Steam & Excursion > SP MT-1 help needed

I have purchased a HO Scale MT-1. This model is an early version before the skylight castings were applied. I have two questions and am posting on the Nostalgia board also, (1) when were the locos casting applied, and (2) when was the smoke box painted graphite was it before the casting or after.

Thanks for any help, we are looking to have it painted correctly. I just haven't determined as delivered or a bit later.

From what I read....SP started to apply the skyline casings around 1940 and it took about 10 years to complete every last MT. Some engines on the Salt Lake Div. got the silver smoke box front treatment just prior to WWII.

It depends on which number locomotive. In the Southern Pacific pictorial #8 by Karam and Ainsworth, most MT-1's look to have had their skyline casings applied in the late forties with the silver paint applied to the smokebox front at the same time. There are pictures of three different MT-5's in 1947-48 w/o skyline casings but with silver smokebox fronts. I posed the question to the Yahoo "Espee" board some years ago for #4307, as I own one of the builders plates off this engine. If I recall correctly it was June of 1947. You may want to post your question there as well.

WP Mike

I don't know if this will help, but I found the site http://espee.railfan.net/sp_steam_mt-01.htm
Well, that got me a 404. How about http://espee.railfan.net/sp_steam_mountain.html

In the book "The 4300 4-8-2's" Revised Edition By Richard J. Church (Signature Press Copyright 1996 ISBN 0-9633791-4-3), it states on page 30 that the Casings began to be applied in February 1939, with the first one applied to 4315 (Class MT-1).

On page 31 there is a photo of 4320, described as "freshly shopped" on Nov. 30, 1939 lacking modification, so it does not appear that casings were applied as soon as an engine received shopping after Feb 1939.

It's possible that some were never encased as a photo of 4236 appears on page 71 dated June 1948 sans casing.

I doubt much cosmetic work occurred on steam after 1948 since SP had committed to diesels by then.

Thanks for the help. I am going to paint as delivered and have found a reference pics at the references on espee.railfan.net.

Espee 99