Building a Mopac GP-12 1065 (ex M-I RS-3)

[peggyrothschild]

I didn’t think the spacing on the stacks looked right so I plugged the two holes on the left with acc glue and baking soda and sanded them smooth. I took some double faced tape and two pieces of 1”x10” since these are the width of the castings and moved them on the tape until the width from the end and the two spark arrestors was the same. I then marked the centers and redrilled the two holes. The metal post that the spark arrestors are on are to resemble the exhausts but are not wide enough. I glued a HO 2” x 4” on either side of each and rounded them out with Mr Surfacer 500. This filled the seams between the metal post and plastic. Hopefully the photos explain this better. I won’t glue these on until I completely Detail the carbody as they’d get damaged during handling.
[attachment=5:43agjtvs]EB8258D2-74C5-41EA-A1E8-958DF926103C.jpeg[/attachment:43agjtvs][attachment=4:43agjtvs]8B961E68-2F0E-4C5F-B8E7-DC1F7DA2F2B2.jpeg[/attachment:43agjtvs][attachment=3:43agjtvs]650ACD7C-A899-4A08-82D5-87731E745DFF.jpeg[/attachment:43agjtvs][attachment=2:43agjtvs]C766F1EB-64C0-4161-8910-0CF45A5F1AE9.jpeg[/attachment:43agjtvs]
[attachment=1:43agjtvs]891071C2-9725-4D14-B52D-5929196D26F0.jpeg[/attachment:43agjtvs]

[peggyrothschild]

Adding a few details now that the heavy lifting is done. Leslie air horns on either side of the crew cab, headlight casting glued and holes drilled out for the lights and the curved handholds added. There’s no dimples to help with drilling holes so looking at the prototype photos I judged were the bottom rung sat and measured 18” spacing between the four rungs. I also cut a piece of Tamiya tape and placed it vertically where I thought the holes needed to be drilled this helps keep the rungs lined up. I mark each place where a hole will go with a needle point so the drill bit doesn’t wander. Since each one wraps around the nose you have to drill at an angle so they sit right. I’ll add rivet detail at the end of each using Archer rivets.
[attachment=2:1t9ky03b]16591AD6-9035-4BB1-82A7-011CC93AAAF8.jpeg[/attachment:1t9ky03b][attachment=1:1t9ky03b]37CEA431-3951-462C-B093-6C658E9B8774.jpeg[/attachment:1t9ky03b][attachment=0:1t9ky03b]24AC8F83-98E3-4334-A766-8955F7149380.jpeg[/attachment:1t9ky03b]

[peggyrothschild]

Here’s a parts list for this model.
Details Associates LR1107 Alco lift rings
Details Associates 1012 Dual headlight Pyle conversion
Details West CF-142 36” cooling fans
Details Associates FA 2001 34” flat top fan
Custom Finishes by Bob Rzasa curved grab irons RS-2/3 205
Details West Spark Arrestors SA-124
Details Associates AH 1608 Leslie Air Horn
Details Associates SY 2208 pilot and steps (I’ll use the boxes for holding the air hoses in place).

Lift rings were added and the spark arrestors glued in place. I also reworked the front and rear platform handrails by removing the chain and drop steps and adding Evergreen.020 rod for the top railing and a 2” x 4” on the angles. One lesson learned is the crew cab is somewhat difficult to get off the carbody. I finally cut off the four tabs that held the cab on and it will be glued in place after I paint it and install the windows.

[attachment=2:1ds2jdlc]9DCAC4F1-BD32-4D49-B26B-E0129916AA53.jpeg[/attachment:1ds2jdlc][attachment=1:1ds2jdlc]B563653A-07BC-4BF1-A483-FB7481E0CB9B.jpeg[/attachment:1ds2jdlc][attachment=0:1ds2jdlc]C53D1E17-57C9-4A00-A18A-A7F796BAEE4E.jpeg[/attachment:1ds2jdlc]

[peggyrothschild]

I’m about ready to add the Archer rivets but after cleaning the model in dish washing detergent I sprayed it lightly with Tamiya’s Fine Surface primer. This shows up any areas that need putty. The putty I’m using is acrylic so you spread it from the tube and then take a Q-Tip slightly dampened and go over the putty. Nothing on the model’s surface to sand away and the seam is gone. [attachment=2:1zvesg4p]5721A394-C4F6-4997-83FC-5427FB2A23D5.jpeg[/attachment:1zvesg4p][attachment=1:1zvesg4p]99DCBCB8-1BA8-417C-814F-C8418416A2A7.jpeg[/attachment:1zvesg4p][attachment=0]80EBBFF7-935A-49BB-B283-0D7105DF3AE0.jpeg

[Joseph Berry]

Charlie,
Project is looking good!

That puddy sounds great to work with! Did you get it locally?

With the price of the Bachman loco’s, they make good starting points for several of your projects.

Thanks for sharing.

Gary

[peggyrothschild]

Gary
I read about using the Vallejo putty online in a model airplane or armor forum. The stuff is pretty foolproof just spread it on from the nozzle and wipe off with a damp Q-tip. No subsequent sanding required. No shops in Omaha handle Vallejo products so I probably got it via eBay. It’s under $4 for a tube.

Glad you’re enjoying the build; after all the work I’ve convinced myself I need to replace the Alco decoder with an EMD one. Rivets today and Jenks blue tomorrow.

Charlie

[peggyrothschild]

Added Archer rivets on either side of the hand grabs, a hatch where I’d accidentally shaved a row off and around the radiator fan hatch. Those around the grab irons are hard to see so not sure it was worth the trouble.

There were eight large bolts holding the exhaust in the prototype so I replicated those using Grants Line or Tichy nut/bolt plastic details. If you have a hard time locating the Details West 36” EMD fans Cannon & Company makes a set number 1707.

[attachment=3:1xscv2yw]69768066-E8A6-4B7B-9647-D9B4783CDF3D.jpeg[/attachment:1xscv2yw][attachment=2:1xscv2yw]4A2BC628-B8CA-42C0-8FA2-44DC2EAE6C47.jpeg[/attachment:1xscv2yw][attachment=1:1xscv2yw]B79B1143-60F8-4C97-864B-31DF04E720C5.jpeg[/attachment:1xscv2yw][attachment=0:1xscv2yw]B837698D-3976-44C5-9838-7835CE1314FD.jpeg[/attachment:1xscv2yw]

[peggyrothschild]

[attachment=0:tstnwjab]CCF3F9CC-CC76-4F7F-A35C-023E1283A3C9.jpeg[/attachment:tstnwjab]Tru-Color Mopac Dark Eagle with a few drops of Eagle Gray was used to airbrush the carbody and truck frames. Since I’m modeling the locomotive towards the end of its career I wanted the paint to look a little faded. I still need to modify the fuel tank and air tanks to the longer version.

The model will set overnight and I’ll use Tamiya Clear for the decal placement tomorrow. After decals and a light coat of clear flat I’ll put the cab windows back in. Athearn makes a three window all weather cab set this will go on last with the fire cracker antenna.

Things one sees ‘after’ painting; Bachmann added a bunch of rivets to the battery box doors that I should have removed that’s not on 1065 and the groves are too wide and deep on the top of the carbody – I could have filled these in with putty to tone them down. Nice thing about getting older is you forget about this after a couple weeks. 🙄

[attachment=1:tstnwjab]D0267703-A653-4DAA-997D-B94CC1FCEEFE.jpeg[/attachment:tstnwjab]

[peggyrothschild]

Paint dried quickly and I was able to get two gloss coats on for decals. I used Micro Scale set (87-74) for Modern Mopac diesels. Buzz saws are well done as well as the three inch stripes and road numbers. [attachment=1:1m35rs3q]0AC55E8A-5E25-47FC-AAD5-21ED75F84752.jpeg[/attachment:1m35rs3q][attachment=0:1m35rs3q]050306D2-8F25-48A8-AF15-91E29D95CCC0.jpeg[/attachment:1m35rs3q]

[Bud Moss]

Charlie, this is a great “series” of text and photos about building a GP12. First, will it end up on the Bagnell Branch? Second, when you finish, can you combine all of this into a PDF we can use on the workbench (which could then be an Eagle article!). Jerry

[peggyrothschild]

Jerry
Glad you’re enjoying the blog. In doing research for the GP12s I’d emailed Kevin Eudaly to see what he had as documentation (looking for some overhead shots) and told him about the project. He said when I got finished let him know and he’d turn it into an article. I now have the Bagnell branch where I can run it in 1954 and flip to the modern Mopac just by changing the paperwork, vehicles and rolling stock. I’d seen the GP-12s working in Neff yard and at Jefferson City so always thought they were unique MP locomotives and seeing them at JC just meant they’d be used on the branch if it still existed.

Finding photos of the M-I RS-3 conversions with the phase I carbody made it doable plus Bachmann bringing out an RS-3 with DCC and sound for $100. If I messed it up I wasn’t out a whole lot of money. They certainly were the ‘ugly ducklings’ on the Mop roster.

[peggyrothschild]

[attachment=1:xgvl3lo8]225356B4-0F6B-49C5-AA64-0AB47B0BC1BF.jpeg[/attachment:xgvl3lo8][attachment=0:xgvl3lo8]0C7D24E7-B54A-4DE0-859F-F9F759C12715.jpeg[/attachment:xgvl3lo8]
Decals finished; I found a MI for under the buzz saw. To get the white stripes on the noses correctly I cut as close to the white decal as possible so they’d slide under the hand grabs. Also found an old sheet of builders plates and added one on each side. The MI ownership letters from a freight car ‘load lmt’ The M was easy. The I had had to make from an L by cutting off the bottom. Found some numbers for the small number boards in a RI boxcar set.

[amosluettgen1665]

What a pleasant surprise – just got back from a short vacation and your GP12 is all done. Looks great!

…gregg

[peggyrothschild]

[attachment=0:2vk3w456]C40EB152-9B4B-422C-87D2-8AF389ECF374.jpeg[/attachment:2vk3w456]Question for you more observant types…..
As a general rule it appears that the ‘all weather window’ was just applied to the Engineer’s window. It looks to be in several photos but just checking. Remember the long hood forward is the front. Looking at Boyd’s Mopac Volume 2 on pages 46-47 top 1066 and 1067 seem to confirm this as well as the black & white photo of the GP-12 in the turntable at Dupo.

[attachment=4:2vk3w456]637ED92F-D14C-4208-A502-E2741735B7EF.jpeg[/attachment:2vk3w456][attachment=3:2vk3w456]91B74FC4-2014-4577-90B4-0191CF9EE2F2.jpeg[/attachment:2vk3w456][attachment=1:2vk3w456]02F51284-3785-45B3-AA79-E5C9E6BB905C.jpeg[/attachment:2vk3w456][attachment=2:2vk3w456]E67AA3DE-F65A-42FB-81D8-BF5DAC1A512C.jpeg[/attachment:2vk3w456]

[peggyrothschild]

George Bogatiuk (Mopac Modeler and Soundtraxx Employee) and I exchanged emails and a new Soundtraxx decoder (PN 885024) has just been released with the EMD 12 cylinder 567 engine. George says these will be at the show in KC.

Here’s a web page with more details on the RS2 and RS-3 rebuilding program undertaken by the Mechanical Department at North Little Rock.

http://www.trainweb.org/screamingeagle/loco_1gen_rs.html

[Author]

Posts