Chuck Posted October 8, 2022 Share Posted October 8, 2022 The Montana Rail Link Railroad (MRL) is soon to become another fallen flag railroad. Their 35 year lease from the BNSF is soon to expire and they decided not to renew. I always admired them for the scenery that they travel thru and the nice blue locomotives, rolling stock & they even use a caboose every now and then. Last August I acquired a like new in the box Aristo-Craft SD45 painted in MRL livery for a decent price. I have a pair of old beater SD45's in the grey, yellow and red Seaboard System paint scheme. When I mean fairly complete models with some detail parts missing and no drive blocks. So I stripped the paint off of one and painted into MRL blue and black to match the Aristo version. Number 356 is the Aristo factory painted version and 351 is the one I painted using Tru-Color Wabash Blue as their MRL blue was a bit lighter than what Aristo used and I wanted these units to closely match in hue. and lettered myself. The diagonal stripes on sides are painted on. The white horizontal safety stripes are just plain white laser decal paper. The 351, Montana and Rail Link are decals I made. Builders plate was Aristo's as it's just a decal that can be carefully removed and re-applied. Dupli-Color Matte Clear is what I use for final coat. Nose Chevron stripes are painted and the red circle and number boards are my decals. I haven't installed the air hoses yet as I'm waiting for some snowplows and ditch light housings as hoping Bachamann makes those parts and sells them when the Dash-9's appear. Rear of units and once again Montana, Rail Link red circle and number boards are decals I printed here at home. I installed a RailPro decoder along with changing all lights over to Led's. I like nice & clean installs as have all necessary plugs, receptacles, contacts, different colored wiring in various sizes and contact crimpers. If I don't have it I'll order it in from either DigiKey or Mouser. 3.5" diameter speaker in fuel tank and this thing is loud with 14 watts feeding it sound. I much prefer using round speakers over the cheap oval ones that Aristo uses. I mean how many oval speakers do you see in home stereo cabinets or pro-audio??...none. I recently bought a Aristo GP40 that's a real beater and I'm currently working on, that is waiting to be stripped and painted into MRL blue and black. Oh and MRL had 1 GP40...Number 500 The real one. Caboose...another future project! I'll use a USA Trains wide vision model. Work train in a beautiful setting! Here's the MRL corporate website if interested.... MRL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash 8 Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 Hi Chuck, as always clean work. For 1/29 there is a lot of 3d printing, maybe there is something for you? In the picture with the bottom, the wheels don't look like Aristo, but I can be mistaken. The Gp 40 looks interesting on the roof, I don't know what it is yet. Regards Jan Edit, I remember, why did you install a DCC decoder this time, are there no more parts or does MTH not have the sound of the Sd 45 ? I suspect attaching the Tach Reader is difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 Hi Jan, Hope all is well with you and yours in Germany! The wheels you inquired about are different than the usual Aristo wheels as they're made out of stainless steel. Aristo made a bunch of 3 axle replacement drives with them but they didn't sell. Reasons for the RailPro decoder. I've always tried and played with new control systems over the years and wanted to have some battery powered engines and RailPro seemed to be the right product and the right time for me. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash 8 Posted October 9, 2022 Share Posted October 9, 2022 Hello Chuck, thank you, everything is fine with us, the heating oil tank is well filled, only the money has become less.....who wants to sit in the cold. I read the first version. At that time, almost all axles had to be reworked inside to the 40 mm of the NEM. Otherwise it didn't go through my switches.... Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 Jan, These with the stainless steel wheels were a very good idea but designed poorly. The flanges are smaller and when operated on a less than perfect outdoor layout they'd jump the track. So folks thought "just swap the wheels" but that doesn't work. The axles are shorter so the thick original wheels hit the gearcase before they snug up on the axles. RLD sold these drives for like $29 each and people bought them for the motors. I got a bunch of drives with no motors cheap so I bought some motors and machined some brass hex rod for couplings. They work fine on my indoor layout. Yeah, I've machined quite a few of the original wheels, forgot how much material I removed from the back side. Heck the first Dash-9 I ever bought derailed when going thru an Aristo #6 switch because backspace was so tight. Aristo-Craft the half-assed company...make a beautiful model then use hot glue to hold in the circuit boards and lights. Make a track gauge that doesn't fit on their factory OEM track. Make a nice ball bearing gear case but cast the axles in soft brass so the ball bearing races wear down the axles just to save a few bucks on machining. Oh that MRL GP40 may just be a remote control locomotive for yard use. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash 8 Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Hi Chuck, Gp 40,The same job, backspace extended and flange reduced. The coating also does not hold well... Ok, my Track Is Code 200, or 5 mm high. Regards Jan Sorry, very old Pics… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Very nicely done ... Chuck ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted October 11, 2022 Author Share Posted October 11, 2022 Sean, Thanks! Jan, I never seen a GP40 drive before. Interesting design! My GP 40 came with the older FA style drives along with Alco frames.. I wonder why Aristo decided against using the already made 2 axle drive?? I mean wheelbase difference between the Alco and EMD trucks is minimal? I do remember the original Aristo drives had wrong motors installed so they supplied updated drives. I ordered the correct Bloomberg truck frames from Charles Ro/ USA Trains. Here's what my GP 40 was fitted with.... Here's the Aristo stainless steel wheels that they made...look a bit like the wheels you machined??!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash 8 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Hi Chuck If you still have wheels made of stainless steel, maybe turn out the cone and retract plastic bushings, my idea. These are wheels for most of MTH's diesels from the generation before 2011. I reduced the diameter by 1 mm. Since I always drive around to the right in a circle, I need new wheels from time to time. Yes I remember, the engines had built-in ventilation, I think they had a heat problem. My machine never ran, I built it and put it away when I started MTH. Mth Wheels 1. Silver, 2. Generation freight cars black All Pizza Cutter…. Regards Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted October 14, 2022 Author Share Posted October 14, 2022 Hi Jan, Nice pics of some hard workers! Yes the early and late version MTH wheels. The early version really soaks up the paint when I paint them black. Plastic bushings/ cones is an idea but seems that causes out of round wheels when not "perfect". Here's my latest MRL project. Take this... Paint and decorate into this.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash 8 Posted October 17, 2022 Share Posted October 17, 2022 High Chuck, that's right, to prevent that I would drill the hole for the axle at the end, in the chuck of the lathe. That would be one possibility. I think you can do it. Regards Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted November 3, 2022 Author Share Posted November 3, 2022 GP40...Glad I bought it for cheap as what a lot of work...but I enjoy it! Completely disassemble and strip off all the old paint as multi-coats of thick spray can paints. Even stripped and repainted cab interior as it was all black? Somebody hacked cab front and installed a USAT GP30 number board housing. Roof fans were hacked, front and rear sills had home made steps and were all busted up and sort of re-glued. No grills for either radiators or diesel air intake. Luckily I have an old SD45 that's a parts donor. So tonight I'm this far along. Start making decals tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screwy Nick Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 As always, GREAT work, keep us posted on your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted November 4, 2022 Author Share Posted November 4, 2022 Thanks Nick as keeps me busy! Started making decals today. Went pretty easy as found a website where all the design work was already done and best part is free to download! Here's the website http://railsimstuff.com and he has a lot of really good fonts/ designs. Fonts for this are the Washimont type. Here's one of the pictures that I use for reference..... Working on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted November 18, 2022 Author Share Posted November 18, 2022 Finally starting to see some actual progress with this project. I was going to use USAT GP38-2 truck sideframes with the Aristo drives but the wheels are way to big and won't fit the brake shoes so I opted to use USAT frames. Here's a drive with a modified Aristo mount. The USA drive uses a much larger motor along with readily available parts. Maybe in the future I'll buy the original Aristo drives and frames if/when they become available. Talk is that Bachmann may produce the GP 40 and then maybe they'll offer some parts...in I'd say 5 years..maybe. Here's the chassis. This area was a mess with the center channel all rusted and inside filthy. Somebody painted it black...even the wiring. I blasted of all the paint and now looks nice and new! Loosely fit shell back on to see how the thing will look and I'm happy! Here's what it looked like when I bought it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash 8 Posted November 19, 2022 Share Posted November 19, 2022 Hello Chuck, as a model railroader you need patience, in the past everything was always available, the times are over. Improvisation is in demand again. Or a compromise, your locomotive looks very good. Thank you Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted December 26, 2023 Author Share Posted December 26, 2023 Well it's hard to believe that I'm back working on this GP40 project a year later! Last summer I came across a Aristo GP40 chassis complete with the drives, truck frames, fuel tank & handrails in like new condition. I'll swap all that out as what I'm using now is "will sort of fit" parts from USA Trains. The drives I'll put on a GP9 that is used with all cracked axle gears. I did manage to soda blast the parts clean so ready for painting...maybe this week. GP40 drives are unique using a large motor with built in cooling fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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