Speaking of Early Conrail

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Sorry for the long histories!

This Early Conrail stuff is what I like to model, and so its rare to get to discuss it! I figure most people aren't that interested in Conrail.


It appears I am in the same boat as faraway right now, as I just recieved in the last week, three nice models that aren't quite right for early conrail.

I've got a P2K PRR GP9 #7206 that while it kept its brunswick green and PRR style numbers, would require the "Last" PRR style font to be correct if patched. Even so, it became a GP10 at some in early 1979, just a few months short of my "cut off" date (April 1979). While i Suppose I could repaint the model, it would no longer be a "simple" patch, and it would become more of a project (and I don't need any of those).

If you look in this prototype photo, not only does it have the PRR numbers, but a little chunk of the "Pennsylvania" lettering is left over by some of the body vents.

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I've got an OLD Atlas/kato GP7 that i just picked up yesterday. It has been custom painted blue and numbered 5600. the paint job and decal work are great, but the model does not reflect the prototype 5600 (which did not have dynamic brakes), nor does the paint job seem to match any GP7 i've seen (Blue with Conrail logos on the side, but CR patches on the end). At the very least, the model will need to be renumbered and partially re-decaled. The other problem is that while the shell is pretty good, some of the details are molded on, and the pilots and truck side frames aren't making me to happy.




Finally, I recieved a Kato NW2 painted as Conrail 9241. Again, a unit that isn't quite right. 9241 was a former CNJ unit, still in its blue CNJ paint during 1979. Whats more, the organization of Conrail logos on the model, while in typical switcher locations, are not quite the "standard" for NW2s at that time. NW2s seem to have been heavily modified in some cases, and there were at least two body styles, and different cab-window placement on the left (conductor's) side.


Prototype Photo-

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Also, I recently acquired this Conrail X72 boxcar, which fits in nicely. The details aren't perfect, but it wouldn't take to much to make this car look a little better.