SP in 1953, Daylight & Overnight

Onizukachan Nov 18, 2018

  1. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    It’s alive!

    There was 0 room for a decoder... so I had to come up with a plan B.

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    Yes, I did get the bravery to solder leads directly to the smd LED.


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  2. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    If anyone is wondering, this is why I am being careful to not go past 53, and not much earlier than 48... so I can run one of these one day.



    It’s a little ironic, in the age of steam, the freedom train was powered by a diesel...

    Less than 30 years later, it’s the age of diesel, and the train is powered by steam.

    If Kato will ever do a Freedom Train paint scheme on the PAs I’d buy one, wouldn’t you?
    Most anyone could run it, if it’s 47-49, this train was in your state. Except AK and HI which were not states.

    Edit: Oh no... how’d that happen? I suppose I could always buy one of the new Kato Rio Grande PA’s and swap the shells over. Wouldn’t want it to go to waste. Do the new PAs have lighted number boards, or is is still only the Daylight variant

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    Last edited: Apr 4, 2019
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  3. SP-Wolf

    SP-Wolf TrainBoard Supporter

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    When this train was put together diesels were just starting to come into their own. And, quite the novelty. And, most railroads were pushing hard to get rid of their steam locomotives. Move forward to 1976 -- diesels were utilitarian and quite boring, quite frankly (At least in my humble opinion). So, it was grand to have steam locomotives head up the new freedom train.

    Well -- If you really want the 1947-1949 Freedom train -- Microscale offers the decals for it. Paint the locomotive and cars white -- apply the decals and your good to go. Would be awesome!!

    Wolf
     
  4. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hi Richard,

    Here is my version that I made up about 10 years ago. I filmed it on one of my N Trak modules so there was not enough room for all the cars. As info, that is a LL shell on a KATO mechanism with Digitraxx decoder. The cars are old Rivarossi (spelling ?), I painted everything white and applied Microscale decals. It gets great acceptance during a train show. Hope you enjoy and thanks for looking,
    Carl

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Something to do. I’m almost finished with the Daylight.
    Doing the lighting in the new F3s will only be another day or so, figured I’d need a long term project. It’s a side project but on a scale that is achievable for a noob like myself.
    I’ll start a new thread for it when the time comes and not muck about with the focus of this one any further.


    Edit: Looks grrrrrrrrrrreat Carl! Can’t beat that!
    If you can’t beat em... Why oh why has Kato never offered this, they have literally everything it needs, business car, pa1 small numberboards, oobgobs of passenger cars heavy and light... then I would be able to just do the part I like, and not the part I don’t.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2019
  6. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    Contact Kato and ask them. I used to ask myself why nobody has done any NorthWestern Pacific freight cars. I sent some emails and both Micro Trains and Atlas have now done them. How about a Hercules Powder Co reefer and tank...done! Be sure to include a picture or two and let them know if you have any more data or info.

    Now I ask why no NWP cabooses...time for another email.
     
  7. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Got a MT PFE to play with, and an Intermountain WP PFE. Intermountain paint can’t be fade with thinner like the MT, but I like them more. The ribs are there so you get neat effects when weathering. The door opening needs help though. That’s bettor on MT.

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    Intermountain.

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  8. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    Those are almost 1960's in appearance. They still washed them in the '50's since they were carrying fruit and veggies. Appearance still mattered (some)
     
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  9. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Agreed, I was trying to follow the variance seen on photos at
    http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2011/03/modeling-pfe-reefers-in-1953-2.html

    I later went back and lightened the MT car back up.

    I have more coming and needed something to do during lunch at work.. That was a first attempt at using powders, wet and dry.
    What I’ve learned I to use a lighter color if I don’t want them dark!
     
  10. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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  11. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    Can't go wrong following Tony's advice. When it comes to the SP (and PFE), he wrote the book...no really, he wrote most of the books.
     
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  12. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hey guys,

    back in 1960, 61, & 62 I worked the PFE ice dock in El Paso. I can say the above consist looks very typical, but then I was always on graveyard shift so maybe a bit sleepy. My gosh those 300lb blocks made a real man out of me. At that time a few mechanical reefers were beginning to show up so occasionally we had to service the diesel units.

    Carl
     
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  13. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    I was attempting to post an image I have and finally found it. This picture was made by Mr. Gordon Motts who was a Signal Dpt. supervisor. This is a 5000 class leaving the west end of the ice house. Note the signals. The chimneys on the left belong to ASARCO copper refinery. All gone and land is being re-claimed. This photo was approx. 1955 ? ? ? The rails on left side are Santa Fe.

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  14. Carl Sowell

    Carl Sowell TrainBoard Supporter

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    Richard, I don't mean to hog your thread, but.............

    While looking for the above image I found some more.
    The first one, my father was the hoghead, is a Brookes built, for the T&NO, F-1, 2-10-2. This assignment was a work train doing roadbed repair east of Tornillo, Texas. Not sure what year but I would guess 1955-1958.

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    This is what she was shoving around......................
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    Hope you enjoy and thanks for looking,
    Carl


    PS: Here is the other 1/2 of the work train. An MK5 with steam shovel............................
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  15. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I know exactly where that is. I lived on Mesa by executive for several years!
     
  16. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Another 3 IM PFE came in, this time they are SP/UP PFE and not a borrowed WP PFE. But I thought it would be cool to have one borrowed car, thought seriously about getting a BAR reefer, but I’d need many more SP UP to make having two borrowed reefers in the mix seem right.

    While I watched F1, I installed the TCS decoders in the F3B (aka6102) , and glued in the 2 LEDs on the B unit. I also installed the American Limited diaphragms on 6102 and 6104. I am thinking of drilling out and installing the reverse lamp on the B unit, but haven’t decided yet.
    I still have MicroTrains short couplers to install to get the correct distance for the diaphragms... Jesus, I don’t even understand the directions for those! Lol.

    Sure, they should be f7s in 53, but everyone will just have to Imagine SP recalled a set from T&NO due to power shortage (since Kato BW F7s are seemingly impossible to find secondhand in DCC ready).

    Taking everything I’ve learned so far, tomorrow I will be ready to do 6101 which will be the lead loco...

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    Edit: after reading over the micro trains 1128 instructions again, I don’t feel like that’s something I can do successfully, so I ordered the short hank unimates, and just in case they are too close, the mediums also.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2019
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  17. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    You are doing crazy wiring things like lighted bars but you don't think you can do a coupler install. I think you are selling yourself short. You just need to hold your tongue 'just right' and it's not that hard.
     
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  18. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Installed the Unimates... much better.
    Also filled and sanded smooth the ding/ dent in the roof. Just needs a bit of paint now.

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  19. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    6101 is almost finished. Need to reseat the cab interior to the shell and glue it in place, so I can cure the mars light bleed issue, and raise the LED back up 1mm, but it is done. Diaphragms, unimates, full lighting, and something new. I tried Streamline Backshop’s twin beam photoetched plates for the mars. I like it. Going to go back and add it to the GS4 also at some point.
    I also drilled out and used a 403 led and Krystal Klear to put the reverse light in the “6102” B unit so that it would work if I ever did an AB consist instead of ABA.





    Because I didn’t post a pic clear enough to see wire colors last time...

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    And while the iron was hot, I added 200uf to the color changer LED in the tavern car, now it doesn’t reset to the start of sequence (Red) with every flicker.

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    They’re glued to the light bar posts (painted daemon brown two pics above) so they don’t move or bang around.

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  20. Onizukachan

    Onizukachan TrainBoard Supporter

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    I went back and did borrow mike Fifer’s technique of soldering the light at and tabs together on the tavern car. It did help out a bit with the higher current draw.
    only I applied the flux with a toothpick and flowed the solder in by turning the car sideways instead of have to bend the connectors out.

    Went back and adjusted the cab interior, plus sleeved the original 3mm LED with black heat-shrink tubing and this fixed the light bleed issue.

    I’m picking up and organizing all the stuff I’ve had spread everywhere for the last month or two, just so we can have the kitchen table back... plus I need the table to try and consist these 3.
    I duplicated the set up for the first loco 6104 in JMRI and then simply changed address and road number in JMRI for the 6101 lead A and 6012 B units, so they should be very close in terms of speed etc. and of course lighting is set up differently on the B since it has a Reverse light so I made those changes too.

    In conclusion, Here’s my F3 ABA which will be my stand in on the CME for the unobtainum Kato BW F7 ABBA. If I run across another BW DCC ready B unit to complete the set, I do have the diaphragms, unimates, LEDs etc set aside for it already.


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