01-17-2013, 06:29 PM
Alright, last time I tried to do a locomotive kitbash, it stalled do to my lack of planning. RS3s don't make good RS2s when there are RS2s available! But I digress.
This project is suffering from somewhat of the reverse: I've been trying t figure out how to build one of these things for almost as long as I've been in the hobby. Last week, I decided "to heck with it!" and I've started this new kitbash:
Ex-CNJ GP40P #4108
Prototype Infromation
With support from the Baltimore and Ohio, the CNJ purchased 13 GP40 based passenger locomotives in 1968. These locomotives were purpose built (rather than prototype kitbashes), and their 3,000 HP made them better suited to pulling longer and more modern passenger coaches than the CNJ's GP7P fleet. These locomotives appeared vaguely like an SDP45 on a stretched GP40 frame. The CNJ locomtives appeared in B&O Dark blue and Yellow colors, except with a CNJ logo on the ends and a large "C N J" on the flanks. Towards the upper portion of the Steam generator compartment were NJ DOT logos, denoting partial ownership of the locomotives by the NJ DOT for New Jersey Commuter service. Later on, yellow barricade stripes were also added to the ends.
During the late 70s, these locomotives frequently found themselves on the head end of Express trains to the jersey shore. These trains were frequently called "Jersey Builder" trains due to the usage of former Great Northern and Burlington Northern coaches (many of which were indeed former Empire Builder cars). These trains would most stops between Bay Head, NJ, the southern terminal of the North Jersey Coastline, and South Amboy. From South Amboy to Union interlocking (where the North Jersey Coastline branches off the Northeast Corridor), and from Union to Newark Penn Station, the trains would run non-stop, skipping passengers better served by former Penn Central electrified commuter service. At Newark Penn, the Jersey Builder trains would connect with arriving or departing electric trains to New York Penn Station, as diesel locomotives could not travel into New York under power.
The GP40Ps were passed onto Conrail briefly in 1976, before being sold to NJ DOT outright. A few locomotives appeared briefly in the Blue and silver Erie Lacakwanna inspired NJ DOT paint scheme seen on the U34CH and E8 locomotives. Conrail continued to maintain and operate the locomotives until January 1983, when the newly established NJ Transit Rail Operations took over. the GP40Ps, being relatively "Young" power, were quickly repainted into NJ Transit's Platinum Mist and Disco Stripes scheme, and rebuilt with Head End Power to become compatible with the new "Comet II" coaches as the old steam heat coaches were retired. In the mid 90s, the GP40Ps were further rebuilt to match the more modern GP40PH-2s, which were rebuilt in the 1990s from former Conrail, UP, and other GP40s.
All 13 still currently operate, with no imminent plans to retire them.
The Kitbash
Though I dont have any good photos, I've already begun the kitbash.
I'm using an Atlas GP40. Since no good undecorated models seem to be available, I'm using an L&N model. I disassembled the entire locomotive, and began to remove the pad-printed logos from the model. Fortuneately, L&N's gray paint scheme did not necessistate stripping the whole model. Using Scalecoat "Wash Away" and K&S sanding films, I was able to remove and polish away all the pad printed logos without making any significant damage to the finish.
The first major Surgery was to remove the rear end of the locomotive. I did this with a razor saw and miter box just behind the radiator grills. I then cut vertically just behind the tall engine doors, to just above the radiator doors, again with the miter box. I then carefully cut vertically up each "side" of the locomotive to remover the radiator fan area (which would be reused later).
I then protected the radiator doors with a metal straight edge, and carefully cut above them, but only PARTIALLY. This allowed me to flare the existing radiators like on the prototype, without having to fabricate a whole new rear sections. If one were so inclined, the existing radiators could be left and be "good enough". However, I wanted to make my model more prototypical, and so I protected the body shell wth a few layers of masking tape, then sanded and polished the cast on raditor grills smooth. These will be replaced by Cannon & Co parts.
I then cut and modifed the dynamic brake blister (which is a separate part on the atlas model). The roofline of the GP40P is not dissimilar to the SD45, and so I cut just behind the rear "corners" of the dynamic brake blister. I also shortened this piece to account for the radiator fans, which were moved forward slightly as per prototype photos and drawings.
Rather than scratcbuild a new radiator fan section, I used the existing one instead. However, the fans on the GP40P are not only moved forward, but are bunched closer together. Conveniently, the width of the material to be removed between each fan was the same as the razor saw, and so I cut the pieces into three sections and then glued them back together, filling the seams with thick CA and then polishing them smooth.
I then attached the new fan assembly to the dynamic brake blister assembly, although I may need to make an adjustment to the spacing between the dynamic brake fan and the radiator fans.
I have not yet fabricated the new roofline to "fill in the gaps" between the body and the dynamic brake/radiator fan assembly, but I have all the necessary Cannon roof stock and strip styrene.
Major surgeries in the future will include- Cutting and lengthening the frame, removing just over half the radiator doors and replacing them with Cannon parts, removing the material to mount the Cannon Radiator grills, fabricating a new "end" housing, extending the sill and fabricating the "rear" pilot which is different from most EMD locomotives. I'll probably also have to find some Smokey Valley EMD style hand rail stanchions for the handrails.
I'm thinking I might have the proper drive parts to connect the rear truck with the motor,
This project is suffering from somewhat of the reverse: I've been trying t figure out how to build one of these things for almost as long as I've been in the hobby. Last week, I decided "to heck with it!" and I've started this new kitbash:
Ex-CNJ GP40P #4108
Prototype Infromation
With support from the Baltimore and Ohio, the CNJ purchased 13 GP40 based passenger locomotives in 1968. These locomotives were purpose built (rather than prototype kitbashes), and their 3,000 HP made them better suited to pulling longer and more modern passenger coaches than the CNJ's GP7P fleet. These locomotives appeared vaguely like an SDP45 on a stretched GP40 frame. The CNJ locomtives appeared in B&O Dark blue and Yellow colors, except with a CNJ logo on the ends and a large "C N J" on the flanks. Towards the upper portion of the Steam generator compartment were NJ DOT logos, denoting partial ownership of the locomotives by the NJ DOT for New Jersey Commuter service. Later on, yellow barricade stripes were also added to the ends.
During the late 70s, these locomotives frequently found themselves on the head end of Express trains to the jersey shore. These trains were frequently called "Jersey Builder" trains due to the usage of former Great Northern and Burlington Northern coaches (many of which were indeed former Empire Builder cars). These trains would most stops between Bay Head, NJ, the southern terminal of the North Jersey Coastline, and South Amboy. From South Amboy to Union interlocking (where the North Jersey Coastline branches off the Northeast Corridor), and from Union to Newark Penn Station, the trains would run non-stop, skipping passengers better served by former Penn Central electrified commuter service. At Newark Penn, the Jersey Builder trains would connect with arriving or departing electric trains to New York Penn Station, as diesel locomotives could not travel into New York under power.
The GP40Ps were passed onto Conrail briefly in 1976, before being sold to NJ DOT outright. A few locomotives appeared briefly in the Blue and silver Erie Lacakwanna inspired NJ DOT paint scheme seen on the U34CH and E8 locomotives. Conrail continued to maintain and operate the locomotives until January 1983, when the newly established NJ Transit Rail Operations took over. the GP40Ps, being relatively "Young" power, were quickly repainted into NJ Transit's Platinum Mist and Disco Stripes scheme, and rebuilt with Head End Power to become compatible with the new "Comet II" coaches as the old steam heat coaches were retired. In the mid 90s, the GP40Ps were further rebuilt to match the more modern GP40PH-2s, which were rebuilt in the 1990s from former Conrail, UP, and other GP40s.
All 13 still currently operate, with no imminent plans to retire them.
The Kitbash
Though I dont have any good photos, I've already begun the kitbash.
I'm using an Atlas GP40. Since no good undecorated models seem to be available, I'm using an L&N model. I disassembled the entire locomotive, and began to remove the pad-printed logos from the model. Fortuneately, L&N's gray paint scheme did not necessistate stripping the whole model. Using Scalecoat "Wash Away" and K&S sanding films, I was able to remove and polish away all the pad printed logos without making any significant damage to the finish.
The first major Surgery was to remove the rear end of the locomotive. I did this with a razor saw and miter box just behind the radiator grills. I then cut vertically just behind the tall engine doors, to just above the radiator doors, again with the miter box. I then carefully cut vertically up each "side" of the locomotive to remover the radiator fan area (which would be reused later).
I then protected the radiator doors with a metal straight edge, and carefully cut above them, but only PARTIALLY. This allowed me to flare the existing radiators like on the prototype, without having to fabricate a whole new rear sections. If one were so inclined, the existing radiators could be left and be "good enough". However, I wanted to make my model more prototypical, and so I protected the body shell wth a few layers of masking tape, then sanded and polished the cast on raditor grills smooth. These will be replaced by Cannon & Co parts.
I then cut and modifed the dynamic brake blister (which is a separate part on the atlas model). The roofline of the GP40P is not dissimilar to the SD45, and so I cut just behind the rear "corners" of the dynamic brake blister. I also shortened this piece to account for the radiator fans, which were moved forward slightly as per prototype photos and drawings.
Rather than scratcbuild a new radiator fan section, I used the existing one instead. However, the fans on the GP40P are not only moved forward, but are bunched closer together. Conveniently, the width of the material to be removed between each fan was the same as the razor saw, and so I cut the pieces into three sections and then glued them back together, filling the seams with thick CA and then polishing them smooth.
I then attached the new fan assembly to the dynamic brake blister assembly, although I may need to make an adjustment to the spacing between the dynamic brake fan and the radiator fans.
I have not yet fabricated the new roofline to "fill in the gaps" between the body and the dynamic brake/radiator fan assembly, but I have all the necessary Cannon roof stock and strip styrene.
Major surgeries in the future will include- Cutting and lengthening the frame, removing just over half the radiator doors and replacing them with Cannon parts, removing the material to mount the Cannon Radiator grills, fabricating a new "end" housing, extending the sill and fabricating the "rear" pilot which is different from most EMD locomotives. I'll probably also have to find some Smokey Valley EMD style hand rail stanchions for the handrails.
I'm thinking I might have the proper drive parts to connect the rear truck with the motor,
Modeling New Jersey Under the Wire 1978-1979.
![[Image: logosmall.png]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202013/logosmall.png)