Arnold-Rapido FA2 Resurrection

[nickelplate759]

Thanks George. Wondered, because I believe the GP7 and GP30 were about 8'6".

I'm pretty sure the [Arnold] FA wheelbase is identical to the [Arnold] GPs.   

[thomasjmdavis]

I have never measured myself, but the Diesel Shop gives truck wheelbase as 9'0" for a GP9 and 9'4" for an FA2
http://www.thedieselshop.us/Data%20EMD%20GP9.HTML
http://www.thedieselshop.us/AlcoFA2.HTML#TechData1

[nkalanaga]

George:  I didn't know they sold individual wheels.  But then, it's been over 20 years since I bought wheels from them, so they could have almost anything, and I wouldn't know it.  I just assumed you bought wheelsets and took the wheels off the NWSL axles.  That's what I get for assuming...

[Doc Frankenfield]

as far as stripping a metal body, just soak it in Lacquer thinner...

[nickelplate759]

I've figured out that the DZ126 is a lot easier to fit in the fuel tank if I take it out of red plastic wrapper.  I'm going to just cover the top with Kapton tape and stuff it in the tank.  That will leave enough room for wires so that they won't be super tight when disassembling it for maintenance.   Does the wrapper even have any real use beyond electrical insulation?

As far as horns go, I'm of two minds.   The closest I can come to the original (long lost) is the horn casting from a Con-Cor PA1.  The original horn casting was quite stubby, so this is a little longer.   The other alternative is to drill holes and mount two single-chime horns - that was very common for FAs in any event, and will probably look better.

I've got an evil plan to add a headlight to the beast, since Arnold put an appropriate opening in the shell.  I think it will be pretty easy - we'll see.

Doug G. keeps advocating for Penn Central lettering, but I've yet to find a single picture of a real FA2 painted for PC (all I can find are renumbers and paint-outs of NYC or PRR units).   I always did like the worms logo, especially in red & white, but honestly I'm still leaning towards NYC instead.    We'll see.

[Point353]

Doug G. keeps advocating for Penn Central lettering, but I've yet to find a single picture of a real FA2 painted for PC (all I can find are renumbers and paint-outs of NYC or PRR units).   I always did like the worms logo, especially in red & white, but honestly I'm still leaning towards NYC instead.   

http://pc.smellycat.com/pics/equip/diesel-alco.html

[thomasjmdavis]

Rapido is doing one in HO in PC scheme-
https://www.pcrrhs.org/news/ho-scale-fa2fb2-announced-by-rapido-trains

[peteski]

http://pc.smellycat.com/pics/equip/diesel-alco.html

Ooooh!  Not only a mating worm logo, but a *COLOR* version of the logo!  I like that one!

[nkalanaga]

Was this the only place the color version was used?  I've seen it on FAs, but not on other equipment.  On the other hand. I haven't looked at many PC loco pictures, so probably wouldn't have seen it...

As for adding a headlight, I always wondered if Arnold may have had a lighted version.  Minitrix did the same thing with their Fs.  The A units were made light-ready, but none I bought, or saw, had a light.

[Doug G.]

I feel sad that people doubted me.

Just kidding. I had no clue if there was a PC prototype. I just like the scheme.



Doug

[Point353]

Was this the only place the color version was used?  I've seen it on FAs, but not on other equipment.  On the other hand. I haven't looked at many PC loco pictures, so probably wouldn't have seen it...

Supposedly the red "P" was applied to about 130 locos circa 1968, but it was a short-lived phenomenon.
A few other examples:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc2375apg.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc2381s.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc2213s.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/pc/pc6018ags.jpg

[scaro]

I have never measured myself, but the Diesel Shop gives truck wheelbase as 9'0" for a GP9 and 9'4" for an FA2
http://www.thedieselshop.us/Data%20EMD%20GP9.HTML
http://www.thedieselshop.us/AlcoFA2.HTML#TechData1

Yeah, they should be,  but I think Arnold went for a shortened wheelbase because of the ginormous 45" (??) wheels and the specialty deep-pan pizza cutters they're equipped with 

It's not unknown on other locos too, for example Atlas/Roco GPs have a 16.8mm wheelbase truck and the original Con-Cor PA1 trucks are a whole foot too short. 

Be careful of trusting Dieselshop dimensions, but in this case they are right.

I'm fond of the Arnold FA too ... you could beat a home invader to death with it.

Interesting detail on the PC painted FA1s, wire mesh screens on the windshields:

http://www.railpictures.net/showimage.php?id=655047&key=1610858

[spookshow]

As for adding a headlight, I always wondered if Arnold may have had a lighted version.  Minitrix did the same thing with their Fs.  The A units were made light-ready, but none I bought, or saw, had a light.

It seems unlikely. AFAIK, Minitrix was the only company that had the lit or unlit option for their locomotives. Old catalogs from that era list both versions (with the lit ones costing a couple of bucks extra). I've never seen any such listings for Arnold locos.

-Mark

[nickelplate759]

Ooooh!  Not only a mating worm logo, but a *COLOR* version of the logo!  I like that one!

Me too - I have to say it's the best I've ever seen a PC engine look.

[thomasjmdavis]

Be careful of trusting Dieselshop dimensions, but in this case they are right.

You do have a point there, IIRC, they listed a GP unit I looked at as having a max speed of 800 mph.