A rebuilt Geep for the HSW...

As the back story for the Halifax South Western and TerraTransport develops I’m enjoying turning select locomotives into models. This time, it’s the recently described GP9RM of the 2000 era onwards HSW...

Canadian National rebuilt a large number of its varied GMD GP9s in the early 80s. The rebuilds were extensive, not only switching to short hood forward with a cut down cab but included new brake system, larger fuel tanks, 645 power assemblies, new air reservoirs, electric heat, wheel slip control, battery box restoration, new cab flooring, new engine air filter system, new exhaust manifold, etc etc. This work has ensured they are still useful machines on CNs roster today, as well as extended life with many short lines and regionals across North America.

My starting point is the Kaslo Shops resin conversion shell. I’m going to base my model on a real CN locomotive to get the details right, probably 4029, but paint it as a TerraTransport locomotive. The kit requires a donor Proto2000 chassis from a GP9 or 18... back in October a Proto2000 GP20 I’d had as a teenager appeared in a Friday update (a milestone model at the time, with see through steps, tread on the walkways and separately applied grabs and lift rings...) anyway, I assumed the chassis would be close enough. It was, once stripped down I had to file the ends, removing a protrusion that fitted into the hood ends of the Lifelike model, and a little from each end and the step wells to clear the resin. The model suffered from cracked gears so it’s running on some old Athearn blue box axles and wheels from another model...

The kit is well designed, straight forward, all parts provided on the whole. I’m planning to fit DCC sound and LED headlights, which will require a careful rewiring as it’s a live chassis model. The transfers have arrived, the paint is in stock, so progress will fit in around commission work in the coming weeks.

This artist impression is the look I’m aiming for, with a non standard fuel tank assembly, I need to look at this a little more closely. The idea is to add some hood door warning labels and extra yellow reflectors on the sill, to give the impression of a later period. I’ve ordered some Smokebox Graphics decals from Otter Valley (as Smokebox don’t ship to the UK, apparently due to having to collect the VAT, which as far as I’m aware isn’t the case on small value items). They look really promising and are made in Italy, so this is the second trip across the Atlantic... I hope you all had a good bank holiday, back on to commission work shortly. Illustrations the start of this week, before modelling towards the end, and hopefully a day off to go to the Ffestiniog with Janey. Until next time, more soon...