Congrats Koos on an article well done!

Congratulations Koos for your well laid out and very informative article on the SP GP 9!

Gary Christensen

Thank you Gary

Many thanks for your kind words. Means a lot from a talented guy like you  

Cheers! Koos

Very Nice Model

Great work. Could you post links to some the prototype pictures you used as references.

prototype links

Thank you Mike for your kind comments:

Here's a few links to get you started.

http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?road_number=SP%203191

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locopicture.aspx?id=159471

http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/gp09p_photos/3191_sp-gp9p-bob_dengler.jpg

Similarly, you can search for any loco, In my case if you type SP 3191 in your search bar, several results show up. 

Koos

Well done!

Koos, I understand the appeal of SP locos with their numerous lights and bloody nose paint...I did have the privilege of chasing the Geeps and SD7s/SD9s arround the SP in their heyday, and they were special. Thank you for a terrific article and great modeling.

" I understand the appeal of

" I understand the appeal of SP locos with their numerous lights and bloody nose paint...I did have the privilege of chasing the Geeps and SD7s/SD9s arround the SP in their heyday, and they were special. Thank you for a terrific article and great modeling."

  Yeah, brings back some great memories. I first rode in a GP9 around 1957, one day I was sitting in front of the SP depot in the rain watching the local arrive when the conductor walked by and asked me if I'd like a ride. He phoned my mom and asked if it was ok to take me up to the cement plant and back. As I got settled into the left seat the cab heater felt good drying me out.  About 50 years later I was standing in the rain at the Portola museum when their GP9 rolled by and the crew asked if I'd like a ride, as I got up into the cab it was warm just like the old days but the crew was much younger than me :> ) .....DaveB

Heel goed gelukt

Dit is een uitstekend verslag van ombouw, en hopelijk volgen er meer in MRH.

This is an excellent report of conversion, and hopefully 

more will follow in MRH.

thank you all

The feedback you're giving me is very humbling and glad you all enjoyed the article. It's not a perfect build, but a 'good enough' build.  Small mistakes were made, but that's part of the hobby.  

I will be submitting more in the future, but I'm not in a hurry, and I have nothing lined up at the moment, but at some point I will do so for sure.  As said, getting feedback is good to get, and also works motivating to do something more in the future.

Keep on modeling everyone!

Very well done

This takes me back to my childhood, watching the SP commuter trains in the South Bay. Nowadays, it's CalTrain with F40-PHs and "Baby Bullets", and I love them all. I've just put this GP on my "to-do" list.

Definitely hope to see more from you. SP commuter cars maybe?

Best regards,

Fred

commuter cars

Hi Fred,

No I don't think I will do commuter cars. First off because I own a few of the Walthers SP bilevel cars, and they look decent enough for me. I also haven't yet delved into that subject to know enough about them. I therefore don't know how accurate the Walthers car is, for now I have more than enough to get along with, so it would be a while in any case.

Koos

Fantastic model. Excellent

Fantastic model. Excellent workmanship. One of the main reasons I like to read these articles is to see the great work done by folks that are very talented, determined or both.

Thank you all

Hi Rob, Thanks for your comments.  I don't consider myself talented or determined. I'm just a model railroader who enjoys the multiple facets of the hobby, and I'm doing it for fun and to learn. What I describe in my article is probably not new, I'm just one of many that has decided to detail / kitbash a locomotive, but I believe greatly in sharing the fun and to learn from each other. I'm not afraid of getting criticised either, if something is done incorrectly, or someone has a better technique for a certain issue, I love to hear about it as I want to learn.

I hope to be starting on another loco project in the next few months, and hope to share that too. I shall document my build so that I can eventually turn it into an article too.

Koos

Gorgeous GP-9

Hello, Koos.

I really enjoyed reading your article on your magnificent GP-9.  Great job! I have a GP-20 that I am going to modify in as much the same way as you did your GP-9.  I can't go as far as you did because I frankly do not have the talent or steadiness of hands to do so.  I grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula and was privy to S.P. trains and their variety of motive power.  I was born in 1937 so I was around during all of the transition time from steam to diesel.  I have ridden behind both (as well as cab rides with my dad in many old steamers). I grew up riding the old Los Gatos Local which ran on the Mayfield Branch between South Palo Alto and Los Gatos.  That line is now a dim memory.  In reading your bio on the last page of your article, I see that you are also a fan of the California Northern.  I lived in Woodland, California from 1991 until 1997 and I often sat beside the tracks to watch their engines doing their jobs between Davis and Tehama on the West Valley line.  I was able (because of my job) to chase their trains up and down that line on numerous occasions.  I love their old livery color scheme and the new one leaves me cold.  Enough of my memories.  If you are interested and do not have a copy, there is an excellent DVD available from PENTREX on the California Northern and their various lines in California. (www.pentrex.com  CALNOR-DVD) There is some excellent track side footage as well as on-board shots.  I highly recommend it to you.  My wife and I live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state and the one thing I miss in this otherwise magnificent place is the sound of trains either up close or in the distance.  I have to rely on my DVD's.

Again, I truly enjoyed your article and your work is superb. Thanks for sharing.

Bill Sparling

Sequim, WA, USA

cement plant trip

Hi, Dave.

I am green with envy.  I lived in Monta Vista within sight of that cement plant (Permanente).  I used to doze off to sleep at night listening to the old steam engines working their butts off, struggling up the hill to the plant from Simla Junction.  I have not ridden in any diesel cabs but I had my share of steam cab rides at the Lenzen Avenue roundhouse with my dad and a trip from Salinas to Chualar on a road switcher one night while my mom sat in our old Buick for more than an hour waiting for dad and I to get back with "our" string of lettuce cars.  That old line up to Permanente (now Lehigh) is still in operation and there is some fun Youtube footage available if you Google "Permanente Local."

Shoot me your email address and I can send you a copy of an article I wrote about the old Los Gatos Local.  You might enjoy it.  Some rare pictures go with it.

Regards,

Bill Sparling

Sequim, WA

Trash can headlights on the commuters

I remember one of the west bay commuter train halmarks was their 'trash can' headlights!  Loved em'.  Thanks for the memory jog and congrats on a great model and article.  Russ

Nice work

excellent detail - thanks for sharing.

I'm constantly amazed by all the small parts available and how folks use them creatively!

SP GP-9

I was going over some old issues and saw your article. Nice work. I find it interesting that you model the espee from overseas. I grew up around the espee & was an engineer / conductor on the cal Northern. Send me am e-mail and we will talk.  caltranscowboy@volcano.net

                Leonard