So as a diversion from the Northern Pacific in the 1950s, I decided to leap forward to the early Nineties in Western Minnesota. While going to college in Moorhead, MN, I became familiar with the Otter Tail Valley Railroad. The OTVR ran (actually "runs") on former Great Northern track from Fergus Falls, MN to Moorhead and basically served the agricultural industry in the area. Since then, I have always wanted to model a set of their locomotives and caboose.
The OTVR acquired a number of GP18s from the Southern, which were previously Norfolk Southern low nose units, and an ex Santa Fe caboose. The GP18s were unique in that they were operated long hood forward and had a unique fuel tank/air tank configuration. They also had Horst style air filters, bells on the long hood, plows on the long hood end, all weather windows, five chime horns on the short hood and altered side sills. These are all features that I decided to add to a pair of Walthers locomotives.
The Caboose was very easy. Simply use the Intermountain modernized Santa Fe model. I just masked off the windows and over-sprayed the existing graphics just as the OTVR did. Even in fresh paint one can make out the SF lettering underneath.
The final model I need is an Atlas Thrall hopper painted for XTRA and re-stenciled for OTVR. See the attached links for pictures of the prototype.
Michael Livingston is working on the decals for me and should be done soon.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1703376http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3608740http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2589133
