This is one of the easiest “kitbashes” you could do.
My CSX collection already has a very unique CW40-8. Modeled after this locomotive:
But it was time for some new additions. Atlas recently released another round of the excellent CW40-8 (sometimes labeled DASH8-40CW). I bought one for CSX in the Bright Future scheme because I needed it to make a CSX DASH-9. CSX also ran some LMS units too, so I bought one of those as well.
First, a clarification. The first DASH-9s delivered to CSX were CW40-9s. But GE quickly uprated the line to 4,400 horsepower. So the CSX 9000 number series includes a few CW40-9s and lot of CW44-9s which look almost identical. I think the primary visual difference is the steps. (5 versus 6).
So back to the Atlas model. I needed to buy a DASH-8 in order to model a DASH-9.
Here’s why:
Years ago, Kato released a wonderful CW44-9. However, being a major GE customer, CSX took delivery of some of the very first DASH-9 locomotives. And as often happens, the first DASH-9 locomotives were delivered to CSX in DASH-8 carbodies. So even though Kato painted a CW44-9 in CSX and numbered it in the 9000 series, it is technically wrong for that road (if you are a rivet counter).
The differences are admittedly minor- but they are still differences. Let’s look at them. As is common among our locomotives, the differences are most often the placement and shape of grills and battery boxes.
Here is a Kato C44-9 painted for CSX and so this is one that is technically wrong.
Notice this model has:
-short air intake grill
-a brake wheel in the middle of the vents/grills
-a huge exhaust stack
-radial trucks
-6 steps
The only thing that is accurate for what I want is the big exhaust. Everything else is wrong.
Now, compare the Kato model to the prototype CSX CW44-9 (which mostly looks like a DASH-8).
Notice the following differences.
-The central engine intake grill is longer.
-The placement of the brake wheel is in the rear.
-Also, there are a couple of grill changes.
-the trucks are older GE style
-There are step differences as well. DASH-8 locos have 5 steps, where GE eventually moved to 6 steps. Kato modeled their C44 with both 5 and 6 steps. But for me, the Kato CSX CW44-9 was made with 6 steps.
And here is the Atlas stock DASH-8 model.
It has:
-long intake grill
-older GE trucks
-brake wheel in the rear
-a short stack- this is not correct for a DASH-9
The only things wrong are the road number and the exhaust stack.
So now you can see that if you want to model those early DASH-9s that went to CSX, then you need to start with the Atlas CW40-8.
However, in prep for this post, I found
other examples of DASH-8s with a huge exhaust. I’m assuming these are either late DASH-8s or retrofitted.
For example, I also need to mod the LMS CW40-8s that CSX got from Conrail.
Look at this example. It is a CW40-8, but it has a HUGE exhaust stack.
With reference to the CSX DASH-9s, they had road numbers 9000-9052. The first three (9000-9002) were CW40-9s with 5 steps. The rest of the CSX units have 6 steps and most were the uprated CW44-9.
With the Atlas model as my starting point, the 5 steps of the Atlas DASH-8 leads me to model CSX #9000-9002. My choice is 9002.
So with the basic locomotive in hand, that leaves me with only 2 changes to make.
The first is obviously the road number. I *could* have purchased an undec, but I chose to buy one fully painted and just change the numbers.
See this thread about changing road numbers. The Atlas model is a perfect candidate for using the scratching method:
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=60622.0 Once I scratched off the road numbers, it was then a simple matter of adding new decals. Changing the number boards and future weathering would complete the task.
The second change is the exhaust stack. As you can see in the photos, the CSX DASH-9 stacks are REALLY huge. In fact, notice that the stack is the tallest part of the locomotive, matches or slightly exceeds the height of the cab and air intake area.
I had a few options. The exhaust casting for the Atlas B40-8 is beefier than this model. It was still not quite tall enough so I tested adding some card stock under it to lift it a few mil. That made it look better.
@chessie system fan was over and I asked him if he would be open to drawing and printing me some exhaust stacks.
He said he could… but why not use the stack from a Kato C44-9? So we went on a search and I did have a CW44 shell in my stash.
After installation.... it looked perfect!
Now the mounting nubs between the Atlas and Kato models are different. Atlas uses a blade where Kato uses two pins. So I cut off the Kato pins and glued the Kato CW44 stack in place.
I checked the Kato website and they still sell this stack for only 1 dollar. I ordered more for future locos.
Here is the current link:
https://store.katousa.com/product/c44-ac-exhaust-stack-n-scale/ And wow- it looks great.
I now have a MUCH more accurate CW40-9 for CSX.
Check photos of your CW40-8 and see if it needs one of these big Kato stacks as well.
