Weekend Update 3/31/19

[Mark W]

I think about half of all my model building is done with tweezers!   

LOL!  You should have heard my evil cackle when I read your post.  I have few more nifty holders for variosu things. I shoudl start a separate thread about them. 

At one point I planned on building a whole bunch of custom holders.  Then I found myself with, oh about a billion, used IPA bottles thanks to resin printing.  So I just use those. 


https://i.imgur.com/IPOffdN.jpg



Back on topic, the Emerald modules are complete and ready for terrain carving!
These are extra-wide, drop-frame, track-at-the-back T-Trak modules.  That should get me some big style points, if nothing else. 


https://i.imgur.com/TMsZwTL.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/JqarTgl.jpg

[tehachapifan]

   
….At one point I planned on building a whole bunch of custom holders.  Then I found myself with, oh about a billion, used IPA bottles thanks to resin printing.  So I just use those....

Those aren't the IPA bottles I first thought of.

[tehachapifan]

.

[brokemoto]

My Rock Island BL-2 is ready for paint --(I hope) -

Did CRI&P run its BL-2s as far west as Tucumcari?

Boston and Maine's four and C&O's fourteen, or so, all had steam generators as built.  The C&O's and B&M's had a plate where the windshield split that is apparently lacking on CRI&P's.  The photographs of CRI&P's all show the lip from the escape stack that hangs over the roof.  CRI&P's have vent stacks in the short hood that are lacking on both C&O's and B&M's.  The Electro-Motive demonstrator also has the plate where the windshield split and lacks the vent stacks on the short hood.  Did CRI&P add their own steam generators?

C&O must have removed the steam generators on some of theirs, as I have seen photographs of C&O BL-2s that had no stacks.


Nice job on it, so far.

[Mark W]

Those aren't the IPA bottles I first thought of.

Every time. 



Coincidentally, I just stumbled upon this video for organizing router/dremel bits.  Not exactly tweezers, but I will definitely be building one of my own for my dremel bits! 

[C855B]

Did CRI&P run its BL-2s as far west as Tucumcari? ...

I doubt it. I couldn't find a single RI BL2 image that wasn't in a metro area. Been through Tucumcari numerous times... desolate with a capital "D". Also, I couldn't find any images of their BL2s operating in m.u. - always a single, usually in commuter service. Were they m.u. equipped? Hard to tell in the photos. If no m.u., then no reason to be in a consist that far West, Tucumcari was nothing more than a hand-off to SP.

Come to think of it, the most western (as identified) picture I found was in Peoria, so I even have to wonder if they ever made it out of Illinois.

[Point353]

Also, I couldn't find any images of their BL2s operating in m.u. - always a single, usually in commuter service. Were they m.u. equipped? Hard to tell in the photos. If no m.u., then no reason to be in a consist that far West, Tucumcari was nothing more than a hand-off to SP.

Pair of RI BL2s: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=164412

BL2 with E7s: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=663553

Come to think of it, the most western (as identified) picture I found was in Peoria, so I even have to wonder if they ever made it out of Illinois.

RI BL2 in KC: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4873174

[Point353]

Did CRI&P add their own steam generators?

The RI BL2s received steam generators in 1951: https://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr406.htm

[C855B]

Pair of RI BL2s: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=164412
BL2 with E7s: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=663553
RI BL2 in KC: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4873174

OK, I missed those in the searching, tho' rrpicturearchives.net is inaccessible at the moment. No surprise as far as KC since that would indicate another thought I had, they likely would have probably drawn Granger branch assignments. But I still have doubts about Tucumcari.

[wcfn100]

The Four Ways West book has a shot of a BL2 on a passenger extra in Denver in 1962.

Jason

[brokemoto]

Tucumcari was nothing more than a hand-off to SP.

Oh, yes, I am  not unaware of that.  As the gentleman who is constructing this model is an SP modeller, when you consider CRI&P and SP, Tucumcari comes to mind.  His pike, however, is unmistakably 1950s California.

From some other commenters, it appears that CRI&P bought the things without steam generators.  They may or may not have had MU lines.  The railroad's adding the steam generators rather than LaGrange's doing it would explain the unusual stack configuration.  The B&M's and C&O's stack above the cab resembles that on the CRI&P's, but there is a minor, but spottable, difference.  The B&M's and C&O's lack the vent stacks on the short hood, which CRI&P's have.

I have read that the body construction was not very strong on these things.  If WM ran theirs on road trains in MU consists, they almost always had to be on the point.  I have read that the shops were constantly welding stress cracks on the frames.

CRI&P had some interesting consists and proto-bashes.  There was a short Classic Trains article about Train Number Fifteen.  It referred to it as a "modeller's dream", or words similar.  The power was an FM road swticher.  There was a HW baggage, a LW coach, an RDC-3 and two HW cars behind the RDC in consist.  Most of the train was left in a terminal somewhere, but, the RDC finished the trip alone somewhere into Texas.  I had to wonder if CRI&P added pass through steam lines on the RDC so that the cars behind it could be heated (the article mentioned that it was cold outside).  The RDC would not need the heat from the locomotive's steam generator, as it had its own electric heat. I also have to wonder if the RDC ran in Georgia Overdrive while it was in-consist.  Would that not have been hard on the hydraulic transmission on those things?

My favourite CRI&P protobash shows an RDC as it is towing a LW corrugated boat tailed observation that the railroad had turned into a baggage/passenger combine.  Guess which end got the baggage door?  It does make sense that the observation end would get it, as, if you put the baggage door at the other end, the passengers who wanted to sit in the observation end would have to go through the baggage compartment.  Railroads generally did not want passengers in the baggage compartments.

[Philip H]

@Mark W -  Then I found myself with, oh about a billion, used IPA bottles thanks to resin printing.

Not really sure what India Pale Ale has to do with 3D printing, except as stress relief . . . .

[SP-Wolf]

Oh, yes, I am  not unaware of that.  As the gentleman who is constructing this model is an SP modeller, when you consider CRI&P and SP, Tucumcari comes to mind.  His pike, however, is unmistakably 1950s California.

From some other commenters, it appears that CRI&P bought the things without steam generators.  They may or may not have had MU lines.  The railroad's adding the steam generators rather than LaGrange's doing it would explain the unusual stack configuration.  The B&M's and C&O's stack above the cab resembles that on the CRI&P's, but there is a minor, but spottable, difference.  The B&M's and C&O's lack the vent stacks on the short hood, which CRI&P's have.

I have read that the body construction was not very strong on these things.  If WM ran theirs on road trains in MU consists, they almost always had to be on the point.  I have read that the shops were constantly welding stress cracks on the frames.

CRI&P had some interesting consists and proto-bashes.  There was a short Classic Trains article about Train Number Fifteen.  It referred to it as a "modeller's dream", or words similar.  The power was an FM road swticher.  There was a HW baggage, a LW coach, an RDC-3 and two HW cars behind the RDC in consist.  Most of the train was left in a terminal somewhere, but, the RDC finished the trip alone somewhere into Texas.  I had to wonder if CRI&P added pass through steam lines on the RDC so that the cars behind it could be heated (the article mentioned that it was cold outside).  The RDC would not need the heat from the locomotive's steam generator, as it had its own electric heat. I also have to wonder if the RDC ran in Georgia Overdrive while it was in-consist.  Would that not have been hard on the hydraulic transmission on those things?

My favourite CRI&P protobash shows an RDC as it is towing a LW corrugated boat tailed observation that the railroad had turned into a baggage/passenger combine.  Guess which end got the baggage door?  It does make sense that the observation end would get it, as, if you put the baggage door at the other end, the passengers who wanted to sit in the observation end would have to go through the baggage compartment.  Railroads generally did not want passengers in the baggage compartments.

A little back ground or explanation (If it's even needed) --- I am doing this model because it is so darn ugly it's to cool to pass up. And, I really like the RI's black and red scheme. So, this model will represent the 425 as she looked in and around the 1951 to 1955ish period. As my RI resources are rather limited, it is hard for me to pin point when the RI went to the solid RI maroon scheme.

 She will run on my layout on a limited basis. In my world, the SP borrowed this unit to see how it worked out as a branch line locomotive.

 I must say, I am enjoying detailing and modifying this model to closer represent a RI unit of the early '50's. i hope I am doing her justice. I have a few more minor mods to get done (I will be replacing the cab entry steps with GMM's) - Thanks @garethashenden for the great suggestion.  - then I can start painting her. 

And - thanks, to Y'all for the wonderful BL-2 history lesson

Wolf

[randgust]

Normally I'd say that your RI BL2 on SP is a bit of a stretch, but you have to remember that SP was the only railroad I can think of (other than excursion railroads like the B&ML) that ever put a GE 70-tonner on a scheduled passenger train.   

You could certainly have fun with it, that's for sure.    I'm not sure if there were really any 'western' BL2's, I call RI and MP Midwest railroads.

Does make me think about what ATSF would have done with one, they went with dual-service torpedo-tube GP7's in zebra-stripe in that era.   

[Cajonpassfan]

Does make me think about what ATSF would have done with one, they went with dual-service torpedo-tube GP7's in zebra-stripe in that era.

I shudder at that notion; those things are ugggleeey...but a great model by our friend the RI-Wolf

I'm making a bit more progress my LA Civic Center scene; mocked up the iconic City Hall, Federal Building/Post Office and Courthose buildings on the backdrop. It's harder than it seems, keeping things in proportion and elevated perspective. This is my third City Hall attempt, but I'm pretty happy with it and how the 3D to 2D transitions are working out. Still much to be done as I move on to Union Station and Postal Annex to the right. Pic below.

I also bit the bullet and finally started a Layout Engineering thread under ATSF Los Angeles Division, if anyone is interested in seeing more.
Otto K.

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