Scratchbuilt GE Prime Mover 7FDL

[Herrmann Shortline co]

Awesome job, I like the idea of putting one of these inside of locomotive. Any chance you could give me some tips on how to build my own? I plan to put it inside my old U25b unit.

[kgill]

Did we ever get to see the shop set up that was originally planned???

 

[philnrunt]

First class work, absolutely beautiful!

[GAPPLEG]

Gappleg,

GE?  What a connection you have!

Would it be possible for you to ask your bosses if they have any archived photos of the older GE locomotive prime movers?  If so, can you post them here?

What we have is an on grounds museum, They archive pictures etc of everything relating to GE transportation. I'm sure they have it all.  It's staffed by retiree's but they do charge for copies etc of articles, pictures, etc.

https://www.getransportation.com/general/aboutus/museum.asp

[AntonioFP45]

Gappleg,

GE?  What a connection you have!

Would it be possible for you to ask your bosses if they have any archived photos of the older GE locomotive prime movers?  If so, can you post them here?

[GAPPLEG]

Did you have detailed pictures ? Or maybe access to the real beast ?

The result looks fantastic. I wish I could build the same !

Martin

Québec City

Actually yes, I work at GE, so when I needed a little guidance on " looks " I wandered over to the assembly building a took a look at the engine. The whole concept was to make a reasonable look alike rather than a true scale model.

[NS2591]

Do These come in N scale yet?

[Martin4]

Did you have detailed pictures ? Or maybe access to the real beast ?

The result looks fantastic. I wish I could build the same !

Martin

Québec City

[SqueakyWheels]

I always wondered how they could squeeze 16 cylinders into a narrow frame locomotive. What are they banked thirty degrees? And with that, do they use master/articulating rod setups, or separate connecting rods?

Your work is visually stunning. Thanks for sharing with us your fine work.

[AntonioFP45]

Well Gappleg,

We're here to learn  and you sure now how to cook!

Thanks for the description.  Top of the line work

[GAPPLEG]

The large curved tubes are steel water lines, the red caps are like what you see at the hardware store on threaded pipes. Albeit larger ! The other two tubes are air ducts. The canisters at bottom right of the rad cab are in fact oil filters, just inside the rad cab at that point (but not modeled) is the oil cooler. various wire runs conduits etc , actuators for rad louvers. I feel like a tour guide. [:)]

[AntonioFP45]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GAPPLEG

Yes. its the Radiator Cab from an athearn dash-9. Just had a shell laying around that I had messed up, cut it off and added the details you would see if you had this off an unit.

Good job on the details within the Radiator Wing Cab!  The dark gray tubes look like coolant hoses with red colored hose connections. The shiny cylindrical objects towards the bottom.....are they a type of 2nd stage oil filter?

[304live]

that looks really good

[Anonymous]

Very fine looking model. It's things like this that I wish were available commercially as I would like to build a model in eithe HO or O scale of an EMD hood unit right down to the traction motors. There are kits available of planes, ships,armor and automobiles that have that level of detail but no locomotives. What a shame, since I don't think I could do such a project from scratch as you have done.

[Anonymous]

This is great work. Your talent speaks volumes. I wish I was half as good.

[GAPPLEG]

Yes. its the Radiator Cab from an athearn dash-9. Just had a shell laying around that I had messed up, cut it off and added the details you would see if you had this off an unit.

[AntonioFP45]

Gappleg,

Regarding the above photo (beautiful work) is that "Rad Cab" the radiator wing section for a GE U-Boat?

[BigBlueConrail]

Thats cool, I like the detail of that engine!

[AntonioFP45]

Gappleg,

Wow! That is excellent! That baby there looks like an FDL16 to me.

There is a cool b&w photo in the "Seaboard Coast Line in Florida" book by Bob Warren. It shows a U36B inside of the Uceta Locomotive shop. The hood section between the cab and the radiator is removed and what is revealed is a great view of the 16 cylinder prime mover and all of the attached components.

You can easily do a similar shop scene with an Athearn U-Boat. Power it with a PDT type truck motor so it can move around on its own!

Thanks for showing us your Outstanding work!

[GAPPLEG]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dirtyd79

Great job. I was thinking you ought to put it on a flat car being shipped off to the railroad's main shop to be put in an awaiting diesel.

If you look at the service shop picture there is an EMD 567 on a flat moving out soon.
Rebuilt Rad Cab on left waiting to be sent to the railroad, 7FDL engine in center.

[davekelly]

Fantastic job!!!

[Anonymous]

Great job. I was thinking you ought to put it on a flat car being shipped off to the railroad's main shop to be put in an awaiting diesel.

[GAPPLEG]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

Gappleg,

BTW: Is this version a modern FDL or the unit from the 1970s thru early 80s?

As a master, I used photos of the later model, hence the cylindercal alternator, On the old ones there were two aux. generators attached to the Alternator/generator.Even this one isn't quite right but I'm frustrated right now after weeks of play with tiny stuff.

[ericsp]

Outstanding job. Judging for all of the detail on it, I can imagine that building it would be a nightmare. Any plans to built one in Z scale?[:D]

[mtrails]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GAPPLEG

Well I'm done with this project as far as I'm going to take it. Enough is enough. It's been an excercise in ? patience? insanity? There is no way I'm going to make many of these , its a nightmare. But it's going to look good at my GE service shop on the layout.

Questions, comment welcome, before they take me away ha ha.

It looks like an excercise in quality modelmanship to me. Speechless otherwise.

Jeremy

[AntonioFP45]

Gappleg,

BTW: Is this version a modern FDL or the unit from the 1970s thru early 80s?

[GAPPLEG]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Adelie

Looks great! It should add a "wow" factor to the service facility.

Maybe your next one should be an old Alco, complete with oil leaks?!? Nevermind.

Don't laugh to soon, I recently aquired some great photos of Alco switcher engines, FM engines also, My insanity could take me anywhere. We re-build old Alco engines in Grove city,PA. and San Luis Potosi , Mexico. Service shop photo is somewhere in my
photo bucket : here it is:


GE engine not there yet.

[Hawkeye251]

That's amazing, I can't wait to see some pics of your service shop.

[TrainFreak409]

That is absolutely stunning! How many hours of work was invested into the creation of that piece of art? That's incredible!

And the judges say:

[:)]-10 [:D]-10 [8D]-10 [^]-10

[bow]