NYC F-7 A-B-A set and other locomotive projects

Bernd · February 06, 2021, 03:08:37 PM

Not wanting to hijack Jeff's (NYCJeff) Layout thread I'm going to post some projects here on locomotives I've done in the past. Since Jeff is an NYC fan and I mentioned I had pictures of the prototype and a set of Athearn F7's in an A-B-A set. He said he'd like to see them. The set consists of a A powered unit and the other two are dummies. I had lettered these engines NYC when I belonged to the Kodak City Model Railroad Club, now the Rochester Model Railroad Club. I used to run these engines with six Pace Maker boxcars and an Athearn NYC caboose. This was back in the late 70's early 80's when I did these engines. I'm no longer a member of the club and the engines have been collecting dust until today. So fat I have not been able to find my prototype pictures. They are buried in the several 100 slides I have. I'll post them here when I finally find them.

I've always like the lighting strip paint job of the NYC engines so I stole that style for my own protolance railroad. Here are some of my projects from years past.

Here is my first major mod of an Athearn locomotive. It's a chop nose Geep. At that time nobody made chop nose engines. The chop nose is a dummy. It carried a battery for the flashing dome light. The high nose unit was powered. I did have a Model Diecasting, now Roundhouse, caboose painted in the same paint scheme. It contained a battery for flashing maker lights. Unfortunately I never took any pictures of it, at least I can't find any.

The railroad name started out as the Black Diamond Lines, now known as the NY,v & N Rwy. Looks like I've got some repainting to do. I also liked the switcher set known as the cow and calf. I built one of these using Athearn shells and an Athearn chassis for the cow. The calf is powered by a HobbyTown drive. I'm now working on a "heard'. That's a cow and two calf's. (pictures later)

When I first came up with a name for the railroad I was looking for a color scheme for the roster. At that time Rochester had it's own telephone company. Their trucks were two tone with a black belt encircling the vehicle. So I used that color scheme on my first Silver Streak kit modified caboose. It was a wood sides and metal ends & cupola kit. The F3A was my first attempt at turning and F7A into an F3A.

Here's a NYC project that's been collecting dust for at least 25 years. Can you believe that? I had acquired this book on NYC locomotives.

Now, I'm a guy that goes for unusual paint schemes or one of a kind. So this was right up my ally. Gold colored letter on NYC locomotives.

What was even better was that they had an F7A and an F3A in black paint with gold lettering.

And Acu-cal had the decals for those two engines.

So now I needed two engines. Again Athearn's engine were used. The F7A and a second one was modified into an F3A. Again 20 to 25 year ago project that needs to be completed. Hope the decals are still good.

Another locomotive I like is the SW1. Back then nobody made one. So I used an Athearn SW and followed an article in one of the modeling magazines on turning an Athearn SW1. They showed how to chop up the front truck to power it. I never did that. I left it was a dummy. So how do you use it to run around the layout? You mate it up to a powered unit. I've always been fascinated by the Coo's Bay switchers. The had dynamic brakes installed and larger underbelly tanks forcing the air tanks on top of the hood. So I started that project and never finished it.

The SW1.

The SW with dynamic braking. The engine has an Ernst Gear drive in it. Sounds like a coffee grinder, but boy is slow.

And another project collecting dust. An article in Railroad Model Craftsman got me going on this one. I like having engines nobody else has or knows about. It involves a set of Stewart Hobbies F3A and F3B. The Eire had these units. The B units were shorted since they didn't carry train heaters. I just had to have a pair. I did a write up on my website on modifying these engines. http://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/StewartFT.html

Judge · February 06, 2021, 04:17:49 PM

Bernd - As pointed out on page 9 of the Saturday Report, it is the apex of political incorrectness to refer to a locomotive as (I shudder to use the word) a "dummy." I suggested these units should be referred to as "unmotorized placeholders" or "non-functioning-but-pleasing consist enhancers." Please be more careful in the future.

Excellent paint jobs on those old Atherns. Tom painted some ACL Atherns back in the sixties or early seventies and we thought they were wonderful. Of course, after 20 years or so the decals turned yellow. We even had a diesel whose fans turned by the kind of rubber bands orthodontists use. Enjoyed the tour.

deemery · February 06, 2021, 04:36:07 PM

How about "Engineer-challenged prime mover"?

dave

Bernd · February 06, 2021, 09:26:01 PM

Quote from: Judge on February 06, 2021, 04:17:49 PM
Bernd - As pointed out on page 9 of the Saturday Report, it is the apex of political incorrectness to refer to a locomotive as (I shudder to use the word) a "dummy." I suggested these units should be referred to as "unmotorized placeholders" or "non-functioning-but-pleasing consist enhancers." Please be more careful in the future.

Your Honor I present exhibit A.

A term used by the Manufacture of Locomotives that I simply parroted. Am I guilty of using somebody else's description of said item?
(I see you didn't have a smiley emoticon after that so I take it your are serious)

QuoteExcellent paint jobs on those old Atherns. Tom painted some ACL Atherns back in the sixties or early seventies and we thought they were wonderful. Of course, after 20 years or so the decals turned yellow. We even had a diesel whose fans turned by the kind of rubber bands orthodontists use. Enjoyed the tour.

Thanks for the compliment Judge. Those were all done with Floquil paints. Now I need to learn to use acrylic paints. I've already purchased a much better spray unit. Just need to find some time to paint.

Bernd

tct855 · February 06, 2021, 10:17:15 PM

B~,
Nice works on all these past engine projects! Very cool indeed! I love the chop nose diesel. I never did a chop nose unit before (humm, sounds like something I should visit in the future) although I did change an Tyco/mantua GP-20 low nose Santa-Fe into a high nose Geep 20 WP version w/ cut open doors back around 1980. It quickly sold and I got no pictures of it except a couple faded Polaroids.

Keep the great project pics coming-we love pictures!
Thanx Thom...

nycjeff · February 06, 2021, 11:55:08 PM

Hello Bernd, thanks for the great NYC diesel pictures and don't worry about hijacking my thread, I asked for the pictures and I appreciate you posting them. One of the good things about the forum is that people do not worry about anyone taking over one of their threads- we are all in this to share information with each other. Thanks again for the great pictures. Jeff

Bernd · February 07, 2021, 01:25:58 PM

Quote from: tct855 on February 06, 2021, 10:17:15 PM
B~,
Nice works on all these past engine projects! Very cool indeed! I love the chop nose diesel. I never did a chop nose unit before (humm, sounds like something I should visit in the future) although I did change an Tyco/mantua GP-20 low nose Santa-Fe into a high nose Geep 20 WP version w/ cut open doors back around 1980. It quickly sold and I got no pictures of it except a couple faded Polaroids. Keep the great project pics coming-we love pictures!
Thanx Thom...

Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated.

The chop nose was inspired by this prototype engine. Picture was taken in Leroy, NY.

I also think there was an article I followed in one of the model magazines. It was a very simple chop and glue.

I've got several other engine projects in different stages of build that have been setting around for years collecting dust.

Bernd

Bernd · February 07, 2021, 01:32:47 PM

Quote from: nycjeff on February 06, 2021, 11:55:08 PM
Hello Bernd, thanks for the great NYC diesel pictures and don't worry about hijacking my thread, I asked for the pictures and I appreciate you posting them. One of the good things about the forum is that people do not worry about anyone taking over one of their threads- we are all in this to share information with each other. Thanks again for the great pictures. Jeff

Hey Jeff.

Your welcome. I've got more pics. Just have to find them.

Well I think it could have been a complete take over of your thread since I wanted to start a thread on my engine building adventures. I now have a place on the forum that's easy to add to as I progress on some of the projects and perhaps even add some brand new projects.

I've got more pics around, it's a matter of sorting through perhaps 1000 or so slides and the many files on my computer hard drives, yes hard drives. So if you see activity on this thread, me or someone posted something interesting to share.

Bernd