With the Cary F-3b shell that I'm working on in the other thread, I also have two of the Cary S-2 shells:

One will be painted in an early CPR scheme:




I took these pictures this past Summer in Calgary, Alberta. The engine stands as a gate guard to Heritage Park, alongside a CPR 2-10-4 Selkirk.
The other will be CN in Black and Yellow. Unfortunately I don't have pictures for that that I can share.

I've been collecting parts for the two including the Athearn drives and a pair of Mashima tan-can motors so I can convert the engines to DCC later.
The other day I glued the front and rear pilots and well as the rear cab wall, exhaust stack and top grills into place. they're ready to have the hole drilled where the grabs, lifting eyes and other details added.

Glen, I have a Cary FM shell to be mounted on an Athearn frame myself. When you get to putting the shell on the frame could you please post how you are going about it, I would like to get some ideas.

Note the differences between the Cary shell & the CN prototype. These include the smoke stack, radiator grills on side & top & sand filler hatches.

Thanks but I don't think I'll be changing much of the details as I've already glued both the stack and grills on. I spent some time drilling for the grabs and other details, I'll post some pictures later

Andy, are you sure you aren't thinking on a CNR S-4? I did a bit of research in my Rail Canada Volume 1 and I'm looking at a number of photos of a S-2 with the Cary-style exhaust and grills. Their later S-4 had a rectangular exhaust on it from what it looks like.

Only compared the OP's pix of the CN prototype & his Cary shells. Have S-2s & S-4s because modeling the ATSF & LAJ Ry. There are many differences among ALCO switchers in the items in my post. For instance the slats on the radiator can be horizontal or vertical & the stacks were frequently changed by the owner RRs.

If I'm not mistaken, the early Alcos had air-cooled turbochargers, which were prone to problems. Later models used a water-cooled version, which was also available as a retrofit for older locos. I believe that change also resulted in a change in the exhaust stack.
I'll contact someone who may be able to shed more light on this subject.

Wayne

Your correct Doc. The visible difference between the water cooled and air cooled is that one exhaust stack is turned 90 degrees from the other. I just can't remember which one goes what way ????

I believe the stacks shown on the CPR engine and the Cary kits are the air cooled versions, the water cooled have the rectangular stacks 90 degrees from that position.
I started to add the details to the two:

I added the drop grabs to the front and side, as well as the lifting rings to the top of the hood.

I have mounting holes drilled for a few more grabs and then I have to start on the cab roof, eves and then the handrails.
Fortunately, both engines are painted basic black so I can add all the details before painting.

After adding the roof and eves to the models I started with the handrails today.

I didn't like the originals from Cary so I made a call to Atlas and requested two of their S-2 handrail sets. They also include the walk-tread over the front radiator grill.

The handrail uprights don't line up with the original holes in the cary shell so I had to re-drill a few. I started with the front upright, drilling it out so that the mounting peg would be a friction fit (the pegs are square) and then working my way back.

after about an hours work I have the side railings installed. you will also notice that the one shell has a styrene roof as I didn't have a second cary one. The cary roof comes pre-formed for the roof curve.

I completed the handrails yesterday:

I had no end of trouble trying to get the Atlas end handrails to fit so I just used the kit ones.

I also added the sand hatches and the small walkway to the top of the hood.

the end railings were a real challenge. the get the stantions you hand the bend them in a 'z' and then cut slots in the front and rear pilot for them to rest. I found I had to use 5 minute epoxy for them, as well as the eve parts which just kept falling off when I used CA.

on the second engine had to fabricate the sand hatches out of styrene. I also used some 5 minute epoxy to glue the side railings down where I had drilled the mounting holes a bit too big.
I've almost finished the shell details. I have to attach the side railings to the cab on one side yet and maybe some other things but my next step after that will be mounting them onto the athearn frames.

I finished the detailing on the two today:

I added the coupler cut bars to the two and the coupler bumper to the Canadian Pacific model. The bumpers are For a TH&B GP9 but they looked close enough to the CP ones.

I now am tuning my attention to the Chassis/drives for the two. I know I'm going to power the CP engine at least, with a DCC decoder so it will be re-motored. I stripped the old black 'jet' motors out of the frames first, then looked to fitting them to the Cary shells.

the frames are designed to drop right into the cary bodies with some minor adjustments.

first I had to trim the mounting pegs of the atlas handrails flush with the sills.

then I had to round off the corners by the coupler mounts on the frames. When the was done the two slipped together for a tight fit.

there are two brass tabs given to attach the frame to the body. seeing as I only had one complete kit, I'll have to fabricate a second set.
Andy, I'm not sure if this is similar to haw the FM body mounts.

So here's how they look now. The bodies are ready for paint. I'm going to strip down the frames so I can paint the sides and below in black. Then I need to figure out the re-motoring process. I have a couple Mashima tan-can motors that I'll try to use. I just have to figure out how to mount them where the huge Athearn motor was.

For a shell that is not up to today's so called "standards" those are sweet looking Alcos.

I suspect those honeys will pull the wallpaper of the wall.

Gidday Glen, I’ve been keeping an eye on this project of yours with interest because, if the truth be known, it’s given me the inspiration for my “Duff Challenge”.

<!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://bigbluetrains.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=9152">viewtopic.php?f=37&t=9152</a><!-- l -->

Mine was purchased already equipped with a decoder and a Mashima Tan Can motor, and while I’ll tidy up the installation, I can take a photo of how it is and post it here, if you think it would be of assistance.
Cheers, the Bear.

cnrglen
The trucks you're using your Cary shells are the AAR Type A that were used on S-4, not S-2 ALCO switchers. But some RRs like GN did put the AAR Type As on some of their S-2s. The stock ALCO S-2s came w/ the ALCO Blunt trucks. For us modelers the two truck types are the only difference between S-2 & S-4. Also most RRs had different number series between the two types.