Model Railroading > An EMD for the Alco Line

My modeling time and place is the C&NW’s Alco Line in southern Minnesota in the mid-1970s. One of the fun things about modeling the Alco Line in this time period is many of the Alcos were being retired and power was often borrowed from other parts of the system.  You never knew what would show up.  This is my excuse for building this GP35, which was built essentially with junk box parts.  The Kato shell and frame were leftovers after cannibalizing the drive for an F-unit.  All of the other detail parts and materials are from my stash. The Kato handrails were a bit oversized and were replaced with phosphor bronze wire and Smokey Valley stanchions.  The SV handrail parts are no longer produced and my supply is dwindling, so I’ll need to find alternative parts in the future.  The long stanchion on the right front was spliced together as I didn’t have one that long.  Grabs, windshield wipers and cut bars were also made from phosphor bronze wire.  Many Details West, Detail Associates, Plano and HiTech Details parts were added.   The engineer figure can be snapped in and out through the cab side window, and is held in place with a magnet. The model is ready to be disassembled for painting.  I’ll follow up with photos of the finished model in the future.

-Dennis

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This shows the magnetic engineer and how it's made.

-Dennis



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/25 16:30 by CNW.

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Great work as usual Dennis! Look foward to seeing it completed !



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/25 17:40 by NiagaraMike.

As previously mentioned, most of my engine crews are amputees :-(

The GP35 is already looking incredible.   Can't wait to see further photos as this work progresses.  

That engineer on a magnet is an excellent idea.   Well done.  

Nice! I'm not particularly a CNW fan, but I've thought of modeling one of their GP35's with the air tanks on the roof and the big fuel tank.

Awesome work!

Good work.  The GP35/slug sets migrated to Chadron in 1976.  At first they were GP35/Slug/GP35,GP35/slug/GP35.  The slugs, all rebuilt from ex-BN F-B's, however, proved unreliable hauling the heavy bentonite trains out of Belle Fourche.  So, CNW went a slug set with an additional GP35, which was what they were running when I left the Black Hills in 1977.  The Alco slugs never got out to Rapid City.  The GP35's out west were 839, and the higher numbered ones with th rooftop air reservoirs.  Just some FYI for you.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/25 11:47 by ntharalson.

A possible replacement for the Smokey Valley stanchions might be the photo etched ones from KV Models.

PHall Wrote:
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> A possible replacement for the Smokey Valley
> stanchions might be the photo etched ones from KV
> Models.

That's what I have used. Nice but more work than the Smokey Valley.

Posted from Android

Who makes the ATS shoe?

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Who makes the ATS shoe?

The ATS shoe is a Details West AS-184.  I shipped off the pointed ends of the bottom piece to make it look more like what the C&NW used.

Dennis

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That is a very good model. Looks like you have some homemade window wipers. I always liked the A-line ones, especially the double arm versions used on the outter windows on the front and rear of the cab. Did the CNW have single arm versions like that?

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

funnelfan Wrote:
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> That is a very good model. Looks like you have
> some homemade window wipers. I always liked the
> A-line ones, especially the double arm versions
> used on the outter windows on the front and rear
> of the cab. Did the CNW have single arm versions
> like that?

The wipers should have two arms.  I make the single arm wipers by soldering two pieces of .010" phosphor bronze wire together.  It's a compromise, but to my eye it looks better than nothing.  I've used Detail Associates double arm wipers but the arms seemed too thick.  The Kato windows had crude cast on wipers that were highlighted with silver paint or ink.  I sanded off the wipers and sprayed the glass with gloss coat.  Thanks for suggesting the A-line wipers.  I will take a look at them.

Dennis

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Dennis im not nitpicking, but are you going to remove the steps and replace them with plano see through steps? Just asking since it seems the Kato steps are pretty bla and your finished models are museum quality.

TomG Wrote:
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> Dennis im not nitpicking, but are you going to
> remove the steps and replace them with plano see
> through steps? Just asking since it seems the Kato
> steps are pretty bla and your finished models are
> museum quality.

I didn't have plans to replace the step treads, but now you have me thinking about it.  I'm debating if it would be worth replacing the fans with Cannon if I can find the 1701 and 1706 fans.  There comes a time when you have to quit adding details and start painting.  :-)

Dennis

It was brought to my attention the radiators were incorrect for the phase of the GP35 I'm modeling.  I've since added the early phase Cannon 1402 radiators.

Dennis

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Dennis, I am constantly impressed with your work with phosphor bronze wire. Is there any way you could make a video or share your technique? I would love to see how you bend your coupler cut lever for example. I could probably extrapolate from there.

Thanks for your consistently impressive modelling.

Bill Phillips

Excellent super detailed work!  I'm sure the final product will be just as incredible