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 Posted - June 25 2013 : 10:40:28 AM
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I picked up this pair at the Shenendoah VA train show a few months ago, needing some TLC. I have a nice dummy unit, and another power unit, might can repower the dummy with the nicer shell. Will see what it will take to get these back together again, the railings are all broken up in places.
Jerry 
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - June 25 2013 : 5:16:24 PM
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Jerry,
NICE catch! you have all the parts for those? IF not let me know, I can surely help you out there.....
Sadly the only part I don't have, is the needed side sill with intact handrails! BUT, you can replace them with metal Athearn type from a GP-7 or GP-9!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid... 
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - June 25 2013 : 11:08:00 PM
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Neat! I've said it before but, I have a fascination with those dopey locos.
Maybe because anything you do is an improvement and it doesn't take much money.
I'm guessing you know about using an Atlas worm in the gearbox for better low speed operation.
Remotoring is easy with Kato HM-5's (not real cheap) or many similar size motors out there.
( I bought a new motor for $4.50).
Precision Scale makes plastic stanchions--bend your own handrails.
You can improve the looks by using Athearn GP7 pilots (see my Southern GP18 in the AHM forum). http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11254&SearchTerms=ahm,gp18
Chop off the coupler pocket on the truck and body mount the coupler- helps appearance.
O.k., o.k. I'm getting too carried away. Have fun with your locos.
Unspoken expectations are premeditated failures.
Edited by - NC shortlines on June 25 2013 11:14:59 PM
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Posted - June 25 2013 : 11:35:56 PM
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/tyco/forum/uploaded/offtrackthoroughbred/img-1776%20restored.jpg
SD-45 http://vmt.org/Loops-Collections/Diesel-Locomotive-Loop/Diesel-Locomotive-EMD-SD-45-1776.html at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke.
AHM GP-18 are a bit light weight with significant wheel slip, so I added weight to empty shell nooks of mine and now a string of 5 powered pull pretty well , but a little top heavy so they tend to come off the rails on 18" radius at 200 scale MPH.
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Posted - June 26 2013 : 03:12:53 AM
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offtrackthoroughbred,
I must say, the whole "Hi-Nose" march that N&W and NS was into back in the day, was something! I am one to like the Ni-Nose looks, and sadly I model the B&O and such and they had the "normal" Hi-noses so.....BUT those loco's that N&W and NS had were different in Hi-Nose configuration! And to see one painted up in "1776" form, as an SD45, is sort of impressive all in its own right!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - June 26 2013 : 07:42:22 AM
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| I just cob them back together and sell them. Most common damage is the handrails, followed by the gear tower tab that the coupler sits on.
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Posted - June 26 2013 : 09:03:23 AM
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Yea, I usually dont fool with them unless they are in a box due to weakness of the handrails. I had 3 of the Sprit of 76 ones and the handrails broke on them, so I just gave them to the baby to play with.
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Posted - June 26 2013 : 12:58:57 PM
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Since I live in an area that was a major NW home base ( Virginia ), I have an affection for these. I like the red/white/blue scheme as well. I have been to the Roanoke Transportation museum and saw the engine there.
I'll do what I can to resurrect these, I do want to DCC one of them to operate eventually. Thanks for the tip on weight, I will see about adding some.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - June 26 2013 : 4:15:36 PM
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Speaking of handrails, what's with the kink in the railing along the hood on the prototype?
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - June 27 2013 : 01:31:21 AM
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Nelson,
That looks to have been a rail rendition that was done for those fuel filters that had a pipe line that came up to a sump over, upside down "U" then right to a filter glass, and then back into the tank.....ALOT of timesthey bent the railing to give clearance around it, I'm not sure why, but ALL the GP-7's GP9's SD-7's and SD-9's along with the C&O's SD-18, had this "kink" in the handrail.....IF that is the case, its got a matching one, on the other side of the locomotive!
Question, in this picture, has the loco been rebuilt? As if it has, this explains it for sure, it has been relocated right off the engine block inside the long hood doors! For safe keeping of course as that filter had a glass cover which were known to get broken, by use, OR vandals!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - June 27 2013 : 06:05:24 AM
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That engine is in the Virginia Transportation Museum in Roanoke.
I always buy whipped GP18s cheap and save them, I've gotten to where I can strip one down and swap the drive into a dummy in about 10 minutes or so, and it's not usually hard to find a dummy with the handrails intact because they didn't track as well (no weights). The guts also work in later RS2/RS11 chassis.
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Posted - June 27 2013 : 08:57:24 AM
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lvrr325,
So, I would assume that either the real loco is a 1:1 scale "static" model at the museum, OR it has been rebuilt without the filters added back onto the unit due to not having it in running service any longer!
The GP18's were GREAT base models for all sorts of custom rebuilds, as a lot here has seen with myself and the GP18's....
The nice part is that the truck gearing and the motor will also fit into ANY other IHC diesel as well! Want a motor for in an IHC steamer? Cut the correct shaft off one end of the double shafted motor.....That simple!
They did well when they designed them, I just wished they would have went to greater standards with adding flywheels......I turn my own most the time, and it sure makes a difference!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - June 28 2013 : 09:49:44 AM
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| Website notes it's been "restored" twice, once in 1988 and once in 2011. No kink visible in a photo of the other side of the unit, but the entire handrail is higher on that side. No indication of operability - it's probably stuffed and mounted.
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Posted - June 28 2013 : 10:26:30 AM
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lvrr325,
The higher handrail on the other side makes sense! As that's the side that has the blower bulge in the long hood that leads to the ductwork that's merely right under the walkway, which would explain the higher handrail!
As for the filter, Being a new locomotive, then the GP-7/9's and the SD-7/9 of the time were added AFTER original builds due to they were not equipt with them from the factory and they (RR shop staff) added them after the first in-shopping.....The SD-45, being a NEWER locomotive may have only had one!
That's the only reason I can see to have that bend, specially in the area that its in! Specially being right above the front edge of the fuel tank!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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