MILW GP20M build

[Ian MacMillan]

I'm in the process of building a few MILW rebuilds of GP9s into their GP20M program. Bases for the units will be Proto2000 GP9 Phase II and Phase III units.

First unit in the shop is a unit that retained it number boards on the nose. I still need to chop the dynamic brake blister out as I was not able to pick up any non DB phase 3 units. The cab front for the chopped nose is from a Cannon SW7 kit and aside from the engineers window is not square on the GP20M's its a pretty decent stand in.




I'm waiting for my new razor saw to come in to I can do the DB swap and chop the top part of the nose.

[wazzou]

I didn't realize the MILW TransCon made it out to NH.      
Did a nearby shortline end up with some post MILW?

[Dave Schneider]

Could just be some latent Milwaukee Road tendencies. 
Looks like a nice project Ian. I look forward to watching this progress.

Best wishes, Dave

[Ian MacMillan]

I always have some MILW project in the works.  MILW has always brought some good memories of my times in Tomah,  WI when I would stay at my Grandparents during summers.


What I can't find is if DB units ever entered the GP20M program. All the photos I can find online are non DB units so I assume none did.

Dave, I think you will like where this project is going.


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[wazzou]

The #'s 993 and 996 had dynamic brakes though the 993 lost it's blister during a later overhaul.

[Ian MacMillan]

Bryan,
Would you by chance have photos? All the photos I have seen of 993 and 996 are blisterless.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ian, you know, every time I see you type "Tomah", somehow my brain thinks that it's supposed to be "Toma", but said like a New Englander.

[wazzou]

Bryan,
Would you by chance have photos? All the photos I have seen of 993 and 996 are blisterless.

I think so, but I'm headed to Anchorage this weekend and probably will not be able to get you anything until the week of the 29th.

Edit...

Weird...I got the info about which two GP-20m units featured DB's from the Fred Hyde and Dale Sanders book on Milwaukee Road Diesels.  Fred Hyde is a well respected authority on the Milwaukee Road and it's diesels.
This morning after Jason mentioned the 996 photo was w/o DB blister, I went on a mission to find the roster.  Of course, my roster is from Fred Hyde, but shows #993 being rebuilt from GP-9 #272.  Clearly we have evidence that the 993 had DB's.  Unit #996 was rebuilt, again according to Fred, from GP-9 #224.  I have a picture of #224 in my collection that was taken pre-rebuild and it is a non-DB equipped unit.
I'll ask Fred Hyde for some clarification and report back.

[wcfn100]

From a slide set off E-Bay.  Same set showed 996 w/o the blister.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Orig-Slides-6-MILW-Milwaukee-Road-GP20-039-s-996-989-993-994-Milwaukee-1970-/380939041344?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b1bc7a40&nma=true&si=htvOYB4KgFiH0G20%252B3OT%252FNh0wBQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Jason

[wazzou]

So...Fred Hyde says that the caption in his book must be in error and that GP-20m units #991 and #993 would have had DB blisters.
Unit #991 was former GP-9 #274 and #993 was former GP-9 #272, neither of which I ave pictures of.

[Ian MacMillan]

Thanks guys. I know units 270-277 had DB blisters, and ended up as GP20M's so I guess one could a$$ume that they had their DB blisters on their first rebuild into GP20M's and then lost them later.   Saves me some work on one, but I'd be stretching it having a DB into the late 80's.

[Ian MacMillan]

Chopped the nose. Time for putty, details and paint.

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[jpec]

Looks great, Ian!

Jeff

[packers#1]

Very nice; whenever I get back into the full model RR swing, I'm definitely switching to HO scale