Black Widow Question

[schmaltz]

While changing model train bodies I accidently put a Black Widow Shell on silver trucks.

It looked great. I know the original ones had black trucks but did SP ever try silver?

[dknelson]

Not according to this website (which seems pretty defintiive but I am no SP expert) with one limited exception

http://espee.railfan.net/sph24-66.html

Dave Nelson:

FM built 4 Train Master Demonstrators, two were designated 'eastern demonstrators': TM-1 and TM-2, and two 'western demonstrators': TM-3 and TM-4. SP hosted the 'western' pair TM-3 and -4 in 1953, testing them in freight service between LA and El Paso. As well TM-4 (at least) was tried on 'commutes' even though TM-4 did not have a steam generator; the only one of the four without this feature...

SP purchased -3 and -4 in 1953, (and ordered another 14), painting them in Black Widow paint, the first hood units in this scheme, but left the truck sideframes silver, the only Black Widow units with silver sideframes; see photo Southern Pacific Historic Diesels Vol.1 page 23, renumbered to 4800 and 4801, they kept their single 'blat' horns and their 'straight' long hood handrails. - These were later retro-fitted with the 'dipsy-doodle' ??? long hood handrails, 5 chime horns and 4801 (ex TM-4) gained a steam generator.
btw: the silver truck sideframes would not have lasted long, possibly until the first repaint, but the silver was known to wear badly so maybe sooner.

The dropped section in the middle of the long hood walkway, also differed on the demonstrators. There was an open 'area' to the rear of the louvered section, 4800(3020) and 4801(3021) kept this variation until their demise

The demonstrators also had small numberboards in the lower position - see later - SP changed these to larger 5 digit types, possibly only on the front. They also fitted small boxes underneath the numberboards for 'train indicator' numbers or stencils.
the Athearn 'high' numberboard model has these train indicator boxes, and the 'low' numberboard model has the 'small' numberboards.

Units then began to show up at El Paso every couple of months until March of 1954 when the order of 14 units was delivered. Some of these units were evidently a canceled NYC order that FM had sitting on the factory floor. Although most details seem to be same throughout the fleet, except the demo's as above; the numberboard size and position is most obvious difference.

As demonstrators the TM's had a physically smaller 3 digit numberboards both ends, they _appear_ to have kept these smaller ones at the back, but SP replaced the front ones with a larger 5 digit size in the lower position, other units also appear to have the smaller type on the rear.