GEC's Layout Progress

[Green_Elite_Cab]

A few more pictures of stuff I've picked up-

Amtrak E60CP #955-

Though the shell isn't a perfect match, adding the steam generator details is probably good enough to make this one stand out as an E60CP (as opposed to the more common E60CH). There are some other differences on the roof, but I'm not sure its worth the effort to do on a model that is already painted.

These supplemented the GG1s on long haul trains, since many of the "heritage" fleet of cars was still steam heated. However, Amtrak saw HEP as the future, and so only a handful of the E60s were built as steam heat equipped "E60CPs". These were stored as steam-heated passenger consists were converted to HEP in the late 70s through the early 80s. Many of these stored E60CPs would trade in their boilers for HEP when they were converted to E60MAs in the mid to late 80s.





Burlington Northern Insulated boxcar

This is a neat Details West kit. It does seem very close to insulated boxcars in this car's number range, and I'm sure the detail discrepancies are minor. I'm always on the look out for insulated boxcars since they match my Magic Pan Bakery industry on my layout. The BN paint scheme is a plus, I've always liked it.



Penn Central X54 class insulated boxcar-

This one is more like it! Walthers offers a 40' plug door boxcar that is painted up as an X54, but is definitely not the right shape for one! The Atlas model is MUCH closer. There are really only small detail differences. The molded on detail is probably the only thing holding this model back, especially when it comes to "modernizing" the car. I did remove the roof walks, however.

As I understand it, the prototype X54s were some of the last 40' cars. Many of these survived into Conrail, and I've seen a few photos of these still in full Penn Central paint up until a few years ago. Apparently, they were necessary for some industries that had 40' door spacing.



Penn Central 862B Double Door boxcar-

This one was a special edition sold by the Penn Central Technical & Historical Society. Reportedly, it almost perfect matches a prototype PC car. Can't complain with that! This is an Atlas car, apparently originally a Branchline kit. Its based on a New York Central prototype. Double Door Boxcars are the way to go with the trains I model, as these were frequently used to haul automobile parts, a major commodity being shipped under the wire to the now long gone Ford plant in Metuchen, and the GM plant in Linden.



Penn Central MUs

I haven't posted to many pictures of these. I got the MP54 sometime this summer, and I've been trying to find more with little luck. They are available online, but I'm holding off on ordering them.





Also, I have my Arrow I #100. I need to replace this pantograph with the Walthers Proto Metroliner one for consistency, but it should be otherwise good to go. I'll probably also renumber it into the 500 series at some point.



Conrail Cabooses

In the meantime, I've felt the need to do projects I could actually reasonably expect to complete. One of the "holes" in my roster has been cabooses. Having moved "back in time", I forgot that cabooses were still required on the trains of my time period. I really only had one serviceable Conrail caboose, a Walthers model representing an N-12 bay window type. I had an N5C that had also seen better days.

I decided to change that! My plan is to get a caboose from each of the "component" roads of Conrail. Fortunately, many of these models are cheap.

In addition to those photographed below, I'm expecting two ex-New York Central caboose kits, an N6A transfer caboose and an N7 bay window type. A rather dilapidated N6A sits near my house in Mount Holly (a failed frozen yogurt stand, apparently), and an N7A used to be parked in front of a local McDonalds until it was mysteriously trucked away last year ago (I did not see it scrapped). The N7 was one of the more major Conrail caboose classes, so it definitely warrants attention!

There are a few more cabooses I'm looking at, but I'll stick with just these for now.

N5

This is a stock Bowser N5 kit, went together fairly easily. I used the "Laserkit" windows instead of the stock Bowser windows, which so far looks really good (sometimes, I can't tell the window is still there!). I also plan to install window frame kits by Wrightrak, which will further enhance the appearance of this caboose. Some handrails will finish it off.

This was a ubiquitous PRR design.



N5C

I've had this kit for a while, but it was always very "dilapidated" itself. I acquired it second hand, and it was every bit as dilapidated as any of the surviving prototypes probably are! Sagging couplers, loose/missing steps and windows, busted up end posts. It also had plastic wheels, a no-no for club running.

I purchased another set of laser-kit windows to replace the missing ones. I also replaced the remaining Bowser steps with brass one by Cal-scale. These brass steps are much closer to the prototype's later configuration. Wright track makes a kit for the window frames for these as well.

As it turns out, this may be a complicated situation. I cannot find any prototype photos of 23000 during 1979. There were still plenty of cabooses in the "original" configuration as the bowser kit, but starting around the early 80s, and possible late 70s, many of these cabooses started having their windows blanked or rebuilt. It certainly left Penn Central with all its windows in their original configuration. I'll have to dig, but the wrightrak window frame kit comes with the appropriate blanks and plates, so if I change my mind, it can be done.

I might need to get a second N5C, as Bowser's other Conrail road number, 23174, is one I've personally worked with in Pemberton when the trains were still there. This one I found pictures of, and I know was in its original configuration when I model (though it was later modified).

Another undeniably PRR cabin car.



N5G

This is the Athearn Northeastern caboose, based on the upgraded MDC caboose. It is supposed to represent an ex Lehigh-Valley caboose, but it does not do a great job. While I can overlook the lack of some of the prototype specific details, the main flaw of this caboose is that it is over-sized for HO scale. It towers over most other cabooses. Apparently, the extra height is in the roof, which arches too high. Its enough that it makes the caboose feel out of place on a train, which is a shame because its an otherwise nice model. I just wish I noticed this in the hobby shop before I picked it up.

In any case, I'll go with the Lifelike/Walthers Proto center cupola caboose. Though based more on a Reading prototype, it appears to better capture the feel of this wide-spread class of caboose.



N8

The last "bowser" caboose (yet another PRR cabin car), was an N8. This kit was a little frustrating, and I may have to go back to it. the instructions for the brake wheel weren't particularly clear. Also, there may be laser cut windows for this caboose as well. I left the roof loose on all the bowser kits, so I can work on the interior. This kit included parts to model the brake rigging, but apparently not a lot of thought was put into how the car would operated when "rigged" up.

That said, with its separately applied handrails, this caboose does look a little better than the prior bowser cabooses.

These appear to be the last "PRR" class of cabin car, built in the mid 50s.





N12

The N12 was a Penn Central class of caboose, apparently spiritually based on the New York Central N7 class. This class of caboose would itself be the base of Conrail's N21 caboose, the only class of caboose bought new by Conrail. Not surprisingly, the other road number of this model offered by Walthers is marked as an N21.

Not a lot else to say on this model, its basically been my ONLY regularly used caboose. Indeed, the wear on this caboose is obvious, and its definitely been crashed into a few times by club members who were not paying attention. I think if I can straight out the ends, it will be just fine however.



N20

This atlas model looks pretty good. The only flaw was one missing grab iron. I'm unclear if I lost it, or if it simply wasn't in the pack. Its not obvious however.

These were Conrail's only extended vision cabooses, Reading Company prototype. The Atlas model is an excellent match for this type. Apparently, the Athearn one is a different prototype.

One thing I found interesting, is that the N20 and the N12 appeared almost identical in body construction and style, with the only major differences being the viewing platform (cupola vs bay windows) and window arrangement. Not surprisingly, both were constructed at about the same time (1970-1971) by the International Car Company.




Last but not least....

This is my first serious Trolley car, one of the Kawaski LRVs bought in 1980 for SEPTA's subway-surface routes into and out of center city Philadelphia. Unfortunately, I broke the plastic trolley pole, but I'll pick up an operating metal one instead. I plan to power this car at some point. I might even light it if I get brave.