Building an SP AC-9 in 1:1 scale

[carlso]

Following will be a series of photos made in 1939 by Lima locomotive works. They come out of the SPH&TS magazine "Trainline" #23 with their permission to post with due credits. So here goes, many of the shots are of # 3800 as building progressed.

If you like, I'll post more. The ones I like best are of the interior of cab showing both sides of the cab.





This is the final result


Aint she a beauty?

Be well, more tomorrow,
Carl

[ednadolski]

So how many rivets does it take....?

(Inquiring  s want to know )


Ed

[wazzou]

So how many rivets does it take....?

(Inquiring  s want to know )

Ed

Or Stay Bolts?

[carlso]

Good questions. A bunch ? ?

Here are some more images.









More tomorrow.

Be well,
Carl

[JMaurer1]

Can I have some more please?

[Cajonpassfan]

Not an SP guy, but I’ve always liked the sleek look of the AC-9’s, as opposed to their flat-faced “backward malley” sisters (not that they aren’t interesting in their own right). Thanks for posting, Carl.
A question: was the boiler top cowling purely aesthetic, or did it help to keep smoke out of the cab? I wouldn’t thing they were fast enough for the cowling to make much difference?
Thanks, Otto

[JMaurer1]

The 'boiler top cowling' is what the Southern Pacific called the 'skyline casing'. It actually had the purpose of functioning as a 'smoke lifter' and helped keep smoke out of the cabs. If it was just for looks, then the GS-8's (daylight locomotives but without the side skirts) wouldn't have got to keep theirs since the skirts were eliminated (during WW2 due to metal rationing) as being only for looks. As for the AC-9's top speed...75 MPH (as with most of the other cab forward locomotives) however, at that speed they had a tendency of 'pounding the rail' so they were usually limited to a max speed of 55-60 MPH.