Model Railroading > MRL 500 GP40, pt I

MRL has pulled a used GP40 built for the WP out of the back yard at Livingston and restored it to service. It is now motoring around Missoula for shakedown and performing well according to crews. A paint crew was out yesterday looking the unit over prior to submitting a bid. The paint shop visit is coming soon but I do not expect any more changes to the body or other details. These photos should give modelers itching to get a start a chance to have a model ready for paint when the real MRL 500 comes out in redball paint.

The locomotive history can be found here:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3555538



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 19:57 by fbe.

---

---

---

More photos for detail.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 19:43 by fbe.

---

---

---

Last set.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 19:45 by fbe.

---

---

---

Were the overhead shots taken by a drone?

Now I see the overpass that I missed first time around...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 20:32 by boejoe.

Oh boy Mr. MRL will be all over this one!
Awesome that it has a P5, beauty of a horn.

What is the metal rectangle raised up off the roof behind the horn? A vent?

Thanks for the pictures by the way!

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 20:36 by trkspd.

Wow, didn't realize they had put those "refrigerator" doors on the front and back of the cab.
Dave in Msla



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 20:43 by monaddave.

Yes, the rectangular box is a dynamic brake compartment vent found on most 645 powered EMD locomotives.

Refrigerator doors are standard on most of the later SD40-2XR rebuilds. I have seen them on some of the GP9 upgrades as well. You still have to carry duct tape in the winter, though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 21:01 by fbe.

Thank you, for taking the time to answer my question.
I do appreciate it.

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, the rectangular box is a dynamic brake
> compartment vent found on most 645 powered EMD
> locomotives.

Posted from Android

Now, if someone would just make that electronic hand brake available as a detail part.

One flap down. No sun shade on engineers side.

The engineer's side may get an all weather window common to most other MRL locomotives in yard service.

Alan
Thanks a lot for doing this. Now its time for me to write up a shopping list.

MrOGDEN

So will you start with an Athearn GP40-2 and modify the cab or will it be an Atlas GP40 where you need to modify the dynamic brake housing? The lead truck has Dofasco cast into the side, good luck in finding one of those. Rapid may have on from their FP9. I don't think this A/C unit is available yet.

fbe, I've switched scales and have gone to N scale. I'll look into both the GP40 and the dash 2 and see what looks best.
Thanks again for your help.

MrOGDEN

I'm even tempted to model this one! What are the two 'coffee can on a stick antennas' on the front of the cab?

I don't know what those two devices are all about. I have never seen them before on any locomotive. I will have to ask around.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

ChrisCampi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One flap down. No sun shade on engineers side.

In the WC years this unit had an all weather window.

sp8192 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm even tempted to model this one! What are the
> two 'coffee can on a stick antennas' on the front
> of the cab?


Seeing no other antennas on the cab my guess is that one is the communications radio antenna and the other is the EOT antenna.

Great photos to model with.

Shows the flow of history, not long ago Milwaukee Road "bandits" ran on the Wisconsin Central, now a Wisconsin Central bandit is on the MRL.