GP 35 #723 post wreck

Hey guys, I will burn a little more bandwidth here if nobody cares. This is the latest project I finished. My dad had suggested I post it here for the FRISCO modelers to check out. Some of you may know the back story to this wreck in Oklahoma. A few loose carloads of sand demolished this engine and several more pieces of equipment. I saw this pic online and had to build it.

Here is the prototype:


My attempt:


Here is the color version:


Here is a couple more:



Here is the otherside:



couple others:

 

I cannot stop gawking! That is very good modeling very seldom seen.
May I inquire as to where you obtained the innards?

 

Thanks keith, I will take it as a compliment even if you call it ugly! HA
Sherrel. this started as a blue box GP35 and a Walthers EMD 567 prime mover. I will post some pics here so you can see how far it came though. Nothing was left alone. Thanks for checking it out.

 

Here is a quick phot rundown of the build.
The Walthers engine is rather blobbish in stock form and had square cylinder access covers, the model needed round,out comes the dremel:



With a Waldron punch set I mad round covers. Here you see some more of the details going on too.

The plumbing and wiring is all small copper wire, the water pumps are modified 1/25 scale turbo chargers:

The valve cover latches are brass, the pulleys and pump covers are photoetched:
I found some tiny aluminum expanded metal and epoxied it on the blowers to look like the cast flanges on the prototype:


The prototype has a valve cover ripped off. I cut it out of the model with the dremel. Then built some rocker arms from styrene and ABS and stainless wire. T
he crushed muffler is made from brass. The rest of the exhaust is styrene.

The paint is a GM grey. For weathering it got several light coats of thinned acrylic followed by some rusty oil paint and black artists oils:


Fine stainless mesh in place in the exhaust here:

Under the prime mover I built the floor,motor mounts, wiring, plumbing etc.... The entire area is painted multiple acrylic and oil washes. Some areas got a closs finish to look oilier. I also painted some areas with a swirl of metallic blues, greens, purples, golds to look like oil mixed with water.


From here most shows up in the completed pictures.Hope that helps with the question on where I got the innards. I will post some of the chassis and truck build too.

 

Here is some photos of the rest of the build. While not for everyone's taste in models, it will give you an idea of what all went into it anyway.
The side sills of the frame needed built up with styrene and the correct tapered shape added. Fuel tank needed filled,Details West airtanks and the plumbing for them is in place on the finished model.


The Athearn trucks had the wrong journals and once again kind of blobbish. I found a set of Stewart trucks on ebay, stripped the gears out and saved the side frames. I wanted to add the traction motors and wiring which are modified Keystone castings. As a result I had to scratchbuild bolsters for the trucks. ( hardest part of entire build)


I added A line photetched steps and diamond tread. I could not find precut sets for an old model so the tread plate was cut from a sheet:


After adding the etched steps ($) I had to crush them in the front.

The cab subfloor was built from styrene. This is the area under the cab where the batteries etc are, not engineers floor. Also base of electrical cabinet and correct step down to the toilet and storage. Also parts of the handbrake and sandbox.


The trucks got sanding tubes and air lines for the brakes:

As they start to get paint and weathering:

 

Here is what is under the motor,sand and other addons:


Wiring and hold downs. Also at the top of the cab area you can see where I added some very thin brass to look like crushed metal where the cab was ripped from the frame.


I made the valve cover that was ripped off from sheet brass. You can see it here just past the generator:


The coupler pockets are styrene. Lift bars from stainless wire. The haind rail stanchions are from KATO. Details West pilots. DA mu hoses. It got sergent couplers too.



Thanks for checking it out, Steve

 

Incredible work from the build to the painting. It's very realistic.

 

Thank you very much guys. I appreciate you checking it out and the kind words.

 

Now are you going to run it through the shop and repair it?

GS

 

Excellent modeling of a morbid subject.

Prototype: I hope the crew of that incident escaped without serious injury. If that was their lead unit, and that's the result of the impact (and not a picture of a trailing unit after stripping the other components) it was a fatal accident.

Andre

 

Thanks guys. Since the frisco gave up on it I will too. Ha

Andre, no worries. The train was hit by runaway cars full of sand. Crew knew and was fine even if 723 was a loss. I am amazed that the body was wiped clean off but a few pieces of handrails made it through.

 

Thanks Tom. I can not even imagine that force that involves.

 

After seeing how you constructed (or disconstructed) the model ... I am even more impressed!
You put a lot of thought and planning into that work of art.
I don't know of a much more destructive force than a locomotive - except maybe a battleship!

 

Sherrel, thanks for taking the time to read through all that and the good words. There is about 6 months wrapped up in the total scene.

Chris, thank you very much. I appreciate the compliments.

 

That is a very good rendition of a total loss. I have seen a few like it, moving into the shop in Springfield. Most are not quite that bad, it dosent take much for them to move engines to shop. They don't take many chances, with the equipment. Great Model 5 STARS