my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

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

Southern Pacific B23-7

Image of the B23-7 #5103 with new Fuel Tank.

SP B23-7 #5103, Blood Nose Scheme.This is a detailed Bachmann B23-7. The parts I used to make this model are as follows -

• Bachmann B23-7
• Athearn GE cab, for the 4 side windows, the roof vents were removed, and the engineers front window was made into the 'L' shape required. A Railpower #103 GE Aircon. was added to the cab roof, as was an Antenna platform, and Detail Associates #1803 Sinclair Antenna and #1001 UDE light. Cab sunshades. a crew and Kristal Kleer windows completed the cab.
• The nose received a Detail Associates #1004 Headlight, and Sand Filler, thin slices of styrene rod to represent plated over Classlights? and 10thou wire grabs.
• A cutdown Railpower #112 GE Exhaust replaced the molded on one, and the Bachmann Horns were fitted behind the Cab on the Engineers side, also appropriate Detail Associates Espee light packages and grab irons were fitted to the rear of the hood.
• The lifting slots were also drilled out front and back.
• Athearn handrail stanchions and hand bent the 20thou brass wire handrails and a locally produced snow plow finished up the body.
• A new fuel tank was scratchbuilt from styrene sheet, using the U33C plans in the Aug. 1982 Model Railroader. This was necessary, as the plastic that Bachmann molded the fuel tank and air reservoirs from, was difficult to work with. It ended up being quicker and easier to build a new assembly from scratch, especially as GE made it easy with a flat sided fuel tank. see B23-7 Fuel Tank Upgrade for details.
• Floquil paint and Microscale #87-447 and #87-527 decals.

Two images of the unpainted styrene fuel tank, as built for my model of SP 5103.

These unit are very similar to the B30-7. see also the B30-7 walkaround.

see also the Hood Door arrangement; I have checked this out yet, but you may need to reaarange the hood doors to make a correct SP B23-7 from one of the available models.

Models:

N Scale:

• Atlas B23-7

HO Scale:

• Atlas B23-7
• Bachmann B23-7/B30-7
• Rail Power Products B23-7

O Scale:

• ?

Model References:

• Model Railroader December 1998 page 114 - modeling an SP B23-7.