Model Railroading > Current Project

A pic of my current project I'm working on. It's a simple upgrade of a pre-decorated model. It's a Atlas GP40 painted as DRGW 3080. I'm adding the missing mars light in the nose as well as a new plow, cut levers, metal sunshades, mirrors, air filter, truck lights, among other changes. I will also add a decoder and LED lights.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Good project !, I have a Q though about the Classification lights, 1.What time period were they used ?, is there any other info you can share about them ?, TIA, Ed

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

More recent photos of the 3080 in service on the Wheeling and Lake Erie still show the class lights in place. Class lights are generally on a case by case basis for most units.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

That's a good project! I approve!

Paul Liddiard
Spanish Fork, UT

Thanks

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Well, got the hard part out of the way. Wasn't looking forward to having to create a hole in the front weight for the nose light. I used my dremel with a fiberglass reinforced cutoff disk to cut the slot out. I had to wet a paper towel just to hold the part while cutting as it got very hot.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Then comes the fun of wiring in a 9 pin harness and LED lights. The slot was perfect for the nose light with the wires running just under the forward weight. The 1K 1/4 watt carbon film resistors for the LED are wrapped in electrical tape above the motor. Here is a tip for you all, if you correctly wire a 9 pin harness, LED's and all, and then plug in a Athearn dummy plug into the harness. The locomotive will run perfectly on DC power with the lights coming on in forward only. It's a great way to test your wiring without letting the magic smoke out of a DCC chip. I will call it a night with that.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Looking forward to Part Deux, The working Mars light !

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Hello Ted...............heres my project ATLAS GP40 3080 in action earlier this spring.

regards, Dave Dane

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