Project Background

After finishing up my Rail Car America Alco C415 last year ( https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/ho-alco-c415-project-rail-car-america-423-12212893), I decided that my South Omaha shortline could use a second locomotive, similar to the prototype.  This would help me on the layout because I would like to have a backup in case I have an op session coming up and one locomotive needs some maintenance, or in case something happens to the locomotive that I am using during the op session, then I have at least one more to put in service right away without making the operators wait for me to fix something.

The question is, what kind of locomotive should I go with?  I model the early 1990s and back then, RailCar America, which also provided switching service to nearby customers under the name Brandon Railroad, had four locomotives in their fleet: the C415, an S1 from the South Omaha Terminal, an S3 painted in Brandon, and a relatively new NW2 painted for Brandon.  The C415 was painted for Brandon at about this time, but I want to keep it RailCar America as I like that name better.  The Alco S1 and S3 locomotives were beginning to get phased out and didn't seem like good candidates to be used on my industrial spur day in and day out, so I passed on those.  The NW2 seemed interesting, but I thought that I could use something with a little more power, since I have more customers on my spur than the real Brandon had back then.  So I decided to craft my own locomotive for the fleet.

I thought about going with something like an Alco RS11 to match the C415, but I thought I would try to follow the Brandon practice better and go with an EMD unit that would be similar to the NW2, just with more power.  Looking through old Trains magazines from back then (in particular the 1987 motive power survey in the November 1987 issue), the most popular shortline diesel at the time was the GP9.  Before I came to this conclusion, I thought about where the Brandon would most likely get a locomotive for my industrial spur.  In my slightly altered history, the South Omaha Terminal still exists instead of the Brandon Railway and is partly owned by RailCar America (the car shop in South Omaha) and SPSF, which has trackage rights into Omaha from Kansas City and uses the SOT as their switch agent in Omaha.  So I wanted the SOT to have a locomotive from the SPSF.  My first idea was the CF7, although these were all off the ATSF/SPSF roster by 1986, and the SOT would get this locomotive right around 1989, so that would be tricky.  The next idea was a GP7u, which were being retired in 1989.  I would have went with that route, but I ended up getting a GP9 shell from Proto Power West/A Line instead of a GP7 shell (more on that later).  So I decided to go with a former Southern Pacific GP9 for the locomotive.  Again, this works out well because a lot of shortlines had them in the late 1980s, just like the NW2, and it provides more power.  Then I decided that I would paint it up similar to the Brandon NW2 and also fashion the South Omaha Terminal logo to look like the Brandon logo.

Now that I am settled on the GP9 for the motive power, what would it look like?  The Southern Pacific had so many different kinds of GP9s.  This was definitely an excuse to buy some new books and I found this one the most helpful: "Southern Pacific Historic Diesels, Volume 7, Electro-Motive GP9 Locomotives," by Joseph A. Strapac.  Then I zeroed in on my prototype: SP GP9 5788, built in April 1957.  I like this one because in my era, it was SP 3778, painted in the SPSF kodachrome scheme, and it had a new air filter installed.  I decided that the RailCar America car shops would chop the nose and remove the dynamic brake section.  I also figured out that in the SPSF numbering scheme, the 3778 was due to become SPSF 1872, and I would keep that number since RCA/Brandon kept the same number from the previous owner.

Now that I have the background and history figured (sorry it is so long and detailed), on to the model building!

Project Materials

The reason I decided to go with a Front Range GP9 is because I like them so much.  The shells and handrails are very well detailed and I like that I can power with Kato parts and get a really nice runner that is super easy to maintain.  I already had a Front Range geep chassis on hand and I had a SoundTraxx Econami DCC/Sound decoder from a previous project that I would use for this locomotive, so I didn't have too much to buy and this would be a cheap project.

I needed a Front Range GP9 shell (initially I was hunting for a GP7 shell), and I found a good deal on Proto Power West/A Line.  They sent me a GP9 shell instead (it was labeled for a GP7 but had the GP9 louvres) and at first I contacted them to see if I could trade the GP9 shell for a real GP7 shell.  But then I thought more about it and was inspired by SP 3778 to model that instead.

With the shell and handrail parts secured, I turned my attention toward the drive and trucks.  This would come from a donor Stewart/Kato F3B, which are available on eBay, including shipping, for under $50, so I picked one up.  This would drop right into the Front Range geep chassis that I already had.

Since I am modeling a chop nose GP9, I also needed to secure a newer cab.  I already had a couple GP20/SD24 cabs on hand in my spare parts collection, so I just pulled one of those out to use.  I ended up using a Proto 2000 GP20 cab, although I thought it was an Atlas SD24 cab (this made the cab window glazing a little tricky later on).

Now that we have the parts, let's get building!

Chopping the Nose

I decided to work on the shell first.  In addition to adding some details to the Front Range GP9 shell (like grab irons, a new air horn, the Farr air filter, and lift rings), I decided to chop my own nose, or rather cut down the high short hood.  This video explains how I did it:

Powering the Locomotive with Kato Parts

Once the shell was done, I turned my attention to powering the chassis.  This was really fun for me because I could take the trucks and drive from the Stewart/Kato F3B and literally drop it right into the Front Range GP9 chassis.  I like how it all comes together with the DCC/Sound decoder.

I explain how I put the Kato trucks and drive into the chassis in this video:

Painting the Locomotive

After the chassis was ready to go, I got to work on painting the shell.  Before I did all this, I got my custom decals for the GP9.  I ordered them from Bill at Precision Design Co, who also did my C415 decals:

https://www.pdc.ca/rr/custom_decals/

I sent Bill the logo that I wanted to use, told him which fonts I was using, and gave him the dimensions I needed.  I also whipped up a graphic of how the GP9 should look, using the Trainiax drawings.

I ended up using Great Northern Blue for the dark blue, but it turned out a little lighter than I initially thought, although it still worked with the decals and I think it was a decent faded blue for a shortline, so I kept it.  I like using Badger ModelFlex paints and used them for this project.  Here is a video that describes how I painted the shell:

Weathering the Locomotive

For weathering, I ended up using three main techniques.  First, I used a light brown paint for dirt (in addition to the shell, I used this on the truck sideframes and I also weathered the fuel tank on the chassis more than when I had weathered it before).  Second, I used some ground up pastels for grime.  Third, I used pan pastels for more detailed weathering on the steps and louvres.  Here is a video that shows the airbrush and ground-pastel weathering:

Putting the Locomotive in Service

With the weathering done, I was able to finish up the project and get it in service.  I added a few more details like the window wipers and MU hoses, then installed the window glazing.  This was a challenge because I used a Proto 2000 GP20 cab but I only had glazing for an Atlas SD24.  So I used that glazing and filed it down to fit in the cab.  Then I glued in the LED lights with tacky glue and silicone sealant, the latter which I also used to keep the speaker in place in the cab.  Then I snapped the shell on and started testing it.  I had to make adjustments to programming the speed and I also had an annoying grinding sound and fixed that issue (it was coming from the rear light wire hitting the drive).

Here is a video showing how I tested the locomotive, including a look in the shell:

That's It!

Now that the locomotive is finished, it's in service on the Stockyard Industrial Lead and serving the customers.  It has essentially replaced the C415, although I can alternate between the two and also use the C415 as a backup to the GP9.  I also use the C415 to transfer cars between the car shop (comes from the transfer track) to the South Omaha Yard.  The GP9 is a great runner and should provide lots of enjoyment for years to come!  Thanks for reading through this blog and I hope there is some helpful information as I enjoy to share the hobby with everyone.

Good job!

Good job, Eric, thanks for sharing with us.  I like how you thought it all out and your execution is spot on as well.

Paul

Well done

Really nice work Eric.  The 1872 looks great and fits in well with your theme.

Thanks!

Thanks, Paul and Joe!

Paul, I always enjoy thinking through the background on everything, maybe a little too much.  But I find it's hard when you are not completely modeling a prototype as I do, there are so many more decisions to make and I want to make the decision that is most prototypical and most importantly, that has the right feel and fit for me personally.

And thanks for the compliment, Joe!  I was really striving to preserve the RCA/Brandon look with the GP9 and not venture too far off the beaten path.  I have tried various other SOT logos in the past, but this is the first time I based it on the Brandon logo, and I like how it turned out because it matches well and feels more like I am just following the prototype.

Enjoyed the video's!

Eric,

Your mention of a Front Range Geep caught my eye...I do have a few of the early shells with chassis for some of them.  I really enjoyed watching your video's and seeing your layout!  I had powered one with an Athearn blue box geep in the past and look forward to trying with the Stewart/Kato drive in the future.  Thanks for the demo!

Great work on both the geep and the layout....very enjoyable subjects!  The Geep and caboose look great together....

Gary H.

Couple questions

Hi Eric,

Been enjoying your videos.  I'm building a switching layout similar in concept to yours, but based on Sioux Falls, also in the late '80s and early '90s.

Did you have to modify the trucks or the frame to increase truck swing?  It's been a long time since I retrofitted a Stewart/Kato drive to my Paducah GP10 that I built from Front Range GP9 parts years ago.  I'm doing another Geep (CNW 4123) with a Front Range frame and Kato F-unit trucks and they don't seem to have a lot of swing.

Second, why did you choose that road number for your Geep?  Just curious.

Scott Chatfield

Using this time to work on a half dozen Geeps.

Thanks & Answers

Gary, thanks for the compliments! Glad you enjoyed the demo.

Scott, your layout sounds awesome! To answer your questions:

1. I did modify the Front Range chassis and the Kato trucks a little.  I mention this in the video here:

Using my Dremel tool (with the metal wheel cutter), I cut out a little bit of metal in the frame opening so the trucks can swing more freely - when you test it out, you can see that the truck clip gets in the way unless the area is cut out more.  The other thing I usually do is file down the round nubs that are on the top of the truck, where the frame sits above the truck.  After making these modifications, you can give it a test without connecting the drive and make sure it is able to go through tight curves and turnouts freely.

2. I chose the number because I liked the SP 3778, one of the few GP9s painted kodachrome.  That locomotive would have been renumbered 1872 in the SPSF numbering plan, which would have happened before the SOT bought it.  Since Brandon/RailCar America keeps the number of the locomotive the same when they got it, I just kept the 1872 number.