Conrail's OCS - Full Train Thread

[MRLX1020]

The Cummins or Detroit HEP units are separate of the prime movers, so there could be 3 distinct sounds coming from each locomotive.

[chessie system fan]

That's a great start,  Daniel.   Be sure and do something about those E7 cab windows.

[u18b]

Not real happy with the way the panels came out. It is damn near impossible to get them perfectly aligned and true.

Daniel, since this has been on my to-do list, I have collected a fair number of photos off the net.
But most of mine are not all that clear and/or hi rez.

I clearly see that the rivets are gone.  Looks like Conrail welded the sides.

But what about those panels.   I don't have any photos that clearly show that.

Could you post one?
or post a link.

By the way, if you need some helpful roof shots, I have some.  None of these are alike.  They are all different.

[jmlaboda - RIP]

There are some great photos on Flickr.  Below are the links to searching for each locomotive.  What you will have to do is click on the "download" arrow (shown below) so you can choose the largest size of each image.

There are detail shots of the sides and some roof detail for these units... one detail I was surprised at was that at least 4021 had roof top panels above the cab.  Also note that the rivet batten around the grills (top, bottom and ends) were still in place while the rest of the carbody sides have all welded construction.



CR 4020
CR 4021
CR 4022

Some additional shots can be found of these units after they were sold off by CSX and NS...

CR 4020 as PRR 5809
CR 4021 as PRR 5711
CR 4022 as ERIE 833

I have come to have a "love hate relationship" with Flickr.  While I love the idea that folks can upload larger images than what your typical railfan sites can (i.e.: RR Picture Archives, Railcar Photos, Rail Pictures.net, etc.) searching Flickr can be a pure nightmare at times because of how their search program is set up.  On older machines it can really bog down trying to do a search... on can only hope that now Yahoo! has been acquired by Verizon that they will eventually make it more search friendly.

[u18b]

Jerry,

Thanks.

Now I get it.  They are access panels/doors for the HEP unit.

This is a great shot.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14088618@N04/21336541653/

I see it now.

Thanks again.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

A couple of slow nights at work has let me make some headway.

I pulled the previous HEP access doors off:


And replaced them:


Not perfect, but I'm fairly happy with the result. I may do some additional trimming, but I think these are about as good as they will get.

Now to the extended DB section. Conrail replaced the standard 36" fan with dual 36" fans in a fabricated roof section on 4020 and 4021.

4020 is in the rear and 4021 is the foreground shell.

I still need to putty and sand these, but the result looks good so far. The fan section I used was from spare Atlas SD24 shells that donated 48" pan top fans for various PIII GP9 projects. I love when nothing is left to waste.

[BobRunty]

I like where you're going here Daniel, but if I may make a suggestion. Looking at the proto photo's, I would only make two door/panel pieces, an upper and a lower,  and then scribe the center joint where the doors meet. I would also probably use .002 shim brass, which is fairly easy to cut with a sharp  X-acto knife, (although you'll go through a few blades in the process.) I find .005 styrene is just too thick to really replicate something like this and I always have a hard time working with it. If you go the shim brass route, I would probably first try making them in 4 separate pieces like you have already, but would butt the two upper and lowers together, the resulting "seam" would still be noticeable enough to replicate the pair of doors. You could always have them etched too, which in turn would allow you to get that latch detail.

Bob

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think Bob's really onto something there.

Anything worth doing is worth doing thrice, right? lol.

I'm looking forward to these definitive OCS units! Any chance you'd write up an article on the construction for The Conrail Quarterly?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I tried the .001" brass sheet and was not happy with the result so far. Right now I'm going to keep the panels as is.

Anyway, I have been putting my last stash of BLMA F unit details to good use:


I am waiting on a set of BLMA 18" drop grabs. 4021 will get the same Sunrise lift rings as 4020 as well as a full compliment of back up lights and other details. The horn bracket is also from Sunrise. Conrail used Hancock Air Whistles on these units until about 1994 or 1995, when they were swapped out with Leslie 3 chime forward facing air horns. As far as I know, no one has ever made that in N scale so I will probably just lob off the rear firing horn from an atlas part.

I thought these were painted Brunswick Green, but Microscale directions state these area actually Pullman Green. Anyone know for certain? I remember a richer, warmer dark green than any Pullman equipment I came across.

[Wutter]

Conrail used Hancock Air Whistles on these units until about 1994 or 1995, when they were swapped out with Leslie 3 chime forward facing air horns. As far as I know, no one has ever made that in N scale so I will probably just lob off the rear firing horn from an atlas part.

These?

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[jmlaboda - RIP]

I thought these were painted Brunswick Green, but Microscale directions state these area actually Pullman Green. Anyone know for certain? I remember a richer, warmer dark green than any Pullman equipment I came across.

If you remember seeing green then it wasn't Brunswick Green which was actually a black color.  More specifically the Pullman green that was used was more like Southern Railway's Pullman green which was a bit darker than your typical Pullman green.  Given the way lighting is on most model railroads I would go with a standard Pullman green since it should appear about right for what you are looking for under most lighting.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

More specifically the Pullman green that was used was more like Southern Railway's Pullman green which was a bit darker than your typical Pullman green. 

This.

Keep in mind they got painted that way because of L. Stanley Crane, who had just come over from the SOU.

So, yes, "pullman green" but also not "Pullman Green".

I'd pick something close and go with it. Can you ask the guys at Rapido what they used for their car? I'd start from that and try to keep it consistent.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Yeah, that is the problem I keep running into. Rapido got the color perfect, but nothing I have seen really matches that.

I remember the CEO was from southern and he originally wanted to paint all engines dark green, but had to settle for the OCS. I always thought it was Brunswick, but Southern Pullman green makes perfect sense. I know for a fact that the Pullman Green MTL uses is way too light.

Maybe a mix of Brunswick and Pullman would work?

Side note: can you imagine how amazing the SD80 scheme would look in dark green and imitation gold?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Side note: can you imagine how amazing the SD80 scheme would look in dark green and imitation gold?

I dunno. It'd be a nice change, but it'd be like NS. NS stuff just doesn't photograph well because it's usually like a big black hole in the photo. I'd imagine those would be the same way.

Also, have you emailed Rapido? They might be helpful. Times like this I really miss Mike.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Modelflex has SAL and New Haven Pullman Green variations. Would any of these be a good match?

This is one train I can't fudge. The engines were always immaculate and glossy. There was never any color variation at all. Tall order to reproduce.