GE P42 phase VI Kitbash or slice up

[rbrown7713]

Well, I am almost ready for paint and waiting for the PS3 electronics.  Bob.

[enginear joe]

I'm sure you can handle the kit. Just make sure to use only LEDs. The diesel kit comes with them. Ray has been helpful getting anything else to make it work in different engines. The kit should have everything though. Maybe need a smoke unit???

BTW, that sure looks great!!!

I have to get a PS3 diesel kit too from Ray. I have a dc analog O scale 2 rail MTH F40PH that needs an upgrade. It has a lot of lights and even smokes for a unit from the 90's!

[rbrown7713]

Thank you Joe.  This PS3 locomotive that i purchased, are they LED's?  The kit that I will buy from Ray will be going into my E8 which now has electronics from a one gauge F3 with PS2, so I assume the lights are not LED's?  I am not going to use smoke because I am on batteries and don't want to reduce the run time. Bob.

[enginear joe]

Most of the lights on PS2 engines are regular bulbs. Most PS3 engines have all LEDs that I know of. There is an upgrade kit for PS3 steam, that can handle bulbs still. You have to make sure your using the correct lights with each board chosen. You can use LEDs with PS2 boards by adding appropriate resistors. You can't use bulbs with regular PS3 boards. A PS32 board can handle bulbs and is PS3. How does that do for explaining??

[Jerry B44]

I put a PS3 board in my Hudson. Ray didn't say anything about the lights, seems to work fine.

[enginear joe]

15 minutes ago, Jerry B44 said:

I put a PS3 board in my Hudson. Ray didn't say anything about the lights, seems to work fine.

Ok then.

[rbrown7713]

Ray just answered me and he said, "Factory PS2 are incandescent, and Factory PS3 are Led's, so the PS3 loco, an SD90, will be installed  just like it comes from the factory and it also has flashing ditch lights, so, I shouldn't have any problems.  What motive power does the SD90 have?  How much HP?  If it is close, I might not have to change the sound file.  Does anyone know? Bob.

[enginear joe]

2 different engines inside (at least) depending on which RR. Some got the SD90 with a smaller engine while EMD worked on a new larger one. They were delivered with smaller engines with the expectation that they would get upgraded when the new engine was ready. Some of these were never upgraded.

"These locomotives were given the informal model designation SD9043MAC by railroads that purchased them with the option to re-engine them with 6,000 hp (4,470 kW) engines when they became available.^[2] This upgrade program, however, was never taken advantage of by SD90MAC buyers due to reliability issues with the newer engine. Over 400 SD90MAC locomotives fitted with the 4,300 hp (3,210 kW) 710 engine were built.

In 1996, EMD entered full production on their 6,000 hp (4,470 kW), 16-cylinder H-engine, and all SD90MACs made from then on used that for its prime mover. Locomotives fitted with this engine are sometimes referred to as SD90MAC-H locomotives. Later versions of the SD90MAC-H feature a Phase II cab, with a new nose which offers higher visibility from the cab than the old nose. The SD90MAC-H did not prove popular with railroads and less than 70 were built, including EMD demonstrator units. Since the SD90MAC-H had such a large prime mover, it didn't offer the same operational flexibility as smaller units, limiting its possible customer base to only the largest railroads. Also, since the H-engine was a new design it hadn't reached the same level of reliability as EMD's previous engine. The low reliability on such a large engine was an especially bad combination since the loss of one engine in a train meant the loss of a larger percentage of pulling power than had a smaller engine failed. In the end the SD90MAC-H was only delivered to two railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Canadian Pacific Railway.^[2] The Canadian Pacific locomotives were part of an earlier order for 710 equipped SD90MAC locomotives that was still in production when EMD switched over to the H-engine."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_SD90MAC

 

 

[enginear joe]

Looks like the MTH PS3 soundset should be the 4300 HP model.

http://mthtrains.com/search/sd90?f[0]=field_catalog%3A4029

 

[rbrown7713]

Thank you very much, alot of information.  I agree with you, most likely, the sound file is of the 4300hp engine and with my helicopter ruined high freq. range hearing at a loss, I am sure I couldn't tell the difference, so I think I will stick with the SD90 engine sound file.  I assume the V12 engine is a four stroke?, because the P42 loco. is a four stroke. The only other issue would be the horn.  I will have to listen to some online sounds to hear if there might be a difference, usually there is a difference with freight and passenger. Bob. Thanks. 

[enginear joe]

Well..... EMD used 2 stroke engines if you can believe that! Only their latest model Tier IV is a 4 stroke.

GE made the Genesis so I have to believe that was 4 stroke.

The sound file I loaded into my Genesis is not the greatest. It does have a unique horn that could be compared to the Amtrak version. It also sounds like early MTH horns sounded. So that makes it feel like it was thrown in there.

One of the great features about the MTH boards is you can swap sound files. There are many types now though with the early PS2 5v, the 3v 1 meg files, the 3v 2 meg files, and the new PS3 4 meg files. Sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone.

 I settled on the 1 meg PS2 Genesis file as is.

 

[rbrown7713]

OK, I just listened to the real SD90 and the real P42 and there is a huge difference.  I listened to a PS3 P42 soundfile and it is very good, so I will have to change soundfiles to the P42, no big deal.  Bob.

[rbrown7713]

Yours sounds good too.  I shouldn't have a problem loading the 4meg file into the SD90, should I. Bob.

[enginear joe]

No, just load with DC power if possible. The loader will identify if there's any issues.

[rbrown7713]

Thanks, I have done it once before on the E8, but that was a while ago, but I will figure it out.  I just ordered NWSL trucks because I like the 25 to one gear ratio, good slow speeds. Bob.

[rbrown7713]

Here is the headlight setup that I will use, and tomorrow I am installing the lens'. Bob.

[rbrown7713]

Here is a before and after photo.  Still working on the lights. Bob.

[enginear joe]

Whoa. Is it really that much smaller? Probably would match up with my GT F40PH real nicely!

[rbrown7713]

Actually these pictures will better show the difference, as I forgot to put the frame on the 1:32. I have decided on the paint scheme, the Amtrak  salute to Veterans number 42. Should look classy. Bob. 

[todsmods]

Wow bob that looks truely amazing  thumbs up 

[rbrown7713]

Thanks Tod. In regards to the windshield frames, there is a story behind those frames. I have told this story before, but for those of you that has not read it, here it is.  I could not find the correct dimensions of the F type windshield, so I remembered that at the Parrish Fl. museum, they had an F7 that they were rebuildiing.  I told two of the workers that I was a modeler and would like to climb up and take measurements of the windshield and they said OK.  I had brought a large piece of cardboard and marked the shape and brought it home and laid it out on my garage floor with xy grid measurements and then transferred those numbers into my computer and then reduce to 1:32, so that is how I got, I hope, the correct shape of the frames and glass. I then, using Master Cam, programmed the shape and cut it out for a mold.  Some where in one of these posts, there are pictures of the frames installed in an F7 cab. Bob.

[rbrown7713]

I thought I would share how I made the four red lights on the P42 Loco.  I initially tried to find some acrylic rod that was red, but the stuff that I ordered was pink instead of red, so I went to Joanns craft and sewing store and looked around and found a sheet of red plastic stick on jewels. When removing from the backing, there is a mirror like foil that stays on the jewel and I leave that on for reflection.  I then used CA to glue it on a piece of 1/4 inch clear acrylic rod and put it in the lathe.  I cut it down to size and use a file to take off the facets of the jewel, and made it slightly rounded, then used sandpaper and then polished it with my Dremel and compound.  I sized it to fit into an aluminum bezel that was also polished.  Here are some pictures. Bob.

[enginear joe]

I'm not sure the factory does that good of a job! When you mentioned that you were keeping the foil backing, will the light shine thru? Does the foil enhance the light?

I've never seen this before. There are jewels on the back of the Great Trains F40PHs and some of the marker lights used on O scale steamers. They are just there for show.

Sheesh. I'm going to need better tooling! I wish you lived nearby.

[rbrown7713]

The O gauge loco. that I am using does not have the red lights for one thing and I won't using this engine on the tail end, so I don't really need them to light up, so these are dummys.  I will have alternating ditch lights, white lights front and rear and cab lights and number board lights.  They make very small lathes that would be perfect for these small parts.  My lathe is a 9" by 36" Southbend and I rarely turn anything larger that 2". Bob.

[enginear joe]

Thanks Bob, I think they look great. Sometimes I spend so much effort on lights and wiring, only to run an engine as a helper and the lights are all off anyways!

I'm installing lights in the F40PH right now. It has lights galore and I wonder if it's worth it? It came with jewels in it for many lights. They do look the part.

 Someday I'd like to find another one that doesn't run and just use it as a cabbage unit. The Genesis to me is so good looking, I have to have it up front!