my ESPEE MODELERS ARCHIVE

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

Southern Pacific GE 70-Tonner

Modeling choices at the moment are:

• For N Scale:
  • Resin conversion kit from Randy Gustafson

• For HO Scale:
  • Bachmann

• In O Scale:
  • Sunset brass, was made about 20 years ago...
  • Rich Yoder Models

The most readily available (only?) HO Scale model would be the Bachmann offering. It is a reasonable facsimile of the 70 tonner, although naturally, it is missing some details found on Espee units. It also has one extra set of louvers on the left hand side, closest to the cab, but these could be filled in if you are fussy. the end handrails are accurate for a unit without MU capability. Those units fitted with MU, also had dropsteps and so a different style of end handrails.

My model came factory painted in the 'Tiger Stripe' switcher scheme, this is incorrect as SP classified these as Road Units, so they came painted with 'Tiger Stripes' and aluminum ends. 70 tonners that survived long enough were painted in the 'Blood Nose' paint scheme.

Model References:

• Mainline Modeler Jan 1989 page 32 - History, plans and photo's of SP 5116 in Road-switcher Tiger Stripe.
• Railroad Model Craftsman Feb. 1988 Page 57 - has two good photo's and a discourse on SP 70 tonners.