LL BL-2 to PRR foobie extreme

[glakedylan]

so it begins!


the 3rd locomotive I had as a youngster was a BL-2 in Rock Island paint. it was Xmas gift from Mom and Dad in 1966 in HO scale.
i always liked that locomotive mainly due to its distinct look and the hours spent watching it run in the two track oval.


there is no surprise that my favorite RR is the Pennsy. so my plan is to recreate that BL-2 HO Scale in Rock Island paint
to an N Scale version in PRR DGLE. part nostalgia, part taking on a project to move from armchair railroad modeler to one actually
doing some modeling.


Photo 1--all the things needed to get underway
Photo 2--the soak begins
Photo 3--sealed for the overnight bath


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[Point353]

Of course, some 3-railer has been there and done that.

[glakedylan]

@Point353 thanks for sharing!


looks like very good results


it screams Pennsy


i am hoping to adapt a 5 stripe decal set for an f7 to the paint and lettering


sincerely
Gary

[Lemosteam]

Glad to see you modeling again Gary!

[SP-Wolf]

Very cool!!

Looking forward to your progress.

Wolf

[dem34]

Don't forget the trainphone.

[wm3798]

I like it.  Looks like a fun project.  DGLE with a single stripe will be easier.  And definitely do a trainphone antenna.  That would make anyone a believer!

[glakedylan]

thanks all for the feedback and recomendations.


trainphone a definite! still hoping for 5 stripes but it will be my first N Scale decal job.


yes, it is good to be back to working on stuff


having fun!


sincerely
Gary

[u18b]

An O scale Pennsy BL-T would be pretty cool.

[garethashenden]

How does the curve of the stripe compare to the curve of the nose? It would be cool if they could be lined up so that the curves share a center, if that makes sense.

[ChristianJDavis1]

An O scale Pennsy BL-T would be pretty cool.

That's a blast from the past (for me, at least).

[glakedylan]

will have to check the curve of the decal
it will probably not be the same radius
but if it could, that would look great!


sincerely
Gary

[randgust]

I'm not a Pennsy fan even though I'm deep in the territory and my only knowledge is relatively local.

But that's bad enough.   I'm always astounded by the 'we have one of absolutely everything' mindset of PRR in the early diesel era.  And it wasn't always where you would expect it.   By the late 1960's it was all Geeps around here but go back 10 years and you had FM's, Alco RS units, and my favorite, a lost-looking GE 44-tonner assigned to Titusville, PA and showed up in a lot of local photos.    This area also had the last D16 4-4-0 assigned to regular passenger service between Oil City and Olean after they apparently got tired of fixing the doodlebug after a one-year trial.  (Yes, the 4-4-0's also worked later in Delaware but that was seasonal trains). Anything but Standard, even in the sticks.

BL-2 makes perfect sense, considering the mess of low-density branch lines out there, can't think of why they wouldn't have had a few. 

You really do have to sympathize with the mechanical forces in that 40's-50's era that had to maintain this 'newfangled diesel stuff' after decades of the 'normal' steam locomotive classes off the main on secondary lines; L1's, I-1's, G-series 4-6-0's, K-series 4-6-2's; H-class 2-8-0's.   

[Point353]

I'm not a Pennsy fan even though I'm deep in the territory and my only knowledge is relatively local.

But that's bad enough.   I'm always astounded by the 'we have one of absolutely everything' mindset of PRR in the early diesel era.  And it wasn't always where you would expect it.   By the late 1960's it was all Geeps around here but go back 10 years and you had FM's, Alco RS units, and my favorite, a lost-looking GE 44-tonner assigned to Titusville, PA and showed up in a lot of local photos.    This area also had the last D16 4-4-0 assigned to regular passenger service between Oil City and Olean after they apparently got tired of fixing the doodlebug after a one-year trial.  (Yes, the 4-4-0's also worked later in Delaware but that was seasonal trains). Anything but Standard, even in the sticks.

BL-2 makes perfect sense, considering the mess of low-density branch lines out there, can't think of why they wouldn't have had a few. 

You really do have to sympathize with the mechanical forces in that 40's-50's era that had to maintain this 'newfangled diesel stuff' after decades of the 'normal' steam locomotive classes off the main on secondary lines; L1's, I-1's, G-series 4-6-0's, K-series 4-6-2's; H-class 2-8-0's.

The PRR seemed slow to pick up on the road-switcher trend, even though they had been buying diesel road units and yard switchers.
During the period ('47-'49) that the BL2 was in production, the PRR acquired only one Alco RS1.
That Alco was bought to replace a steam loco in Baltimore-area commuter service.
Maybe it was a matter of (not) having to train the shop forces out "in the sticks" how to maintain the "newfangled diesel stuff."

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I love this project. I always thought the single stripe scheme would look good on one of these.