my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

California's Railroad to the U.S. 1861 - 1996

Southern Pacific/Cotton Belt

GP35R

SSW GP35R #4203, Bloody Nose Scheme: My model started with a Railpower bodyshell (dynamic brake version), fitted to an Athearn GP35 chassis. Yet another of my 'model's built from a photograph'.

The Railpower cab was substituted with an Athearn Dash2 cab (suitably backdated), the dynamic hatch was cut back to allow a Cannon & Co. #1901, Angle Air Filter to be fitted, Detail Assoc. #2402 non-turbo exhausts were fitted either side of the dynamic fan.

From the Athearn kit that supplied the chassis, I also used the powertrain components, trucks, sideframes and handrails and stanchions.

The usual assortment of lift rings and grabirons was added, as was a full blown espee light package. The air reservoirs are resin castings I made from my own masters.

This was the first (and only, so far) Athearn GP that I have lowered the trucks, to allow a scale deck height, I used the procedure as noted below, not sure that the means justifies the ends yet.

Floquil SP Light Lark Gray and SP Scarlet. Microscale 87-48 and 87-447, Super Scale Kristal Kleer Windows and MV Lenses.

Other than the obvious lettering differences, there appear to be no detail differences between SP and SSW units.

Modeling choices at the moment are:

• For Z Scale:
  • Micro-Trains

• For N Scale:
  • ?

• For HO Scale:
  • Athearn
  • Bachmann
  • Kato

• For S Scale:
  • American Models

• For O Scale:
  • Atlas 'O'

References:

• Model Railroader, May '78 Page 72 - Plans.
• Model Railroader, Feb '93, Page 74, GP60 article - for the truck modifications.