Empire Belt GP30s

Empire Belt GP30s
The EBRR GP30s round a curve on the Empire City Belt Line.

Friday, July 4, 2025

The AP 500s and Independence Day Special

 Greetings All,

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY USA!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY STATUE OF LIBERTY

The AP 500s
In late May of 2025 the Patti O Paint Shop was contracted once again by long time customer the Atlantic Pacific Railroad to paint and letter three Walthers undecorated ACF 50' exterior post boxcars.
The first of the AP 500 boxcars was photographed by APRR company photographer Norman after it was released from the shop.
Two more newly painted boxcars are pulled from the shop.
The NYCTL trainmen check out boxcar AP 501.  
The AP 501 and 500 get coupled together for movement to Terminal Yard. 
AP 502 is pulled from the shop. Check out those New Haven locomotives in the background. 
After the shop switcher delivers the 500s to Terminal Yard they are put on the headend of the next train leaving for Selkirk.
Next stop Selkirk!!!
Check out the AP 500s on the move from the shop to Bedford Tower.

1976 / 2026  Independence Day Special Trains 
to celebrate the 200th & 249th birthdays of the USA

Have a Great Holiday Weekend!!!
See you soon!!!

Saturday, June 28, 2025

New Motive Power and Rolling Stock

 Greetings All,

New Motive Power & Rolling Stock
Trainz Dot Com Report
Tuesday June 3rd, 2025 started out as another fine day in Georgia with the wife and I preparing for a trip to North Carolina to visit our granddaughters. As part of my morning routine I checked my emails prior to packing the car and I came across a Trainz.com email advertising another clearance sale. I had a few minutes to spare so I innocently checked out the HO Scale offerings. You can guess how that went!

Here are the items I decided I absolutely had to have. I picked up the order on Monday June 09, 2025.
A pair of P-1000 New Haven Alco RS11s were the finds of the day!!!
Atlas Penn Central and New Haven two bay covered hoppers were quickly scooped up. Note the drooping couplers and the cut trip pins which is an indication that the couplers are riding way too low. Not to worry I've fixed this pretty easily in the past.
Due to my current infatuation with mechanical refrigeration an SPFE 57'er and FGCX 50'er from Athearn were a must have. Both came with Kadee couplers and extra weights. The SPFE car featured P-2000 metal wheelsets.
A very pleasant surprise was that the RS11s were brand new in the box!!! We'll take a closer look at them in a Locomotive Spotlight #4-2025 coming soon.
To The Car Shop They Go
The four freight cars were cycled thru the car shop receiving a shot of Testor's Dullcote and other upgrades as noted below.

The NH and PC covered hoppers are ready for revenue service. Two Kadee red fiber washers placed below the bronze centering spring raised the coupler height to meet the Kadee Height Gauge and eliminated the up and down coupler slop. Both cars received a 1/2 ounce of additional weight.

The SPFE and FGCX reefers are also ready for revenue service. The FGCX reefer now has Kadee #37 underset shank couplers to meet the height gauge.
Lindy's Report
On my way home from Trainz HQ I stopped at a local antique mall to see what the Trainz subsidiary Lindy's had to offer in their booth. Below is a photo of the items I purchased.
Two E&B Valley New Haven Pullman lightweight passenger cars that were in rough shape and a new Accurail Southern Bi Level auto rack kit.
A P-2000 NYC 50' boxcar kit that was ready for final assembly and an ADM corn sweeteners tank car.
Last but not least are a BB CB&Q 40' boxcar and a B&O caboose kit.
The tank car and boxcars were the first cars out of the shop. All came with metal wheels and the CBQ and tank car had Kadee #5s installed. The NYC boxcar received a pair Kadee #37 underset shank couplers as these P-2000 cars ride very low.  
The prior owner installed metal stirrups on the NYC boxcar which was nice as the original stirrups were prone to breaking easily.
The general purpose CB&Q 40' boxcar is also ready for service. The car came with Kadee metal wheels and #5 couplers. The wheelsets however were too tight and caused several derailments while testing. Using the NMRA gauge I adjusted the wheel spacing and the car is now in service. 
I loved this tank car at first sight and quickly scooped it up to use for shipments of corn sweeteners to on and off layout industries. The car is a bit too new for the PC era, but not by much. Don't tell anyone!!
The Accurail Trailer Train / Southern Railway bi level auto rack is now in service after getting sprayed with dullcote. Kadee long shank couplers installed along with Walthers metal wheel sets.
The Ford vehicles fit and look good on the car. Although the car came out looking good this kit was a very tough build and I don't plan on purchasing another one.
Final Thoughts and Comments
All in all the new purchases fit right into the layout and its operations except for the two New Haven Pullman cars which will require new trucks and a lot of work. The prices paid were very very reasonable for these items including the P-1000 RS11s.


Prototype Photos
NH #1411 at New Haven, CT in 1959.
SPFE #459507 at Twin Falls, Idaho in 1988.
FGCX #11341 at Minturn, CO in 1973.
NH #117067 looking tired at New Haven, IN in 1980.
PC #877679 at Newark, NJ in 1979. 
Southern Auto Rack circa 1951.
Final Thoughts and Comments
Once again I dipped my toe into the waters of a clearance sale and then jumped right in. The New Haven RS11s were great finds. A fleet of dual service RS11s, GP9s and FM H16-44s were purchased by the New Haven RR in 1956 which will be the topic of a future post. 

The covered hoppers and reefers bolster the fleets of both types of freight cars. They pretty much give me enough reefers and two bay covered hoppers to satisfy the operations needs of the layout. Most likely until the next Clearance Sale!!!

Coming soon we'll take a look at the New Haven RR Class of '56 which is an interesting story on the how and why the NH went  shopping from three diesel locomotive manufacturers.
Thanks for reading!!!
See you soon!!! 

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Locomotive Spotlight #3-2025 / New Haven C-Liner #791

 Greetings All,

Locomotive Spotlight #3-2025
New Haven C-Liner #791
A recent purchase of a New Haven C-Liner shell that I believe is a True Line Trains product that rode on a Life-Like Proto 1000 power chassis led me down the rabbit hole of this rare locomotive. Lets take a look at the prototype and the model.
Prototype Info
In 1950 the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad known as the New Haven purchased two Fairbanks Morse CPA24-5 demonstrator locomotives (4801-4802) that would become New Haven C-Liners 790 and 791. The 790 and 791 were delivered in the NH green and gold paint scheme of that era. 

The FM CPA24-5 stood for Consolidation Line - Passenger - A Unit - 2,400 Horsepower - five axles. The trucks were configured with a BB front truck and an A-1-A rear truck to support the weight of the boiler equipment and water used to heat the passenger cars it would haul.
Limited Sales of the CPA24-5
Ten of the somewhat unusual wheel arrangement cab unit locomotives were purchased from Fairbanks-Morse by the New Haven RR (790-799), the New York Central purchased eight (4500-4507) and the Long Island Railroad purchased four (2401-2404). 

The New Haven would come back to this wheel arrangement in 1956 with the order of the EMD FL9s. The first 30 FL9s would bump the C-Liners to lesser roles and ultimately an early retirement.
"NYC & NH EMD FL9s-1" by DanTD is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=openverse.
Back To The C-Liners!!!
The Consolidation Line was a series of diesel-electric locomotives produced by Fairbanks-Morse and its Canadian licensee, the Canadian Locomotive Company. Railfans have dubbed these locomotives C-liners, however F-M referred to the models collectively as the C-Line. A combined total of 165 units (123 cab-equipped lead A units and 42 cab less booster B units) were produced by F-M and the CLC between 1950 and 1955. 

Orders for the C-liners were initially received from the New York Central, followed by the Long Island Rail Road, the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Milwaukee Road and the New Haven. 

The Milwaukee Road purchased twelve FM CPA16-4 locomotives (23A,C - 28A, C) that were rated at 1,600 HP and rode on a more traditional B-B wheel arrangement.
"Some of the Rarer MILW Diesels -- 4 of Roger Puta's Photos" by railfan 44 is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/?ref=openverse.

The MILW A units were supplemented by six CFB14-4 B units (23B - 28B)
"Some of the Rarer MILW Diesels -- 4 of Roger Puta's Photos" by railfan 44 is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/?ref=openverse.

The Model
A May 2025 purchase of three locomotive shells for six dollars including shipping provided a Conrail FA shell, an undecorated Athearn S-12 shell and the True Line Trains New Haven 791 shell.
The 791 shell fit perfectly onto a spare Proto 1000 power chassis.
The New Haven 791 was former FM Demonstrator 4802. The 791 is a CPA24-5 and should have an A-1-A rear truck however the power chassis came from a CFA20-4 model that has a B-B truck arrangement.
As per New Haven practice starting with the Alco DL109s in World War II their diesel locomotives were dual mode to handle both passenger and freight assignments.
C-Liner 791 brings a passenger train with plenty of headend traffic to East Bedford Station.
The 791 eases the train to a stop at East Bedford Station.
A nice surprise was learning that the New Haven FM C-Liners were capable of multi unit operation with the NH PAs and could be found in both freight and passenger service as indicated in photos from The New Haven Railroad The Final Decades book.
The PA1 and C-Liner bring a New Haven freight train from Cedar Hill Yard towards Terminal Yard via the lower level of the layout.
On another day the C-Liner is in the lead climbing up the slide towards Terminal Yard. The C-Liner and PA provide plenty of power for long passenger and freight trains to get up the grades to Terminal Yard.
Checkout the 791 in revenue service!!
Final Thoughts and Comments
The New Haven CPA24-5s were destined to become the shortest lived NH diesels with all being retired by 1961. The C-Liners would run twice as many revenue miles as their Alco counterparts before needing an overhaul but the rebuilding of the FM units was very time consuming and expensive.

The four axle 791 is basically a stand in for the prototypical five axle CPA24-5. I didn't find any HO scale CPA24-5 locomotives or parts on ebay so I may have to be content with the discrepancy if I am to run the 791 with B-B trucks. 

That said the Proto 1000 power chassis is extremely smooth running, very heavy, has tremendous pulling power and is very capable of handling a heavy train up the grades to Terminal Yard. When coupled to the P-2000 PA this duo can handle a tremendous amount of tonnage.
Additional Reading and Links
New Haven Railroad The Final Decades by Scott Hartley

Saturday, June 14, 2025

EMD GP30 Demonstrator Rides Again

 Greetings All,

EMD GP30 Demonstrator Rides Again
After the depowering of the Made in Hong Kong Bachmann Spectrum GP30s that included the EMD Demo unit #1962 I set up a search via ebay for a reasonably priced unit that I could use to repower the 1962 which belongs to my son, the BINO man.
In late March of 2025 the search bore fruit and I purchased a Spectrum Made in China BINO unit for a very reasonable price. The shell has some issues as did the power chassis which will be described below.
Prototype Info
According to the Utah Rails GP30 article (link below), when GP30 demonstrator 5629 (also its EMD order number) was completed in July 1961, it was painted in an unlettered version of Union Pacific's yellow and gray paint scheme, and headed out for road testing. Its initial testing lasted from July to September 1961, when it was returned to EMD.

The October 1961 rebuild also resulted in the GP30 demonstrator receiving a new black-and-white demonstrator paint scheme, and a new number: EMD 1962. 
Photo by John S. Ingles. Courtesy of Kalmbach Trains of the 1960s.

The unit was sold to UP in September 1962. Its earlier test and demonstration on UP resulted in an order for 75 units, to be numbered as UP 800-874. 
"Union Pacific UP 820 (GP30) (10569052074)" by Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en?ref=openverse.

EMD delivered a second round of GP30s to the UP in 1963 (700-735).

"4/24/77, Union Pacific GP30 713" by OHFalcon72 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/?ref=openverse.

A second demonstrator GP30, 5639, was built in March, 1962. This unit went to the Seaboard Air Line as their #1343.

"SAL GP30 519 RALEIGH, NC © WARREN CALLOWAY-img785" by wcallowayjr is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Model Info
The 1962 with a new power chassis leads Spectrum B&O GP30 6954 over the High Line. Upon arrival at the Terminal Yard engine shop the power chassis was basically dead on arrival. A thorough cleaning of all electrical parts, replacing a broken axle/wheel assembly and some much needed lubrication brought it back to life.
After getting the new power chassis to run reliably it was tested  extensively to make sure it was compatible with the B&O stablemate.
Some cosmetic and mechanical issues were addressed to get the Demo unit to look more like the prototype 1962 seen in the John S Ingles photo above. The trucks and the ends of the fuel tank were rattle can painted silver.
One chassis mounted coupler box was in bad shape and one was missing altogether. This was remedied by using Kadee Coupler boxes with #5 couplers.
A piece of strip wood cut to fit nicely into the frame pockets served as a good mounting platform for the coupler boxes.
The 1962 has been released from the paint shop with accurately painted handrails with the silver trucks and leads a three unit consist thru Empire City. The end rails on the 1:1 1962 were painted black and I did the same on the 1:87 version.
The UP GP30 is riding on the non powered former 1962 chassis. I painted the fuel tank with rattle can gray to match the prototype.
After viewing some additional UP GP30 photos I painted the trucks with gray rattle can paint to match the prototype. Should have done this before I painted the Demo trucks silver!
Perfect Timing for a Parts Sale
As luck would have it while testing the newly repowered EMD Demo GP30 in early April I received notice from Bachmann that they were having a 25% off their parts sale. Lo and behold they had the GP30/GP35 coupler boxes in stock for 98 cents apiece minus 25%. 
Back to the workbench I went. Below the new coupler boxes are installed with Kadee #5 couplers using Bachmann screws that I had on hand. 
The Demo unit gets tested once again with the UP non powered GP30 and B&O GP30 6944.
Checkout the GP30s in a transfer run. Please excuse the fact that this is definitely not a prototypical train.
Final Thoughts and Comments
At this time the GP30 fleet is pretty much set. The UP 731 and the NYC 2194 ride on non powered chassis rides which provides me with many options in motive power consists like this four unit set with three Proto 2000 NYC GP20s and the 2194.
Empire Belt GP30 2160 remains non powered and can lead or be in consist with other EBRR engines like the GP18s.
The EBRR 2161 shell remains in its box for now as a surplus shell. Should a power chassis become available at a reasonable price I may consider repowering it but right now there is really no need to do so.

Additional Reading, Links and Photos
Utah Rails GP30s.
Kalmbach (now Fire Crown) Trains of the 1960s.
Union Pacific GP30 #801.
Engines Stored repairs deferred
Thanks for reading and watching!!!
See you soon!!!