Western Maryland Dumb - please educate me "Atlas Style"

[Spikre]

 
  for some real fun add in the Circus FA-2.
  it was mixed with most anything until sent to GE
  for conversion to a LI Power Cab.
     Spikre
       

[cjm413]

The GP-35's showed up on the WMRY in their original numbers 501-505 with Speedscript in December of 1963. They kept their original numbers until 1967 when they were renumbered 3576-3580 to better fit the Boring & Ominus, numbering system.

Out of curiousity, was there any reason why the GP35's were promptly renumbered vs. the GP's and F's that retained their original #'s into the $#!++y Kitty era?

[Mark5]

  for some real fun add in the Circus FA-2.

As WM is one of my secondary faves, I've been waiting a looooong time for someone to release a WM circus FA-2.

As Walthers ( ) is "sitting" on the Lifelike tooling (modern split-frame chassis and all), it seems unlikely any time soon.

Mark

[sizemore]

Out of curiousity, was there any reason why the GP35's were promptly renumbered vs. the GP's and F's that retained their original #'s into the $#!++y Kitty era?

@wm3798 probably knows this a little better than I (I try not to think about it, gives me nightmares of vermillion, blue and yellow). The B&O and C&O had a controlling interest in the WM, starting in 1968 #thanksICC. Initially the WM, B&O and C&O were operated as separate railroads. Now if you really want to know how evil cats are...the Crooked & Omnipotent had controlling interest in the B&O in 1963. So it was one big power-play to consolidate the mid-atlantic and southern railroads (B&O, C&O, Clinchfield, Georgia Railroad, L&N, SCL, and WM).

The only reasoning I can estimate is that the second generation power was "newer" and expected to last beyond the controlling interests (ie: merger), so why not use the tentacles to number everything of good value in line with the rest of the equipment (put WM GP-35's, SD's with the B&O GP-35's and SD's which are in line with the C&O GP-35's...etc.) to make that future merger easier? The first generation stuff began getting renumbered and reassigned post 1973 when the Family Cat was official and consolidation began.

The S.

[sizemore]

As WM is one of my secondary faves, I've been waiting a looooong time for someone to release a WM circus FA-2.

As Walthers ( ) is "sitting" on the Lifelike tooling (modern split-frame chassis and all), it seems unlikely any time soon.

Mark

F's and FA's are a breeze to paint RWB. Paint it white, then run your tape line above the mid rivet belt line. Paint your red. The EMD stuff takes A LOT of patience and good colorful vocabulary. If you have an undec shell, I will paint it for you. You'll have to decal it though.

The S.

[Mark5]

F's and FA's are a breeze to paint RWB. Paint it white, then run your tape line above the mid rivet belt line. Paint your red. The EMD stuff takes A LOT of patience and good colorful vocabulary. If you have an undec shell, I will paint it for you. You'll have to decal it though.

The S.

I will consider this maybe after I finish high nosing and detailing the 40+ N&W loco projects that I have.

That's why I'd prefer factory painted locos for the other roads (mainly WM & VGN) that I am interested in.

Mark

[cjm413]

As WM is one of my secondary faves, I've been waiting a looooong time for someone to release a WM circus FA-2.

As Walthers ( ) is "sitting" on the Lifelike tooling (modern split-frame chassis and all), it seems unlikely any time soon.

Mark

Rapido has a HO FA-2 in the works, haven't heard anything about N...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think I heard that they weren't planning on doing them in N.

Of course, things can always change, and I hope they do (because Rapido's game is tight).

[Spikre]

 
  Mark5,
   Proto did a nice job on the HO Circus FA-2,thought they also did it in N,
   but guess not.
   the body was the Original FA-2 with the falling off Radiator fan housing,
   and the not all going in the same direction side radiator shutters.
   but both are fixable.
   the retooled { from about 2000} FA-2 shell would have been better,but they
  never really got up to speed with that shell,maybe because they were concentrateing
  on the new FA-1s ?
        Spikre
         

[wm3798]

One tale of caution... There are no commercially available decals available (anymore) with the correct height lettering for Circus F units.  Back in the dark ages, Northeast Decals offered a good match, but if you can still find them (40 years hence) they're probably not worth the paper they're printed on.



Second generation power used 18" high numbers which are available from MicroScale, and the repainted Geeps used 14".  The F units used the elusive 16" lettering.

I downloaded the WM speedlettering font from somewhere (ages ago) and made this myself.



And yes, by the time Chessie the Knife took over, GP 7/9 and F units were pretty much regarded surplus, and many of the Beano-Ceano ones were being retired en-masse.  In fact, a number of beat-to-sh!t C&O geeps were "traded" to the WM to get them off the books. 

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/wm/wm5933aga.jpg

... which of course was an embarrassment to anyone who Simonized their diesels at Hagerstown.

Eventually, though, the WMs Geeps were so sound, thanks to years of steady maintenance, they were renumbered into the Cheesy number system.  In fact it was a GP 7 or 9 (can't recall which) that was the first WM loco to receive the Litter Box treatment in the paint shop.  There are still a slew of them in short line service around the country, including nos. 25 and 39, which are in the possession of the George's Creek Railroad, and are restored (or in the process of) and operating on old home rails around Westernport.

Lee

[Mark5]

Lee,

Thanks, that is useful info (16"). The good news here is that you won't need an alps to print the decal.

Mark

[davefoxx]

Yep, print that on white decal paper, and you can even avoid some masking.

DFF

[cjjd6901]

If you want to start a little toasty rage...add some Chessie kittens to the mix with some 500s   


Have fun,

   Chris