Locomotive Projects: Making Corrections and Closing the Gaps!!!

 Greetings All,

Locomotive Projects: 

Making Corrections and Closing the Gaps!!!

Correcting a PC RS2

Here we go again with another renumbering project to give a Penn Central Alco RS2 a prototypical road number and PC herald. I painted the proto 1000 model RS2 #8369 in September, 2012. I was pleased with the outcome and the unit has been in service for eleven years. 

Fast forward those eleven years and my Penn Central Prototype knowledge continues to expand. I've since learned that the PC had six (6) RS2s on their roster, all ex New York Central 8207, 8210, 8212, 8215, 8221, 8229(2nd). They were renumbered into the 5200 series for the merger 5207, 5210, 5212, 5215, 5221, 5229. 

A few weeks ago I decided the 8369 needed a new number and PC heralds. I removed the old road number with Solvaset and an eraser, brush painted over that with flat black and then brush painted Walthers clear gloss over that and the area getting the herald.

I also painted out the road numbers on the hood ends. The road numbers should be in the small number boards.

The 5229 gets pulled from the shop by GE 44 tonner 9999, the only 44 tonner on the PC roster. I used prototype photos of the 5229 and 9999 as guides for both models.

The 5229 is looking a lot more prototypical with the herald, correct number and numbers removed from the hood ends. As noted above there should be road numbers in the small number boards but I didn't have any number decals that small. Maybe down the road.

PC RS2 #5229 is back in service at Terminal Yard. 

Closing The Gaps!!!

The Penn Central was one of only a few roads that could muster an F7 A-B-B-A lash up in the 1970s. When looking at prototype photos and videos the A-B-B-A lash ups were always tightly connected with couplers. Not so for some of my HO scale fleet. 

Some of the distances looked to require a pole vault to go from one unit to another! Over the years I've tried the Kadee close coupler conversion kit that closed the gaps slightly but it still looked too big. 

Dissatisfied with that I removed the couplers between the units and added drawbars to several of the Bachmann and Bachmann Plus  EMD sets in the combined fleets. 

In early November my PC Bachmann Plus F7 A-B-A consist had their coupler removed and drawbars installed for close coupling.

A NYC F7B similarly drawbar equipped has been added to make this a A-B-B-A set. A PRR F7 A-B-B-A set is also drawbar equipped and the PC-PRR and NYC units can be mixed an matched.

The drawbars are made from discarded IHC long horn hook couplers with the coupler end and attachment end removed. Looks much better!!

After the Bachmann Plus drawbar project I added drawbars to an Atlas FP7 set. I had done this once before but then went back to couplers and now they are once again drawbar equipped. 

Final Thoughts and Comments

I'm happy with the way the RS2 5229 project turned out. I have one more Penn Central RS2 currently sporting an RS1 number that I want to correct. So far I've been unable to find a  photograph on line or in my PC library. I've put out feelers to various modelers and groups but no luck yet.

Prototype Photo of PC RS2 5229 at Pittsfield Mass in 1974.

Prototype Photo of PC RS2 5229 at W Springfield, Mass in 1974

As for the cab unit drawbar projects I do like the way they look close coupled much more than I did when they had the big spaces between them with the couplers. 

The downside is that this limits there availability to be mixed and matched with hood units which was a prototypical practice. On the plus side I still have an Athearn BB F7A, F7B and some PRR F7As that are coupler equipped for this very purpose. 

Lastly all of the drawbar equipped units can be reverted back to couplers at anytime so there is some flexibility with their uses in the fleet if needed.

Thanks for reading!!!

See You Soon!!!