Conrail GP15-1 build... JUST DO IT.

[Puddlejumper]

Hey, some of the patched units are the most interesting!

Indeed, the patches are interesting. I saw a GP38 that was in full CR paint, but had the PC style "CR" on the nose. And as far as the "CR Quality-Altoona" version, yes, there is no standardization there. You must paint from a photo if you do an Altoona repaint.[/quote]

A quick note on the bicentennial GG1, be careful, the stars aren't the same on both sides, but as it turns out, most photos are of only one side of the unit. I know a person who built a Bicentennial GG1 in O-scale, and they said after months, they found hundreds of photos, but only a handful showed the other side. If i can dig up the site, i'll give it to you so you can make your GG1 Special in that it will be spot on.

I've considered an SDP45 for a while, and i'm curious how you plan to make one. Not only would it be very cool, but it shares a rear with the CNJ GP40Ps that i'd like to model, and so far it looks tricky.

Didn't know that about the GG1 being different. Thanks for the tips. As for the SDP45, I am not sure about that one yet. I do have a couple of articles around here somewhere about modeling them. Also I plan on doing 6688 and 6698, but will probably just use Athearn SD45-2s to model those. They both had SD45-2 bodies, but were actually one hood door longer than an SD45-2. I don't think that one hood door is enough for me to cut up a Genesis SD45-2. I will have to replace the nose on one of them with the SDP45 nose with the handbrake notch.

I thought about modeling it myself (i have a few U34CHs on my roster). That unit is an interesting one, because after they removed the Bi-centennial paint, they accidentally applied Erie Lackawanna freight masking (which is different from the EL/ NJ DOT paint). For most of it's life, 4151 (the real number behind 1776) was an oddball because its stripes were out of place!

Conrail sent them of to NJ DOT by December 2 in 1976, but i think for a time, Conrail actually leased these units for freight runs on the weekends. The only rule was that they had to be back "home" in time for Monday morning rush hours. It isn't unusual to see a lash up of three U34CHs on a freight run during the early years (at least up to 1979, though the photo i have can be wrong).

If you do a U34CH, Just gotta add the nose light. the best way i've seen to make it is to take a metal casting of a similar shape and size and file it down "square". I've seen some others attempt to use different nose lights (check the 3364 on my roster thread. I bought that unit second hand). I've also seen some people use plastic sheet cut into squares. unfortuneately, no one makes that boxy nose piece.

Didn't know about 4451 having incorrect stripes, that's neat. You are correct about the EL and CR using the units on weekends for freight work. For a little while anyway. The nose light is a definite. I also want to model one Auto Train spec U36B with the nose light.