the manufacturers are for those is beyond me though) I like the looks of what I think are SD90's and/or AC4400 and I'm not at the stage (yet) where I am too particular over whether a PA ran alongside an AC4400.
The PA's are built by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in Schenectady, NY, while the E8's and F7's are built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in LaGrange, Illinois. Alco is long gone, but EMD is still around... The SD90MAC is modern EMD-built locomotive. General Electric used to provide the electricals for Alco engines. When Alco exited the locomotive market, GE came in (and are still building locos today). The AC4400 is a modern General Electric product. Basically, you name a diesel and I'm sure Espee owned a few at one time or another. So you got a veritable feast to choose from!
Kato, and Con-Cor make PA's. PCM just announced a PA. Kato and LL make E-8's. Kato and Intermountain make F-7's. IM's F-7 is new. Bachmann made an F-7 but it can't compare to Kato or IM. Kato is the leader in F-7's. They just came out with a new F-7. Their original F-7's are still fantastic loco's. Stay cool and run steam.....
I have diesels from more than one era. I try to keep all diesels within each era on the layout at the same time. It doesn't always happen, but it doesn't bother me to have AC 4400s next to a set of F-7s!! After all, it is your layout. Do as you please!!!
doofus, That was my point, it won't bother me at this point. I was just wondering what makes a guy choose an SD90 over an AC4400, etc. I guess it boils down to what makes a guy choose a Ford truck over a Chevy Truck?
Three ways to go: 1) Careful historical accuracy - Which in your case would mean no AC4400s and SD90s 2) What ever you find attractive 3) Both You could actualy do both by swapping out engines and rolling stock. The GandG will compromise by not running rolling stock behind locomotives that would not really be haulling them historically. Examples: My AC4400s won't be haulling cars with roof waks. My Great Northern U50s will haul what ever they want since they are non historical anyway but I won't mix roof walks with non roofwalks in the same train.
Over a year ago, someone here gave mne that link. I have had it as a Wordpad Doc on my desktop for easy reference before ordering any diesels on line. It has been most helpful, especially since before that time, I received misinformation of start dates from a LHS. I suspect they did it just to get the sale since they were told my chronological cut off year.
The last official revenue steam trip on the standard gauge SP occurred in 1958. The road was dieselised for the most part in 1957; the SF Peninsula was steam's last holdout on the standard gauge SP and the overwhelming majority of the steam was gone from there by 1957. I have no idea when the RS-11s showed up on the SP. ALCo delivered the first ones in 1956 or 1957, but I do not know if it was to the SP. Every photograph that I have ever seen of SP RS-11s, show the bloody nose scheme, which leads me to suspect that the steam was gone by the time that they showed up. Thus, you could run PAs, RSD-5s, S-2s; F-3s, F-7s, E-7s, E-8s (but only one), E-9s, GP-9s, SD-7s, SD-9s, certain SWs; VO-1000s Trainmasters and yard goats RDC-1s (but only one) I do not know if the SP had any Limas, but no one sells Lima diesels in N (maybe brass, but I do not know). Those are the available diesels in N that would fit the SP transition era (that the SP ran, that is). SSW had FTs and RS-3s and GP-7s (including one passenger unit in Daylight colours), in addition to some of the types above named, but I do not know how often these showed up on the SP. I may have omitted a few that the SP ran in the transition era. The SP had GP-20s, but those are post transition era. Anything after a GP-20 is also post transition era, things such as GP-35s, SD-39s, GE road switchers and the like. The SP certainly did have a diverse fleet. The first generation units that are conspicuous by their absence from the SP proper are GP-7s, FTs and RS-3s. Although one manufacturer does sell them in Daylight colours, the SP never had any Baldwin sharks. As much as the SP liked FMs, they never did buy any FM cab units new, although there were two FM passenger cabs that did work the weekend and off-peak SF Peninsula trains in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I have no idea what they were or where the SP acquired them. I suspect that they may have been passenger Eries bought used from ATSF, but I am not sure. I have asked about them on numerous forums, but no one has ever had an answer. I do get numerous replies about how the SP never bought any new FM cabs, which is true, but these must have been bought used. It would make sense for the SP to try to acquire bargain basement power for such undemanding, off peak and low (if any) profit margin service, as opposed to spending a large amount of money for new power for this service I did ride behind them when I went to Bellarmine, as one was often the power for #110, which was the early train that stopped at College Park (if you had a before school activity, you took #110; #112 was the 'schoolbus on rails' that carried the bulk of the Bellarmine and St. Francis boys). The consist of #110 was often the FM cab unit and a single Harriman suburban coach.
Looks like SP did have AC4400's I'm trusting that this is fact an AC4400 as espee.railfan.net says. can't find SD90's though.
I think maybe the 90s came out after up took over sp in 96 or they came out just before the takeover paul
They arrived on the SP in 1956. Espee picked up the Alco RS-11 demos, which were renumbered to 5720-5722 and painted in Black Widow colors. Their next group, SP 5723-5729, also came in Black Widow colors later in 1956. 5845-5865 came in 1959 in Bloody Nose, and the last group, 5866-5871, which also came in 1959, were in Bloody Nose, and were the only low-nose RS-11s built. Hmmm...I dunno about that. AFAIK Espee never bought any FM cab units, new or used. For the commutes in the early diesel years, they relied on GP9s and FM H24-66 Train Masters. RS-11 5722 was equipped with ATS and a steam generator, and it might have seen duty on commutes. RS-32s were occasionally used as rescue power (due to their snappy acceleration) in case one of the Train Masters or GP9s failed en-route. Many of Espee's SD9s were equipped with steam generators and could likely help out if needed, and in fact in later years (70s-80s), Espee held a pair of boiler equipped SD9Es (4450 and 4451 - "Huff & Puff") in standby for use on the commutes. The 70s saw the introduction of the GP40P-2s into the commute pool, and to replace the Train Masters, the SDP45s were brought in (after they were done with L.D. trains, and electrical mods to make them equal to the Train Masters in acceleration were made). For a short time in the 70s Espee even leased Amtrak P30CHs for commute duty. In addition to all of that, there has been documentation of F-units (FPs?) used on commute runs on a few occasions, but for the most part, that was pretty much it - aside from some switchers and the Train Masters, there wasn't any other F-M power on the SP roster, new or used.
Yes, they most certainly did have AC4400s - I've seen plenty of 'em to know it as a fact. And no, they didn't have any SD90MACs; the last new EMDs SP bought were the SD70Ms, SP 9800-9824, which came in mid-1994. The Espee.railfan.net site is arguably one of the best sites out there when it comes to photos and info on SP power. Between that and books (SP Annuals, Reviews, etc.), there's plenty of SP info available. I'd also really recommend this book to help you make sense of the SP diesel fleet: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0930742265/103-1905253-0079053?v=glance&n=283155 It's a great book, and volume 2 (covering from 1966 to the end in 1996) is due later this year. Not a ton of photos...there are plenty of other books that can cover that...but it is chock full of data, rosters, and dispositions.
I buy what I like. I personally can't stand to look at the ALCO RS series of locos. I don't own any. But that is just the way I am. Plenty of other people must have liked them because that was one of the first models to come out with the advanced split frame that revolutionized N scale! The locos that I do buy, are locos that were actually on the roster of that particular RR. You may wish to entertain the idea of "Fantasy" schemes. Painting something modern in a "fallen flag" scheme. An Espee SD 90 MAC might just be the ticket!! I have thought about using the CB&Q paint schemes on ultra modern equipment.
SD90 MAC in SP anyone?: Original image from here: http://usloki.tripod.com/ I highly recomend this site for diesel lovers.
