[Jim Dobbins]

Yes, retired from the MoPac, but not from useful service.
Both were in the group of SD40s leased by C&NW from VMV Industries.
The 3038 (along with the 3040) even got the full VMV scheme applied to it, not long before it came to the C&NW.
My plans are to do one or the other of those two as well, for my 1988 era modeling.

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Yeah…I don’t know what it is with my modeling direction(s) sometimes.
I seem to have gotten into a mode of wanting to do a LOT of one off models lately.
I will like having the 3039 “Double Eagle” though.
Good thing is, at least doing the other unit as an ex-MoPac unit, leased to C&NW fits my late summer 1988 modeling era…for the time being, anyways.

in reply to: Athearn RTR retooled SD40 loco #8077

[Jim Dobbins]

OK,
A bit of a shift in my plans for my SD40s.
The 3039 will keep its number, and then receive the extra Eagle on the cab, and the 738 will be the unit to get renumbered.
I just decided, whether it fits my time frame or not (and it don’t) I’d like to have a “Double-Eagle” SD40, so it’ll be the 3039.

Now I have another question….
What was the status of the rear number boards on these two units at the time they left the MoPac??
Intact with numbers or with no numbers in them?

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Thanks for that, Nate.
So far, the #3044 is the only one I have ID’ed as still having the original large Eagle on it side that late, and only know that by virtue of it being that way when it was patched to C&NW, and, IIRC from conversation on the C&NW list, it was the only unit having the Eagle in that group C&NW leased from VMV in late 1988-early 1989.

…who surely doesn’t need one with a 700-class number on it. :~)

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

OK…I’m going to renumber the 3039 I have on order to the 3044, and do the C&N patch to it.
I also have a #738 on order, and now am wondering, which MoPac SD40 was the last to wear its large Eagle on the side, and when did it loose it??
Just out of curiosity…did it get changed to an Eagle on the cab/large numbers on the side, or did it go directly to MoPac Canary, as some SD40s did??

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Well, That means I have to call the good folks in Deshler Nebraska on Tuesday!
I ordered two of them, one will probably stay in full MoPac blue, as there were still a few of them out there on UP in 1988, but the other one will be an ex-MoPac unit, patched as one of the C&NW’s “Blue-Devil” units, the 3044. It was the only one that still had the large Eagle on the side as a C&NW unit, so…..:~)

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Charlie,
that almost looks like they used a standard Geep nose end to repair a damaged nose.
The sides of the short hood look just like the kits EMD provided, and you can tell where the welding work was done.

I have two of the original run P2K GP18s in MoPac, and my plan is to rework the details on them, and then repaint and number them as 1954 and 1956, my sweetie-pie’s & my own birth years, respectively. :~)

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

I should add that the early P2K GP18 nose wasn’t quite as nice as the later GP20 rendition in that the GP18 version was missing the “hole” in the side of the nose, that, IIRC, was a step hole to get to the top of the hood.

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Charlie,
That isn’t/wasn’t a “chop nose”, done by MoPac.
I believe it/they were actually kits supplied by EMD, as it is the exact same nose used on GP18s & GP20s of the time.
The Soo Line also had several Geeps they converted to low nose using the same kits.
P2K had a very nice rendition of it on their GP20s.
I actually have several spares in the parts box.

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

I just realized I have several images of the 3038 already, except they are in either the full VMV Lease scheme, or in the VMV scheme with C&NW markings on it.
Mixed brake cylinder arrangement of Hi-low under cab as you view the unit’s fireman’s side, and Hi-Hi on rear truck.
So, that means the engineer’s side would have hi-hi on rear end and low-low under cab.
I had been planning on doing the 3038 or 3040 in full VMV Lease scheme with C&NW markings on it, and probably using one of my undec. Athearn SD40 kits for said unit. :~)
Now I need to look over both closer and see which has the “cooler” details/truck mix.

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Just ignore the “babbling” my fingers are doing.

I see Ryan has just posted some links.
Thanks, Ryan. :~)

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

I goofed the link.
http://www.shapeways.com/shop/he6agon

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Hello Chuck,
Try this link:

http:www.shapeways.com/shop/he6agon

They should be on pages three & four, IIRC.

For the present, I’ll probably have to pass on getting any, too many medical bills
need to be dealt with…

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Ryan,
I just ran across these caboose parts at Shapeways on Monday afternoon, and was wondering just who it was that was tempting me with these offset cupola cabooses!
Now I know.

Out of curiosity, what would the cost be for a complete set of parts for one each of the original and the rebuilt versions??

I attempted the Atlas bash several years back, and while it came out OK, I still wasn’t completely happy with the results.

I used to see these cabooses on UP trains in Nebraska back in the mid-late ’80s, and always like their look.

Dan Schmidt

[Jim Dobbins]

Thanks for that info, Brian.
I am personally aware of how that works with the mixed brake cylinder arrangements, but maybe others aren’t.
It’s good to point stuff like that out, J-I-C.

Also, I did get a response, re: the C&NW “Blue-Devil” units from Kurt Kruse
over on the C&NW/yahoo-groups site.
He reveals that the only unit in the group C&NW got, that had the large eagle on the side of the car body was the 3044.
The 3039 & 3041both at least had the number’s size & location re-done,
probably both were completely repainted at that time?
I also found out the 3039 was one of MoPac’s “Double-Eagles”.
So, as it works, I’ll use the 3039 I ordered, re-number it to 3044,and patch it
with a C&NW herald on the cab.
I’ll figure out what to do with the 738 later… :~)

Dan Schmidt

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