SOO SD40b project

[davidmbedard]

.

[lock4244]

Interesting and useful to BN modelers as well. I saw this unit once in Toronto, and at the time had no idea it existed. Most certainly a unique locomotive.

[jdg]

Have you guys seen these -

https://www.etsy.com/listing/731659223/n-scale-bn-30271997502-sd40b-2?click_key=b9ce84ea574fca41e5446d1622cc83590fc092eb%3A731659223&click_sum=6074c6af&ref=shop_home_active_132

[Missaberoad]

Very nice David!

A straight Soo Sd40 with the 4 window cab and without Dynamic Brakes would be more then welcome!

http://www.trainweb.org/cprdieselroster/Roster%20Archive/CP%20700/SOO%20743-3.jpg

[davidmbedard]

Have you guys seen these -

https://www.etsy.com/listing/731659223/n-scale-bn-30271997502-sd40b-2?click_key=b9ce84ea574fca41e5446d1622cc83590fc092eb%3A731659223&click_sum=6074c6af&ref=shop_home_active_132

Sweet looking -2b!

[Angus Shops]

You are a very prolific builder, and I was admiring some of your HO projects, particularly your CP vans and snow plows. Those would be great in N scale. BUT, seeing as I’m some significant way into my CP Fairbanks H16-44 project, I’d like to request that you DO NOT announce the imminent production of the same    However a CP Jordan spreader would be well received…

[davidmbedard]

You are a very prolific builder, and I was admiring some of your HO projects, particularly your CP vans and snow plows. Those would be great in N scale. BUT, seeing as I’m some significant way into my CP Fairbanks H16-44 project, I’d like to request that you DO NOT announce the imminent production of the same    However a CP Jordan spreader would be well received…

Its difficult to choose projects.   I have a friend who has designed and is printing the spreaders.....i believE Rapido is coming out with the H liners...MAYBE?

David B

[Ike the BN Freak]

However a CP Jordan spreader would be well received…

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1080683226/n-scale-cncp-j-type-jordan-spreader
Like this?

[chessie system fan]

Lookin' really good! I can tell you've spent a lot of time and effort to get these right. This being the Railwire, where we try to set a high bar, I spot a few minor tweaks. 

1. The air intakes below the blower hatch shouldn't have the support beams (or whatever they are). The saw-tooth profile should go all the way to the top and bottom.  You can see that on the overhead Soo drawing.  The Kato SD40 is wrong here.  Those support beam things only appeared in the dash-two era around 1976 or so.  First only at the top, but later on top and bottom.

2. Are the fans too tall? It's hard to tell, but I feel like they are taller than the Soo drawing.  Or maybe it's the angle of your pictures.  Dynamic brake fans are at a different height than cooling fans for some reason. Perhaps that's what I'm seeing.

3. Maybe it's there and I can't see it, but the dynamic brake housing should have an upwards angle on its very bottom below the grills (assuming the Soo engine is like other EMD's).  I never knew that until last year when I did the design for my GP15T shell. It's not easy to spot unless you know to look for it.

4.  The Kato walkway is too fat (That's not the only thing wrong with them.  But hey, it was 1991 when it was released.)  I suspect your walkway is too fat as well.

5.  This one might be more subjective, but having studied a large number of drawings and high photographs, I feel like the top edges of the hood should be more rounded.  Yours seems more squarish. I can try to dig up some examples, if you like, to explain what I mean.

[davidmbedard]

Lookin' really good! I can tell you've spent a lot of time and effort to get these right. This being the Railwire, where we try to set a high bar, I spot a few minor tweaks. 

1. The air intakes below the blower hatch shouldn't have the support beams (or whatever they are). The saw-tooth profile should go all the way to the top and bottom.  You can see that on the overhead Soo drawing.  The Kato SD40 is wrong here.  Those support beam things only appeared in the dash-two era around 1976 or so.  First only at the top, but later on top and bottom.

2. Are the fans too tall? It's hard to tell, but I feel like they are taller than the Soo drawing.  Or maybe it's the angle of your pictures.  Dynamic brake fans are at a different height than cooling fans for some reason. Perhaps that's what I'm seeing.

3. Maybe it's there and I can't see it, but the dynamic brake housing should have an upwards angle on its very bottom below the grills (assuming the Soo engine is like other EMD's).  I never knew that until last year when I did the design for my GP15T shell. It's not easy to spot unless you know to look for it.

4.  The Kato walkway is too fat (That's not the only thing wrong with them.  But hey, it was 1991 when it was released.)  I suspect your walkway is too fat as well.

5.  This one might be more subjective, but having studied a large number of drawings and high photographs, I feel like the top edges of the hood should be more rounded.  Yours seems more squarish. I can try to dig up some examples, if you like, to explain what I mean.

Noted.

[samusi01]

4.  The Kato walkway is too fat (That's not the only thing wrong with them.  But hey, it was 1991 when it was released.)  I suspect your walkway is too fat as well.

Would correcting the walkway height cause compatibility or visual issues with Kato frames and mechanisms?

Its difficult to choose projects.

If I may be so bold, have you considered the Great Northern's small run of SDP40 locomotives? If I understand the drawings, it should be a drop-on to the Kato SD40 chassis. Given the recent activity of the MN Transportation Museum's model, there are lots of photos out there. You'd have to do different rear steps, as seen here: https://www.railpictures.net/photo/828455/ with a good side shot here: https://www.railpictures.net/photo/814942/. This site has a link to a decent diagram of one, although it notes there are a few differences between the diagram and the proto. It's a better diagram than the one I have in PDF form (the EMD brochure, basically - this site has taken the time to properly align everything). http://erixrailcar.com/mtm/gn325.htm

[chessie system fan]

Would correcting the walkway height cause compatibility or visual issues with Kato frames and mechanisms?

If I may be so bold, have you considered the Great Northern's small run of SDP40 locomotives?

Kato made the frame extra fat because of the two-part walkway/handrail  design. The first run of Atlas GP40's are also like this (the GP40-2 has this problem as well). However, when Atlas retooled the GP40 with the correct walkway thickness, the mechanism wasn't affected.  So to answer your question, I doubt the Kato mechanism would be as issue.

I, too, will need some GN SDP40's at some point. But Kato locomotives are also too fat. Hoods should be 6 feet wide. Kato hoods are more like 8 feet wide. It may not seem like much, but your eye can spot the proportional discrepancy.   If I'm going to go to the trouble of custom building a few models, the shell needs to fit the upcoming Atlas SD45, which will have correct proportions. As an added bonus, it will already have sound (so no grinding a Kato mechanism) and the walkway will already be 90% correct, if there are those who don't want to bother soldering custom handrails. 

[lock4244]

Kato made the frame extra fat because of the two-part walkway/handrail  design. The first run of Atlas GP40's are also like this (the GP40-2 has this problem as well). However, when Atlas retooled the GP40 with the correct walkway thickness, the mechanism wasn't affected.  So to answer your question, I doubt the Kato mechanism would be as issue.

I, too, will need some GN SDP40's at some point. But Kato locomotives are also too fat. Hoods should be 6 feet wide. Kato hoods are more like 8 feet wide. It may not seem like much, but your eye can spot the proportional discrepancy.   If I'm going to go to the trouble of custom building a few models, the shell needs to fit the upcoming Atlas SD45, which will have correct proportions. As an added bonus, it will already have sound (so no grinding a Kato mechanism) and the walkway will already be 90% correct, if there are those who don't want to bother soldering custom handrails.

Any idea what mechanism the Atlas SD45 is going to use? It seems to me they redid the GP40 chassis for the GP40-2W's and they're excellent, so there's a possibility it may have a new drive and not a rehash of another of their six axle units. I'm sitting it out because their SD50/60 and C-628/630's cured me of Atlas six axles... most have issues that weren't corrected over a few runs.

I don't mind the Kato wide body so much... sure she got a little junk in the trunk but she runs so smooth.

[lock4244]

Lookin' really good! I can tell you've spent a lot of time and effort to get these right. This being the Railwire, where we try to set a high bar, I spot a few minor tweaks. 

1. The air intakes below the blower hatch shouldn't have the support beams (or whatever they are). The saw-tooth profile should go all the way to the top and bottom.  You can see that on the overhead Soo drawing.  The Kato SD40 is wrong here.  Those support beam things only appeared in the dash-two era around 1976 or so.  First only at the top, but later on top and bottom.

2. Are the fans too tall? It's hard to tell, but I feel like they are taller than the Soo drawing.  Or maybe it's the angle of your pictures.  Dynamic brake fans are at a different height than cooling fans for some reason. Perhaps that's what I'm seeing.

3. Maybe it's there and I can't see it, but the dynamic brake housing should have an upwards angle on its very bottom below the grills (assuming the Soo engine is like other EMD's).  I never knew that until last year when I did the design for my GP15T shell. It's not easy to spot unless you know to look for it.

4.  The Kato walkway is too fat (That's not the only thing wrong with them.  But hey, it was 1991 when it was released.)  I suspect your walkway is too fat as well.

5.  This one might be more subjective, but having studied a large number of drawings and high photographs, I feel like the top edges of the hood should be more rounded.  Yours seems more squarish. I can try to dig up some examples, if you like, to explain what I mean.

Thx, some good tidbits here I was unaware of.

[lock4244]

Would correcting the walkway height cause compatibility or visual issues with Kato frames and mechanisms?

If I may be so bold, have you considered the Great Northern's small run of SDP40 locomotives? If I understand the drawings, it should be a drop-on to the Kato SD40 chassis. Given the recent activity of the MN Transportation Museum's model, there are lots of photos out there. You'd have to do different rear steps, as seen here: https://www.railpictures.net/photo/828455/ with a good side shot here: https://www.railpictures.net/photo/814942/. This site has a link to a decent diagram of one, although it notes there are a few differences between the diagram and the proto. It's a better diagram than the one I have in PDF form (the EMD brochure, basically - this site has taken the time to properly align everything). http://erixrailcar.com/mtm/gn325.htm

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