Current Projects

[LiveSteamer]

I started to decal the caboose tonight while the paint is drying on the second critter. Slowly but surely my Conrail fleet is growing and hopefully will continue to grow over the next year or so. After I complete the projects I have on my work bench I am taking the dive again into scratch building. I am looking into building one of the scale test cars in the number series 80090-80097. Yet another big scratch building project but I think I got the hang of it. 

   

[LiveSteamer]

I got all the small details cut out and are awaiting to be painted. The couple decals I had set off to the side earlier when I started this project have been applied and are drying.

   

   

[jim currie]

I started to decal the caboose tonight while the paint is drying on the second critter. Slowly but surely my Conrail fleet is growing and hopefully will continue to grow over the next year or so. After I complete the projects I have on my work bench I am taking the dive again into scratch building. I am looking into building one of the scale test cars in the number series 80090-80097. Yet another big scratch building project but I think I got the hang of it. 

watch out scratch building is habit forming and I outa know
Jim

[LiveSteamer]

I started to decal the caboose tonight while the paint is drying on the second critter. Slowly but surely my Conrail fleet is growing and hopefully will continue to grow over the next year or so. After I complete the projects I have on my work bench I am taking the dive again into scratch building. I am looking into building one of the scale test cars in the number series 80090-80097. Yet another big scratch building project but I think I got the hang of it. 

watch out scratch building is habit forming and I outa know
Jim

It's not a bad habit lol.

[LiveSteamer]

While taking a break from doing some research on the scale test car, I have been busy late at night on my phone doing some more research on another unique and odd locomotive that Conrail only had one of that I can find. It is the rebuilt RS3M locomotive. It caught my attention a couple weeks ago while I was browsing on the Conrail photo archive website. I thought to myself how cool it looked and even though it was stored by 1983, I figured why not build it and have it sitting in the stored line of locomotives that will eventually be part of the layout. I have started to build the long porch that is on the front of the locomotive. The cab is left over from the RS11 shell that bruce had sent me so that became the donor cab and the former NYC RS3 shell will complete the rear of the body. I will need to make some minor changes to the cab and the shell. Two exhaust stacks will need to be scratch built along with raising the top of the shell up some but that is something simple. Well enough chitchat, below is the progress I have done so far.

   

   

   

   

[jim currie]

I warned you. looks cool do you have photo of the real one?
jim

[LiveSteamer]

I warned you. looks cool do you have photo of the real one?
jim

Here is a photo of the real deal.
   

[jim currie]

Neet sweet I guess the PB&L will be looking for a suitable doner loco.
Jim

[LiveSteamer]

Neet sweet I guess the PB&L will be looking for a suitable doner loco.
Jim

The only thing I need to find is a spare frame ( chassis ) to mount this too once I get it completed. I will be doing more work on it tomorrow since we are to get hit with ice and snow.

[jim currie]

question what was the purpose of the long porch? and what kind of of frame do you need as i have several of them
 Jim

[LiveSteamer]

question what was the purpose of the long porch? and what kind of of frame do you need as i have several of them
 Jim

I need to find a RS3 frame for this but I'm not in no hurry right now to locate one.

Information on 9950.

Conrail 9950 was a unique locomotive built by rebuilding a Penn Central RS3 ( originally PC 5477 ) and removing its short hood, making it an "end-cab" unit. This rebuild was the only one of its kind, and the locomotive was retired by Conrail around 1984, with photos showing it stored in Harrisburg, Pa.

Origin: It was rebuilt from Penn Central unit 5477

Unique Features: Unlike other RS3M rebuilds, its short hood was removed, resulting in an end-cab configuration similar to other locomotives like the S1 or EMD SW series.

Status: It was on of the locomotives used by Penn Central and then Conrail before being retired by the latter

End of Life: It was seen in storage at Harrisburg, Pa in the mid-1980s.

Legacy: Conrail RS3M 9950 is remembered as a unique and one-of-a-kind locomotive in railfan circles.

[TMo]

I have a Yugoslavian RS2 (70's vintage) that AHM offered in Southern Pacific garb (the SP never had one).  I gutted it's transfer gearing (but could probably round it up) to use in my failed brass retrofit, but it does still have the trucks and chassis.  I'm not sure how you'd work around the front truck tower to get your empty porch (maybe just power the rear truck?).  I have absolutely no use for it, but would send it to you for the price of shipping.  Picture attached.  PM me if interested.