It's been a dream of mine

[tom mann]

to make this:



What works for the short hood?  Or do I have to make it myself?

[brokemoto]

That is the RSD-4\ correct?  Were these passenger units?  (I seem to recall that the Cheap and Nothing Wasted had some passenger RSD-4s that worked the 400s).

These are similar to the WM and PRR/LV hammerhead RS-3s\ except that the short hood appears to be squared on the RSD-4 and rounded on the RS-3s.  I had a WM hammerhead project going until I moved\ it is now in a box somewhere.  I did get started.  I cut off the top of the short hood with the intention of fashioning the high short hood from the short hood of another
RS-3 shell.  (I was going to make a fictitious ALCo yard switcher for my non-historic railroad from what was left).  It looks like you may be able to chop the end off the hood of a TRIX FM switcher shell and do a little bit of sanding and puttying.  I have not done a test fit\  mind you\ but that may work.

[Iain]

Maybe start with an RS11 short hood?  The FM has corners that are too round. 

[CNWlivesinme]

I guess it is technically a RSD5...

If you look through the www.cnwhs.org photos under the roadnumber, it has a pretty good history. From the '56 "Route of the Streamliners", til the late 70's.

Brokemoto is right about the passenger thing.

I'm sure that Robbman knows the specifics on the engine.

As far as the model, good luck Tom. (I'm sure it will be completed in under a month  : ) 

[wm3798]

I can see why you want to build that one... it's as ugly as you are!

 ;D

Before anyone gets offended, please bear in mind that my favorite diesel is my BL-2...
That short hood does look very F-Mish.

Lee

[Chris333]

I would guess the tall short hood could be made from an Atlas H15/16-44 shell, but would still need work after that. Maybe a BLMA etched doors set to get you going.

[central.vermont]

Hey Tom,

If you use an RS11 shell you could possibly do two
different units with the parts!!  ;D ;D
Jon

[wcfn100]

I don't think you'll find a hood that's close enough because unlike some of the other CNW anomalies, I don't think this was a re-build.  If it came from the factory this way it wouldn't have a hood from another builder and couldn't really have a high hood from a later model.  It looks like you need to reuse the numberboards, light housing, brake wheel, and you could use the doors if you don't mind some missing louvers :'(.

Does anyone know of an overhead picture to see the top of the shorthood and the dynamic brake?

Jason

[David Leonard]

It might help if you knew what hood the CNW used for the rebuild. It does look like an FM to me. The H16 short hood is not long enough, so you'd have to add a homemade section in back.

I'd think about slicing off the front 1/8 inch or so of the FM short hood, inserting about a 1/8 inch styrene filler piece in back of it, using the rest of the FM hood (which would then already have doors and grills in about the right place.)  You'd have to shave off a few of the louvers in the middle of the first set, but it might look OK if you didn't count them.

[RS-27]

I've made the LV (ex PRR) Hammerhead, cut off the top of the short hood just at the begining of the curve, added a taller piece from another shell.  Still need to add some inset louveres, the dynamic grille and steam generator vents on the short hood (and rotate the headlight).  Waiting for parts from the new RS11 (sill and handrails). 

I'd do the same for the CNW 1688.  The FM hood is TOO wide as is, the top curve might be right but wouldn't be after sectioning,  the curve of the front of the FM nose shouldn't . The doors are not close.

After splicing the 2 RS short hoods, I'd file the rounded corners at a 45* angle, laminate some strip on the bevel and recontour to a tighter radius bend and roof curve.  Might just as well sand off all the detail on the short hood, nothing is close to being in the right place. (Except the headlight, and it needs to be turned.)

The doors would best be made by... there is no good way.  I've scraped and sanded the back of a panel to get the louvers off to use elsewere. PITA.  Or you could splice the doors from the long hood, suitably shortened.  PITA.

It looks like the CNW unit has the last phase carbody filter arrangement, the front railings like the RS11.  What will be some more fun is shaving off all the louvers off the long hood.  BTDT for CNJ's later phase units. 

Bob in IDaho

[Weedline]

I can see why you want to build that one... it's as ugly as you are!

 ;D

Before anyone gets offended, please bear in mind that my favorite diesel is my BL-2...
That short hood does look very F-Mish.

Lee

That  thing is the dog of diesels, or about the same as the EMD NW-5 looks like Dr. Frankenstein pieced it  together.

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  My best friend married a gal that I kindly refer to as the "mule faced woman".  Now he doesn't really like it when we talk and I ask him how that `ole mule face woman is doing, but he knows I talk about my sister with a lot of love and affection.

Mike

[wcfn100]

It might help if you knew what hood the CNW used for the rebuild.

Railroads rebuilt their motive power and used parts from other manufacturers were they saw fit and C&NW was no exception.

Before you get carried away, is there any proof that this was a rebuild?

Their would be no dynamic braking on the RSD5 as most of C&NW equipment at that time didn't have any and any equipment that did have DB was from CGW.

Yes it had DB.

Jason

[David Leonard]

I consulted the CNW roster in Extra 2200 South (Vol. 8, No.5) and there's no indication that this is a rebuild (which really doesn't matter, if you want to model it), but it does state that the dynamic braking was housed in the high short hood. Apparently this was not a passenger unit.

[Chris333]

Other flavors with different high hoods:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=198515
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=360292

One for Lee:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=358913
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=358911

[3rdrail]

I always thought the "hammerhead" design was a result of the RS3 or RSD4/5 having both dynamic brakes and a steam generator. Either option, by itself, could be accommodated in the standard short hood. LIRR's 1550 series had steam generators, for example.  If either one alone required the high short hood, they wouldn't have been as uncommon as they were.