Diesel Locomotives small lettering

Thanks, Chris, for your info on the GP38-2 paint scheme and logo on nose. Wasn't the logo black? I would probably need to use the Microscale F unit black logo, wouldn't I?
I do remember the calendar - I also have one. I just visited my local hobby shop and the owner suggested Saucony Red - not Floquil, but Accupaint. I may try it, but I want to make sure that it is close to the Atlas caboose that I have. Jim

 

Thanks, guys for the info. I'd like to put one on
my Athearn GP38-2. I'm not a rivet counter, but
this is a quite prominant feature. I'm guessing it
requires some cutting into the short hood--does
anyone have experience with this--tips? Thanks.

 

I'm trying to find detailing info for 1970's era GP7's. Any input as to air horn (3 or 5 chime?) antennae (firecracker?)type and placement would be helpful. Also how many still in black paint around 76'?

 

I recently purchased an Athearn SD 40-2 #957 and am trying to find an accurate photo or some other accurate source of info to go forward with this project (i'm a stickler for detail). Is there anyone out there that can help? Anything would be appreciated; I think the web is starting to get tired of me searching for this loco. Thanks!

 

<font size="+1">Modeling an F7A “Cigar Band” Scheme</font>

<u>Preface</u>
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most in back issues of the FMIG newsletters is the articles on modeling Frisco prototypes. My hope is that more of you who are recreating the Frisco in miniature will follow suit by posting your own “how to” articles.—CA

For the Frisco modeler, the general lack of ready-to-run motive power can be frustrating Thankfully, it is feasible for even entry-level modelers to recreate one of the Frisco’s first road diesels with relative ease, or at least recreate one that falls into the W. Allen McClelland mantra of being “Good Enough.” An F7A in the Frisco Black and Gold “Cigar Band” scheme (so named for the nose pattern with its trailing stripes) was my first locomotive superdetailing project, and I must say I am quite pleased with the results. I’ve outlined the details of this project below for those who might wish to follow. I have posted some photos of the finished product under the appropriate thread.

<u>F7 History</u>
The Frisco’s F7A fleet (numbered 5018-5039) was built and delivered between 1949 and 1950, along with F7B units 5118-5139 (22 A units and 22 B Units); I pulled this data from information I have from the Chief Mechanical Office as of 10-6-1959. The arrival of the F7 followed acquisition of 18 F3A units and 18 F3B units shortly beforehand. The F7A units weighed 233,400 each, with 1,500 HP and tractive effort of 58,300 lbs. One note of import: my information shows that by this date in 1959, all of the F3A units (5000-5017) had been converted to F7As, with the exception of Nos. 5005 and 5007, which were converted to F9As. If anyone has more information on these conversions, I’d be interested in seeing it. I don’t have specific dates, but according to Marre &amp; Sommers’ <u>Frisco in Color</u>, the final cab units on the Frisco saw their final duty in the early to mid-1970s.

I’ve found <u>Frisco in Color</u> to be the best source of color prototype photos; Colias’ <u>Frisco Power</u> also includes numerous nice B/W shots. So, gather up some good prototype photos, parts, tools, and fire up the coffee pot: it’s time to get started!

<u>Shell Modifications</u>
Start with your basic, undecorated Athearn F7A shell. Pry the shell off of the chassis, using a small screwdriver to widen the shell just enough to lift the shell off easily. Use an X-Acto chisel blade to remove the steam boiler details from the top rear hatch, since we are modeling an F7 for freight use. I inevitably end up scarring the rivet detail around the edges of this hatch, so I went ahead and chiseled off the rivets as well. Sand the hatch down until all vestiges of the boiler protrusions are gone. I then cut 4 very narrow strips of .005 white styrene and used a Micro-Mark “pounce wheel” to make the rivets . If I did it over again, I would simply cut a square of equally thin styrene to fit over the entire hatch and emboss rivets around the perimeter.

Next, the frame surrounding the fuel tank should be cut down to size. Please pardon the ASCII art in advance, but instead of a frame that looks like this…

\___________________________/

you’ll end up with this:

(front of locomotive) |______| |____| (rear of locomotive)

I used a jeweler’s saw to cut at a right angle to the bottom of the locomotive, and then use a #11 blade with a metal straight edge to score alongside the row of rivets along the bottom of the shell until the unwanted portions snaped off easily. Next was a jeweler’s file to shape the contours as per the prototype, following up with fine sandpaper to finish the job.

<u>Paint Shop</u>
On my model, I used Scalecoat “CN Yellow,” for the base coat, as I’ve found that this most closely matches the decal set for the cab units. Apply several coats if needed (waiting at least 24 hours in between each coat), and let the final coat dry at least 24-48 hours prior to masking.

In consulting photographs of the prototype, you’ll find that most Frisco cab units in the B/G days had a greenish, anti-glare nose. I simply mixed a couple of shades of green acrylic hobby paint that I had lying around and brush-painted the top of the nose. Again, let this coat dry sufficiently; 24 hours is probably enough.

Next, you will need to mask the stripes and “cigar band.” At the time, I had been unsuccessful in locating any decal manufacturer . Consequently, I make my own template based on pictures and used this as a pattern for my masking tape. Thankfully, this job is now much easier as Richard Napper has provided artwork to Tom Stolte at Oddball Decals for the nose band.

If you’re modeling the last B/G scheme, prior to the conversion to Mandarin Orange and White, the job is simpler for you as you’re just looking at the cigar band on the nose, with no striping on the sides. Otherwise, continue the masking from the nose stripe along the bottom side of the shell to the rear of the locomotive. You’ll also need a stripe of equal width running between the portholes, with rounded ends between the nose/first porthole, and between the rear/last porthole. Once you’ve completed masking the stripes, mask the anti-glare top of the nose as well.

Now, apply 1 or more coats of gloss black paint (use gloss, even if you plan on weathering extensively for the sake of decal application). Any old brand will do; I used Testor’s Gloss Black. Allow your final coat to dry VERY well; 48 hours is probably too short. I waited a good week before attempting to remove the masking; when you do remove it, use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers and lift the tape directly off – don’t yank or pull off at an angle, lest your paint job look as if it has been damaged by rock-throwing vandals.

Onto the decals. I used Champ Decal set #EH-91, primarily because it was the first one I found at the hobby shop. I lined up the “FRISCO” lettering on the side based on Prototype photos, and aligned the yellow unit numbers on the side of the locomotive, just under the cab windows, followed by application of the “coonskin” on the nose and the number board decals. I have yet to add this touch, but you might want to use EMD builder’s plate decals as well, along with an “F” indicating the front of the unit.

Note that the numbers on the nose seem to have been added at a later date, so if you are modeling an F7A close to the delivery date, you will want to omit this feature.

<u>Superdetailing – Part I</u>
Next come the details; I generally do these after applying the decals so that I don’t smash any delicate parts when my attempts to apply a decal go awry. I started with a Walthers cab unit detailing kit, using the grab irons for the doors and the cab roof, and then used nothing else from the kit. You can bend your own grabs if you’d like out of .10 brass wire or piano wire, but since I had a spare detailing kit around, it saved some time.

Next, add the ladder irons on the engineer’s side of the locomotive, spacing them per prototype photographs, with a latter grab at the top and then 2 grabs on top of the nose I’ve found that making a small styrene template specifically for cab units helps greatly. Add another ladder grab to the fireman’s side of the nose (again, consult specific prototype photos if you’re terribly picky).

Next, add two small grabs on the front-side, just above the pilot. Again, using pictures here helps a great deal. Once you’ve added all of your grab irons, brush paint them in the same gloss black that you used on the shell (I find painting them after mounting to be easier). This includes the nose grabs that are over the yellow cigar band on the front, just below the headlight but above the coonskin. If you’re like me, you’ll also end up having to retouch the nose.

I’ll include a final note on other details that can be added, omitted or may differ depending on your era. I’ll start with details that I included. A photo of #5029 shows one rear-facing single-chime horn on the fireman’s side, and a 5-chime horn on the engineer’s side. I’ve added these details appropriately. I’m not sure if the Leslie or Nathan 5-chime horns were used, so anyone with more knowledge here is welcomed to “chime” in. I’m guessing from pictures and the longer length of the horns that they were Leslie S-Series chimes (Nathan M-series tend to be stubbier).

Photographs from later years (especially the O/W days) show an orange rotary beacon and spark arrestors on the stacks. I feel that, if the prototype had these items, their prominence is too great to omit them, but it’s your choice. From correspondence with Mike Condren, I suspect that my model (based on the decal placement and heavy weathering) would be a candidate for the spark arresters.

I did go ahead and add a front chain on the nose (Builders in Scale #250); the chain I used is really out of scale but it looks “good enough.” The chain hangs loose, affixed to an eye bolt on the engineer’s side.

I ended the first stage of detailing by adding eyebolts to the topside per prototype practice. If you are contemplating using plastic eyebolts over wire ones to save a few bucks, don’t. Nearly all of my eyebolts have been broken, necessitating eventual replacement at the next shopping. Windshield wiper blades are to follow below.

<u>To Weather or Not to Weather?</u>
Here’s where I insert the weathering of the model, prior to inserting window glazing and the headlight lens. I weathered my model perhaps a bit too heavily: based on the weathering coat, my F7 appears to be in the twilight of its B/G life. I’ve noticed from pictures that, immediately prior to being retired or repainted to O/W, most cab units look as if they’ve rolled in a pig sty (or “hog waller” for those of us from Southeast Missouri). I used a mix of black and gray weathering chalk to tone down the top, with heavier gray tones around the topside vents and stacks. I added a bit of a brownish blend to the lower end sills to simulate dirt that has been thrown up. I detached the truck sideframes them a liberal base wash of Floquil Grimy Black, followed by a wash of Earth, and then dusted a bit of gray and brown chalk. I then added a layer of Testor’s Dullcote to finish the job. I then took the front nose chain and rubbed it against the weathering, creating the impression (per prototype photo) that its movement during operation has rubbed off the dirt and grime.

If you’re modeling an earlier era, go much easier on the weathering and perhaps use a more satin finish. On the contrary, you might just want to use a light coat of satin finish with no weathering to simulate a relatively new unit or one that’s just exited the Lindendwood wash rack.

<u>Superdetailing – Part II</u>
Next comes the MV lenses headlight insert. Per instructions, I drilled a small hole in the foil backing to create the impression of a prototype light bulb. I apply CA adhesive sparingly to the outside surface of the headlight opening with a brass wire. I then use a trick that David Bontrager shared in an old <u>Model Railroader</u>: wrap a small piece of low-tack masking tape (sticky-side out) around a flat toothpick. Use it to pick up the lens, put it in place and once the glue dries sufficiently, remove the toothpick, leaving the lens in place.

The Walthers detailing kit also comes with clear plastic window and porthole inserts. However, I do not find these to be very realistic. A much better option, in my estimation, is American Model Builder’s laser-cut window kits. I picked some up at a Saint Louis-area hobbyshop; these are designed for Stewart cab units, but I found that with an extremely minute amount of sanding of the cab window openings on the shells, the AMB windows were a perfect fit for flushness and appearance from a thickness standpoint. Apply CA adhesive sparing to the outside of the window, and use the Bontrager tool as described above for MV Lenses to insert the windows in the same way (you might want to use a finger or other sort of “stop” on the back side to keep it from sliding in too far – just make sure you don’t have any glue on your finger, else you’ll end up with a nice 1:1 fingerprint).

The porthole openings might require a bit more sanding to fit their window inserts without breaking. I secure very fine sandpaper to a round dowel and sand the porthole opening until the insert is snug but will move just enough to be flush. Turns out I did not even need to use glue on these; I just use a pencil eraser to apply a relatively equal amount of pressure to move the porthole windows into flush position.

Once the windows are in place, I add wiper blades by drilling #78 holes into the shell above the window and mount the wipers (I did paint the blades silver while still mounted to the sprues). If you want to model a locomotive that looks as if it’s at the end of its run, having gone through a rainstorm en route, you could mask the windshields with small pieces of tape to fit the area swiped by the wipers, spray a very light coat of dust or Dullcote over the front and then remove the masking when dry. I have seen this used with great effectiveness on Don Casseler’s B&amp;O layout in <u>Model Railroader</u>.

At this point, I went ahead and used Testor’s silver to brush paint the four kickplates (2 on each side) just below the cab doors. A fine-tipped detail brush is your best bet unless you want to inadvertently slop sliver paint onto the surrounding areas.

<u>Final Assembly</u>
The end is in sight. Secure the truck sideframes in their proper position on the chassis. If you have a DCC layout, add the decoder per manufacturer’s instructions, and add the shell back to the chassis.

Details that I did not add but that you might want to include are the uncoupling lever on the pilot, an MU hatch/hatches on the nose (can be added by decals or by scribing an opening) and MU hoses just above the pilot if modeling an era when the F7s were MU-equipped, and fuel filler accessories. You might also want to replace the side grills; Details Associates makes some nice looking, etched kits that you can use in place of the molded grills. Simply use a chisel blade to remove the molded ones and finish with a sanding block prior to securing the new grills with CA. I might go back and use some silver to lightly highlight the ribs; the black paint in the recessed areas actually gives some depth to the grills.

You might decide that you want to omit details that I’ve included; in his past Model Railroader article on Frisco GP-38 units, FMIGer and Master Model Railroader Richard Napper talks of “operational modeling.” That is, if there are details that will interfere with the actual operation of the model, leave them out of the picture. Likewise, if the details do not interfere with the model’s operation per se but you fear that you might be stuck in a rut of break-and-repair, leave them off.

You now have a classic example of Frisco first-generation motive power; however, as Robert Malloy has pointed out to me, a single F-unit is not going to be able to move much tonnage! Now all you need is one more “A” unit and 2 “B” units (similar techniques with fewer details and no nose band), and then you can fire up the A-B-B-A set to clear the yard!

 

Chris Abernathy's F unit in black

Modeling by Yours Truly. Pardon the poor lightning. I overdid things a bit on the weathering. Details not added yet are a fireman's side single-chime horn,air hoses, and new brass lift rings topside.

I did the nose template myself; the stripe's off a bit on the engineer's side.

If you look closely, you can see the reworked area around the fuel tank (see text in the "Modeling Instructions").

 

Athearn pre-painted #319

Athearn pre-painted #319. Drop-steps w/chains, eyebolt lift rings and wiper blades in place. Air hoses, MU stand, bell, horn and beacon yet to be added.

 

Delta Models now has HO-Scale resin porthole inserts designed for Life Like's
P2K E-7 units for use on Frisco E-7 "conversions" into the racehorse scheme.

See pictures and ordering info at

Delta Models

I am not connected with Delta but rather stumbled across this info while checking out their website for the first time.

Chris Abernathy
Columbia, MO
(Modeling the Frisco's River Division in HO-Scale c. 1943)

 

I am putting the detailing parts on a Stewart models vo1000, number 224. Can anyone tell me how many exhaust stacks that number had, please?

 

Every Frisco diesel I've painted, I've used Floquil SP Daylight Red. I didn't like the looks of the Socony Red, which is why I use the former.

Granted, the SP Daylight Red looks a bit faded, but red doesn't hold up too well under hot Midwestern and Southern summer sunshine. That's the look I go for- helps with weathering.

As for nose heralds, very few GP38s got them- in fact, very few diesels outside of the F-units got a coonskin on the nose, so chek your locomotive pics.

 

Details West makes a Pyle Gyralight (2 per package), and I don't have the number- sorry. Walthers DOES carry DW parts, so it's best to check their comprehensive catalog.

This is the brand of nose gyralite I've used on the diesels that need 'em.

 

Just completed a RS 2r rebuild using Atlas RS 3 and GP 9 shell. Relatively easy job, much easier than the previous D&amp;H RS 3m's I have done and the unit looks sweet.

 

Don Wirth's SLSF 2020

This is how my project is trundling along toward completion. It's a Walther's and I striped it with individual stripes and used Oddball's numbers for the nose and front sides even though they should be gold instead of white. They look just fine.

 

Great job, Don! Now can you tell us where that depot is located?

 

Right now it's in the southwest part of my basement, but is movable. It's a little three foot long semi-diorama I made years ago for taking photos. It's a scratchbuilt job I did a long time ago following photos, before I had drawings.

 

FRISCO SD40-2 #957 PICS....http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf957abp.jpg and........http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf957bbp.jpg sorry couldn't find broadside photos hope this helps , Zach Pumphery FRISCO1522MAN

 

FRISCO SD40-2 #957 PICS....http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf957abp.jpg and........http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf957bbp.jpg sorry couldn't find broadside photos hope this helps , Zach Pumphery FRISCO1522MAN

 

Did you ever find an answer to this question? (i.e. How many exhaust stacks on the VO 1000). I got the same model today and came to this list looking for the same thing. I'm guessing one but that is only a guess and will wait to confirm before I install the exhaust stack(s).

 

Which # are you planning on modeling and I'll try to get you an answer. Roger

 

Elden/Roger:
Back in the winter, Don Ross shared info that shows #224 with 4 stacks.

I am not sure of the date, but tt is an old enough photo to be in the black/gold paint scheme.

Hope that I haven't undercut your efforts, Roger!--CA