# What are these engines?



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

I'm looking for some help...
I have a few engines that are going up for sale. But I don't know what type of real-world engine they are. Some assistance?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ngrant84/6778515635/
The Amtrak engine is a cheapo from Life-Like.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/ngrant84/6778509949/
This little steamer is also a cheapo engine from Model Power

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ngrant84/6778519317/
This is the better model I have, still not a great one but it runs nice.


----------



## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

The first one is a F40PH. The second which follows no prototype is a 0-4-0 and the last one is a SD40-2.Those old Athearns never die I tell ya!


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Thanks for the great info. I assume the sd40-2 from the MO-PAC is the Athearn you're talking about. Is that worth any money ? It's missing the hand rails but it is a larger engine. After buying an Atlas $60 engine it's amazing how crappy the cheap engines are made with a tiny motor attached to one truck. I can't imagine how nice the $200 engines are


----------



## Smokinapankake (Sep 8, 2011)

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. I'm a big Athearn fan, and they seem to go contrary to that line of thinking. For very reasonable money the old Athearn Blue Box stuff is hard to beat. Like Tyco Man says, Athearn stuff will run forever. A little loud but....

I love the Athearn stuff!


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Well eBay has taught me a few lessons about selling. This SD40-2 is still for sale, on here. Missouri Pacific (MoPac).









I took the shell off this loco...with the all metal frame, it's built nicely.

I have a couple more engine questions, I'll post pics tonight. Thanks for the help so far.


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Here's the For Sale thread.
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?p=116240#post116240


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Here's a couple pics of my engine roster. It's small, but I'd like to get a few more Lehigh Valley locos, plus my planned layout isn't going to be very big.


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

So what are the prototypes of these engines?


----------



## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Awww you should sell the 2 Mo-Pac's together they are a set!
A couple of your engines are in a serious need of some hand rails!
Hope you have a tender for ole 97 or she won't get very far!


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Yeah I have a tender for the steamer. It's such a great little runner. The southern pacific had metal handrails but I don't know what happened to the others. I want to keep the smaller MoPac...which I now think is a GP9.


----------



## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

The Conrail is a GP38 with high nose. (I don't think Conrail would have actually had any with the high nose, that was a Southern and N&W thing.)

The Southern Pacific is a GP35, the Mopac is a GP50 and the Coke engine at bottom is an SD40. (No "Dash-2s" in this pile)


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Thanks for the info, guess I don't know what anything is. What is stored in the highnose that isn't in the short nose? The coke engine runs smooth and quiet, but it's all plastic, not as nice as I thought.


----------



## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

In the nose of the engines is a lavatory, and the high nose models simply had more head room. You had to step down a little and bend over in the low nose models but you had better visability looking forward. The high nose had less visibility but no step down and you could stand up in the lav.

Massey


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

wow, I never thought of a bathroom requirement beofre. I need to tour an actual loco, haha.
Do the older switchers have them as well, like an Alco RS-3?


----------



## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Switchers, No lav on board, they were normally always in the yard around the yard house and it's facility's!


----------



## Smokinapankake (Sep 8, 2011)

My guess is that the MoPac locos were a Special Edition set from Athearn. May want to hold on to them. It's not too hard to come by replacement handrail sets. Ebay may be a good place or maybe even Athearn although I don't think they support the old BB stuff anymore.


----------



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

I have your Lehigh loco in O scale, a big brother, if you will. Go to the RIT train show. They have a lot of HO there.Also the one at Diplomat Party House on Lyell. You'll see a lot there also. It's in March.


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

I missed the RIT show by a week, it was in January. The one at the Dome show (also a train 'show'- which costs $7 to get it) is coming up in march. I didn't know about the Diplomat one.
I also have an 027 Lehigh Valley that came from my grandfather. But my layout is in HO, not crazy about 027. Too bad Lehigh Valley is getting back in the news again for the wrong reasons.


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

Another Lehigh Valley fan! There is a very limited number of LVRR engines around. I've begun painting and numbering to get my roster. There are a ton of web sites which list the types of engines that were used on that road, and there are many pictures available as well. So if you have to repaint or modify, you can actually follow the prototype. Athearn and Bowser do offer some engines currently and Bowser is getting ready to produce the "Snowbird" Alcos this spring...

I grew up in the Valley and still live relatively close -

-bill


----------



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

bbrunell said:


> Another Lehigh Valley fan! There is a very limited number of LVRR engines around. I've begun painting and numbering to get my roster. There are a ton of web sites which list the types of engines that were used on that road, and there are many pictures available as well. So if you have to repaint or modify, you can actually follow the prototype. Athearn and Bowser do offer some engines currently and Bowser is getting ready to produce the "Snowbird" Alcos this spring...
> 
> I grew up in the Valley and still live relatively close -
> 
> -bill


I have family in Pottsville and in Freeland. Mom and Dad grew up there.


----------



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

ravex1049 said:


> I missed the RIT show by a week, it was in January. The one at the Dome show (also a train 'show'- which costs $7 to get it) is coming up in march. I didn't know about the Diplomat one.
> I also have an 027 Lehigh Valley that came from my grandfather. But my layout is in HO, not crazy about 027. Too bad Lehigh Valley is getting back in the news again for the wrong reasons.


Well, we helped each other out,lol. I didn't know about the one at the Dome!!! Do you have a date??


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Does anyone know what/why the now infamous LV derailment in Leroy happened back in 1970 or whatever year it was?
I tried finding info but there wasn't anything. TCE and cyanide was spilled and now some people are blaming that derailment spill on what's going on at the Leroy school district.


----------



## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

Hey flyer it's march 11th.

Ron


----------



## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

flyer the one at the dome is march 11th.

Ron


----------



## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

flyer the one at the dome is march 11th. Batavia is march 25th the only other show that I could find is this one. Rochester Model RR Club Show and Flea Market. Sale - Saturday only. First Universalist

Church, 150 Clinton Ave. South, Sat. - 10 am – 5 pm and Sun. 1:00pm - 5:00pm. Info: [email protected],rr.com


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

ontario mainline said:


> flyer the one at the dome is march 11th. Batavia is march 25th the only other show that I could find is this one. Rochester Model RR Club Show and Flea Market. Sale - Saturday only. First Universalist
> 
> Church, 150 Clinton Ave. South, Sat. - 10 am – 5 pm and Sun. 1:00pm - 5:00pm. Info: [email protected],rr.com


Is the one in Batavia at their club in Oakfield? If I had good painting skills I'd customize some stuff for the local RRs like Fingerlakes Railway or the Livonia Avon Lakeville.
Any ideas about the LehighValley derailment?


----------



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

ontario mainline said:


> flyer the one at the dome is march 11th. Batavia is march 25th the only other show that I could find is this one. Rochester Model RR Club Show and Flea Market. Sale - Saturday only. First Universalist
> 
> Church, 150 Clinton Ave. South, Sat. - 10 am – 5 pm and Sun. 1:00pm - 5:00pm. Info: [email protected],rr.com


Thanks buddy. My oldest son and my 2 grandsons are figuring to take in all 3 shows, with me tagging along..


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

ravex1049 said:


> Does anyone know what/why the now infamous LV derailment in Leroy happened back in 1970 or whatever year it was?
> I tried finding info but there wasn't anything. TCE and cyanide was spilled and now some people are blaming that derailment spill on what's going on at the Leroy school district.


I didn't know about this, but Google is a modern miracle...

http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/lehighvalley/lehighvalley_communitypdate.pdf


----------



## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

here's some more info, about the batavia show.
http://www.gsme.org/

Ron


----------



## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

ontario mainline said:


> here's some more info, about the batavia show.
> http://www.gsme.org/
> 
> Ron


Thanks..


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

bbrunell said:


> I didn't know about this, but Google is a modern miracle...
> 
> http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/lehighvalley/lehighvalley_communitypdate.pdf


Thanks for point out Google for me dude...I didn't know it even existed.
I have seen that EPA sheet, but it just says some cars derailed, no details. I wanted to now what caused it. It also says in 2006 LVRR entered into a settlement agreement. But they went bankrupt in the 70's and folded into Conrail. Is there still a ghost company still out there?
Sorry this is way off topic for model trains.


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

*More Engine ID*

I have some more locos for sale that I need help IDing
Thank you


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

I'm not an expert on the LV topic, but there are folks around today who have researched and even published works specifically on the operations of LV and the bankruptcy. Rudy Garbely recently published "Lehigh Valley - the fall and rebirth of a classic American Railroad, 1965-1979". Additionally, this thread can give you some details on the spill and cleanup: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=58324&p=1014919&hilit=LV+EPA#p1014919

I model the eastern PA railroads in the 60's and 70's and grew up in the Valley. I have found that lines like the LV, D&H, CNJ, and Reading provide a great variety of motive power to choose from and these roads occupied the same area. There is plenty of documentation around covering a wide variety of topics for research as well. Let me know if this helps you -

-bill

You might want to turn your photos around 180 degrees so we can ID those locos for you...


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

ravex1049 said:


> I have some more locos for sale that I need help IDing
> Thank you


The Chessie engine is a GP38-2
The BN unit looks to be a GP15T - I think that engine has one exhaust which would be indicative of the turbo model.
The SF unit is a variant of the E/F series - not an expert on those...

-bill


----------



## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

That Santa Fe is a Bachmann trainset grade FP-9A wanna be, details say differently is what I hear. The BN is a Tyco GP20 and the Chessis is a Life Like GP38-2. With some work and a bronze .010" washer between the armature (inside of the motor) on the gear side helps. I can get the P/N# for that.


----------



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Any chance you might still have the Lehigh Valley loco that's in the beginning of this thread? Pete


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

bbrunell said:


> I'm not an expert on the LV topic, but there are folks around today who have researched and even published works specifically on the operations of LV and the bankruptcy. Rudy Garbely recently published "Lehigh Valley - the fall and rebirth of a classic American Railroad, 1965-1979". Additionally, this thread can give you some details on the spill and cleanup: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=58324&p=1014919&hilit=LV+EPA#p1014919
> 
> I model the eastern PA railroads in the 60's and 70's and grew up in the Valley. I have found that lines like the LV, D&H, CNJ, and Reading provide a great variety of motive power to choose from and these roads occupied the same area. There is plenty of documentation around covering a wide variety of topics for research as well. Let me know if this helps you -
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for this great info. I started following LV because there's a fully restored RS-3 at the local RR museum. I like modeling something that was relatively local to the area. Sorry about the pics, but thanks.


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

norgale said:


> Any chance you might still have the Lehigh Valley loco that's in the beginning of this thread? Pete


Yes I do but it's a keeper. I bought it as a custom painted RS-3 Alco. I also have an Atlas RS-11 Alco that runs great as well. As with LV the Alco's were relatively locally built. Not that high end but the motors are smooth and quiet.


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

ravex1049 said:


> Thank you very much for this great info. I started following LV because there's a fully restored RS-3 at the local RR museum. I like modeling something that was relatively local to the area. Sorry about the pics, but thanks.


I always thought I preferred the EMD engines, but I've found I have more of the Alco's - C420's, RS11's, RS3's, a few C424's. They seem to have more character. The D&H came through your town I believe...


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

THE TYCO MAN said:


> That Santa Fe is a Bachmann trainset grade FP-9A wanna be, details say differently is what I hear. The BN is a Tyco GP20 and the Chessis is a Life Like GP38-2. With some work and a bronze .010" washer between the armature (inside of the motor) on the gear side helps. I can get the P/N# for that.


You nailed every one of these. I thought I had the Chessie as it looks almost identical to the Conrail GP38 earlier in this thread. How can you tell the difference between the GP38 and GP38-2?


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

The two are very similar. The Dash 2 has a sight glass on the right side of the long hood (looks like a window) and the rear-most fans are closer together than on the earlier 38. It's difficult to tell...


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

ID this protype, please...









Thanks


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

Athearn Blue Box GP9 I think. If not a 9, then an 18.


----------



## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

It's got the louver arrangements of a GP7, except I've never seen a GP7 with the larger sized fans like that. An amalgam of GP7 and GP9 features. 

Not sure of the maker, but doesn't look like the Athearn.

(fun fact: while labeled as a GP9, the Athearn model in fact has all the features of a GP7)


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

I guessed Athearn because the of the two pin holes in the side of the body. This is a giveaway for an old BB. I have three of these, one of which I bought in 1973! I also just noticed the frame/drive behind the body shell - definitely Blue Box!


----------



## ravex1049 (Dec 19, 2011)

Here's another pic of the frame and motor.
I had something for this in another thread about the motor. Someone had re-motored it but jerry-rigged it in the process. The motor was held down with 3M tape. Not how I would have liked it but there's not much room for some type of frame to hold the motor.

So we think it's a blue box GP7? Works for me.
I gave up trying to guess this stuff, you guys are awesome.


----------



## bbrunell (Jan 30, 2012)

Judging from what I see, it was a decent repower - the pickup wires are soldered to both the truck and the motor. If the loose motor bothers you, take some two-way carpet tape and tack it down solid. The re-powers actually really improve the very old BB's and the body is a pretty decent re-do of the an early LV Geep- someone added the winterization hatch, wire grab irons, and aftermarket sanding hatches. The 300 series number is consistent with the prototype as well...


----------

