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I started this project about 2 years ago and finished it about a year ago. I started with an old ModelPower shell and an Athearn F-7 chassis. The wheelbase is off by about 3/16", so I lengthened the fuel tank just bit so that it looked right proportionally. This unit started out as a high cab which I cut down. I replaced the fan grill with one from TigerValley. I also had to repair parts of the roof overhang, that was about it for the body. I built a new fuel tank around the old one and filled it with lead in every nook and cranny. The airtanks were cast in resin from some elongated TigerValley RS-36 tanks. All the airlines are brass wire. The pilots were also rebuilt. The handrails and the cab steps really tested my soldering skills. The fuel tank extendion is also a TigerValley part. I used Archer resin treadplate and rivits. The chassis got a Mashima motor and flywheels and an NCE decoder.
I thought I would share some photos:
![[Image: sajzq.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img842/2787/sajzq.jpg)
![[Image: cfhsf.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img843/3042/cfhsf.jpg)
![[Image: s318.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img836/9443/s318.jpg)
![[Image: joba.jpg]](http://imageshack.com/a/img835/7647/joba.jpg)
here's the rest of the photos:
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Very nicely done. a rare breed for sure, but a model that was bypassed by a lot of modelers. I saw some of the Rock Island 415's but never heard or saw one run.
Thanks for posting the link to the pictures. There is a lot of work represented there.
Charlie
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Thanks for the cudos! If you go back to the post you'll notice I added a bit more, I was struggling posting my photos, I got it down now.
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A very impressive and interesting prototype and model. Thanks for posting all the detail photos during construction.
Reinhard
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Nice stuff
.. do you have any in progress shots.
My other car is a locomotive, ARHS restoration crew
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An interesting thing about the 415 was we had a very famous ALCO mechanic working on our S-1, in fact he sold it to us. We were searching for a back up and he told us what ever we did, not to buy A 415 because there were some serious mechanical design problems. About a year later he acquired one and tried to sell it to us....
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Neat loco!
Mike
Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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Wow! Super-Impressive! I think its interesting that you cast your own pilots. I need to do something similar for a GP7 I'm working on. Any advice?
Modeling New Jersey Under the Wire 1978-1979.
![[Image: logosmall.png]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202013/logosmall.png)
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Just as an aside, I.H.C. did a model of an Alco Century 415, I just bought one of the bay-of-E.
(There was also another maker I came across when I was looking for info about it.)
Mine is Southern Pacific 2403; they had 10 of them on their books.
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Very impressive late Alco model and excellent craftmanship... COngratulation!
...reminds me why I miss good old industrial designs like Alco, hard to love the new "salt boxes", especially the passenger equipment.
Matt
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Not just my profession, but i can see the work some body has done.
Lutz
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Very nicely done.
Wayne
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Nice job on this model!,I have been considering creating one for myself.Just wished someone like Atlas or Bowser would create one for me.
Don Shriner
