Ford 125-ton Center Cab Switcher?

[Anonymous]

Could any one help me with some more information on the Ford 125-ton Center Cab Switcher?
Ford 125-ton Center Cab Switcher, #1001 & #1002 built in 1937-1940
f/p fire engine red, lettered, lights, AJ

I would like some drawings and so on. So that I could maybe build it myself i Z-scale.


Photo taken from: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/ford1001.jpg

[M636C]

Torsja,

I think there may have been drawings of this unit published by Railroad Model Craftsman some years ago, and possibly reprinted in a Carstens book called "Loco 1- The Diesel" published in the early 1960s. Try the magazine index on this website!

The locomotives were built for Ford by General Electric, so be sure to include the builder's name in any searches you do for these locomotives. If you can't find any plans you might be able to produce some approximate plans by starting with the plans for the relatively common GE "44 ton" switcher. The Ford units introduced the styling used on most GE switchers of the 1940s and 1950s, and the cabs are almost identical with the "44 ton". By starting with the 44 ton drawings and possibly getting the dimensions of the cab, it might be possible to measure the dimensions off a photograph like the one you reproduce above.

However, this would be a very small locomotive in Z scale, and I doubt that a scale model would have enough space for a motor drive.

Also, I understood that when first built, these units were painted blue to match the colours of the Ford "Blue oval" badge. The lettering was always chrome plated. They may have been overall red at some time.

You are of course welcome to the forum. I myself am from Australia, but I have visited Norway. You have plenty of variety to model there without looking elsewhere!

Peter

[jrbarney]

Torsja,
Peter has a good memory. I did a search, and perhaps you did also, and found two articles cited in the Index of Magazines:

GE's Fords - diesel switchers Railroad Model Craftsman, February 1981, page 76 ( DIESEL, DRAWING, FORD, "HOCKING, DONALD", "HOLDRIDGE, MICHAEL", SWITCHER, ENGINE, LOCOMOTIVE, PROTOTYPE, RMC )

Ask Paint Shop: Ford Motor switcher color Model Railroader, October 1998, page 131 ( DIESEL, FORD, "HEDIGER, JIM", PAINT, SWITCHER, ENGINE, LOCOMOTIVE, MR )

I checked my RMC back issues. The Hocking-Holdridge article has both plans and photos that should help you. Think you might want to order a photocopy of the MR article either from Customer Service at this site or from the NMRA:
http://www.nmra.org/library/
Good luck.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543