Model Railroading > Athearn F40C?

On the Nostalgia Board is a very nice photo of a Northwest Suburban Mass Transit District F40C.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4259965

To my eyes, the F40C looks very similar to the SDP40F which Amtrak will produce in HO scale.  Could Amtrak use the SDP40F as a basis for an F40C model?  The most obvious change would be placing silver panels along the sides.

The Northwest Suburban Mass Transit District bought 13 F40Cs and 2 more were purchased by the North Suburban Mass Transit District.  When Metra was formed, it continued to operate the 15 F40Cs.

The F40C is about 4 feet shorter than the SDP40F. I think this is partly because the F40C, equipped for HEP, did not need the extra room for boiler water tanks that the SDP40F did.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/17 19:42 by CPR_4000.

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> The F40C is about 4 feet shorter than the SDP40F.
> I think this is partly because the F40C, equipped
> for HEP, did not need the extra room for boiler
> water tanks that the SDP40F did.

I didn't know that.  Thanks for your reply.

I'd buy a couple F40Cs even at 4' short! Afterall, I have a Rapido RDC with 4 flag holders left off. But then I just play with trains not model them! :)

Well look at this! https://www.shapeways.com/product/MHSL3T7S2/ho-scale-emd-f40c-metra and this https://www.shapeways.com/product/DCRGHTUJL/ho-scale-emd-f40c-milwaukee-road

It should fit on an SD40-2 drive (the F40C used the SD40-2 frame).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/17 10:19 by CPR_4000.

I would think that the biggest hangup here would be the lack of available/appropriate Gallery cars.  From what I've read, hyper-regional commuter models have a pretty sketchy track record for sales, and when you combine that with not having any cars to run with it, the sales of the model could turn out to be pretty bad.

Trust me, I grew up in Hanover Park, just south of the MILW West line and would LOVE to see these models, but I just don't see it happeneing without some work on your end.

- Jeff Carlson

Didn't somebody make the corrugated bilevels in HO? Here's a photo of one: http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/data/cnw/2009629131453_milwscoot2.jpg

Well, there are a handful of options out there, but none of them are good ones.

The one in the picture you linked to looks to be one of the old Holgate & Reynolds/Three Brothers metal cars that are out of production and fairly tough to come by.

In addition, one could purchase car sides from Union Station and build them using core kits as seen here: http://unionstationproducts.com/-9655-240-ri-milw-budd-fluted-side-156-seat-gallery-cab-car.html?category_id=33

The other option are the resin kits that are offered by Island Modelworks that you can see here: http://islandmodelworks.com/Chicagocommuter.html

While it's certainly possible to build a fleet of them, it's probably not the most promising prospect for a model manufacturer looking to produce a rare locomotive.

- Jeff Carlson

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Didn't somebody make the corrugated bilevels in
> HO? Here's a photo of one:
> http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/data/cnw/2009629131
> 453_milwscoot2.jpg

Has availability of HO scale bi-level coach been an issue for sales of model Metra F40PHs?

RuleG Wrote:
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> Has availability of HO scale bi-level coach been
> an issue for sales of model Metra F40PHs?

No, but then again Walthers and Kato have released several runs of the smooth-sided bilevels. 

N-scalers have it a bit better as Kato had relased both the smooth side cars and the Nippon Sharyo stainless steel cars. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/17 06:29 by kevink.

Correct, and the ex-MILW lines that the F40Cs ran on were the exclusive domain of the corrugated MILW/RI cars. The F40PH's ran on the CNW lines with the smooth-side PS cars that are available in HO.

- Jeff Carlson

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RuleG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Has availability of HO scale bi-level coach
> been
> > an issue for sales of model Metra F40PHs?
>
> No, but then again Walthers and Kato have released
> several runs of the smooth-sided bilevels. 

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