Model Railroading > Power for My Coast Starlight

I received the first of my Kato Superliners and a second Kato F40PH yesterday. After many many hours, I finally have the new F40PH ready for service. I also did considerable work to my older Kato F40PH.

On the newer unit I hardwired in a 9pin connectors and added LED's for each side of the ditchlights so I can have alternating ditchlights using F2. I also installed a NCE decoder. The ditch lights took a bit of work as I redid them a few times. Initially I had the 2mm LEDs sticking out the ditchlights directly, but they overpowered the headlight which uses a light tube. So I reinstalled the ditchlight light tube and modified them to add the ditchlight LED's behind the cab interior. In addition to installing all the various Kato Parts, I added Atlas Lift Rings, DW mirrors, and Kadee tightlock couplers among other things. I also did some modifications like adding grabs to the plow.

The newer Kato came with a extra set of handrail sprues, and I noticed that the nose grab irons on the original set in the parts package didn't have the mounting extensions and would have been worthless. So Kato threw in a extra set of corrected handrails. This worked out perfectly for me as my original Kato F40PH had been acquired second hand as a used loco and was missing many parts. While I had added several missing parts to it long ago, I was now able to add the missing grab irons and MU hoses and even replace the bent up handrails. Now all that is missing is the red marker lenses between the number boards and the light tube for the number boards. The old Kato also received the extra detailing at the same time.

So now I have a pair of F40PH's to power a future Coast Starlight or Empire Builder of a late 1980's, early 1990's timeframe. I can switch lead engines to make it more suited for a older or newer train. So far I have 5 superliners with 2 more to arrive before long. I'm looking at making my own interior lighting kit for these cars as I won't be paying $20 per car to light them. I'm also thinking I might be forced to paint my own Phase 3 Dorm-Coach car from a Walthers or IM Budd Hi-Level step down coach.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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These are very nice. I was wondering who made the best F40PH, looks like Kato as that. Thanks for sharing,

funnelfan Wrote:
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> So now I have a pair of F40PH's to power a future
> Coast Starlight or Empire Builder of a late
> 1980's, early 1990's timeframe.

I didn't think the F40's had ditch lights until after the time frame you mentioned. I started out modeling Amtrak CZ up to the early 1990's and avoided ditch lights. Since then I have pushed things back a bit and now limit myself to 1991 at the latest. Of course, still no ditch lights.

Perhaps someone can offer when the F40PH's started getting ditch lights?

Cheers, Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/14 12:07 by SPDRGWfan.

1995 is the earliest that I can find pics of the F40's with ditch lights, but who cares? Run 'em anyways! These look great!

Kato F40's are VERY GOOD - save one thing: the fans need to be removed and replaced with cannon fans. THEN they are excellent! Especially for the price.

KA7008 Wrote:
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> Kato F40's are VERY GOOD - save one thing: the
> fans need to be removed and replaced with cannon
> fans. THEN they are excellent! Especially for
> the price.

But Cannon doesn't make Q-fans. Q-fans are appropriate for these late-production F40PHs like the one Kato produced.

Very Inspirational modeling!

Cheers,
Harry

I stand corrected Harry, I used DA Q-fans and a cannon DB fan. thanks for catching that.

Nice work on the F40PHs. The #334 was one of two F40PHs that got a GE style/shaped fuel tank in a Beech Grove rebuild. I've considered shopping around for a GE tank that would be close on my #334, but haven't gotten around to it. Ditch lights on the F40PHs started showing up in 1994 in advance of the 1997 requirements to have them.

KA7008 Wrote:
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> I stand corrected Harry, I used DA Q-fans and a
> cannon DB fan. thanks for catching that.

No worries KA! We can always hope! =)


Cheers,
Harry