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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Nov 18, 2015 8:50:40 GMT -8
The Rock Island had 16 FA-1 and 8 FB-1's from ALCo. In the mid 1950's Rock Island sent them to EMD to be rebuilt with EMD prime movers. The distinguishing feature was the appearance of two exhaust stack on the roof. Later in 1964, Rock Island took the trucks from retired EMD FT's and put them under most of the FA-1m and FB-1m fleet. The units trucks from ALCo were placed under the FT's which were traded to GE on new units. As built in "Rocket" freight.  Some of the photos of the FA-1m and FB-1m's.     I'm starting with Proto 2000's and switching the trucks out with P2K GP30's which will become models of GP30's which rode on traded in ALCo trucks. Since every train needs a caboose......I bought some blue box Athearn wide-vision caboose models at a local flea market for $2 a piece. Yeah, I overpaid. The Athearn wide-vision model is a Rock Island prototype. The problem is the roof is wrong the model. It should be a diagonal pattern like the Atlas International wide-vision caboose model. I picked up some Atlas bodies off of e-Bay and will cut off the Athearn roof. I will cut the roofs off of the Atlas bodies and after modifications I will apply those to the Athearn model to have a correct Rock Island wide-vision caboose.   |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Nov 18, 2015 9:10:50 GMT -8
Blomberg's under Alco's!!!
My eyes!!!! My eyes!!!! Eeeeyyaahhhhhh.....!!!!!!!
Ed
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Post by rockfan on Nov 18, 2015 9:29:31 GMT -8
My RI diesel book says they were reengined and retrucked at EMD in '56. I plan on putting EMD trucks on one of my Alcos also.
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 18, 2015 10:11:26 GMT -8
I look forward to watching this build. These are in my "someday" pile. I always thought they were retrucked at the same time as being repowered. Now I want to see a picture of one of those FT's with Alco trucks under it.
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Post by tankcarsrule on Nov 18, 2015 10:36:26 GMT -8
Jim, I'm pleased to see you doing these builds! I'll be following closely.
Regards, Bobby
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Post by Spikre on Nov 18, 2015 10:58:17 GMT -8
 the FA trucks went under U25Bs,so that's the early 60s, likely 62. look at the pics again,there is at least one FA-1 with an EMD Power Plant and Type B trucks. Rock missed the chance to get the 1st GEs on Blomberg trucks here !! but were there any early Cab units that Rock Island couldn't befoul ? Spikre 
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jan 2, 2016 11:40:39 GMT -8
Started plugging the holes on the roof. When it was an ALCo powered locomotive there were two access panels on the roof. When it was rebuilt by EMD a one piece panel was fitted. It also lost its ALCo loop lift rings in favor of EMD eyelet lift rings. I'am combining the two molded on panels with a thin coat of Bondo. I also removed the cast on bolts on the two panels and will replace with some Archer details.  |
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routerock
Junior Member
Rock Island in 1977
Posts: 94 
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Post by routerock on Jan 2, 2016 17:14:11 GMT -8
also you have to replace the engineer and fireman cab steps. EMD had to replace them as they were interfering with the trucks. I found about that after I made mine. and also the grill around the front headlight needs to be removed.
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Post by onequiknova on Jan 2, 2016 18:52:37 GMT -8
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Post by slowfreight on Jan 2, 2016 21:02:43 GMT -8
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jan 2, 2016 21:56:29 GMT -8
those couplers are TO DIE FOR!! No. Not really. Ed |
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Post by lvrr325 on Jan 3, 2016 11:52:19 GMT -8
For whatever reason Lionel never tooled a B-type sideframe for the 1970s product line, which the RailScope was based from. Then again, for their 1959-66 line the EMD GP7 had the B-type sideframes, so I guess it balanced out.
FWIW, I looked up several of the '70s variant on eBay so I wouldn't have to dig out the one I have here somewhere in pieces from the collection I bought last summer.
In any case this should be a fun build to follow.
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Post by Spikre on Jan 5, 2016 12:16:35 GMT -8
Lionel bought a lot of the "Hobbyline" tooling at the Bankruptcy auction about 1957. John English/Hobbyline Alco FA-1 was based on the metal English FA-1 of about 1950. the Hobbyline F-M H10-44 was always a Plastic Hobbyline offering, but if Lionel did get that Tooling they never used it. in 1974 2 of 3 Lionel Diesels had proper Blomberg trucks,the GP7, the U18B,but not an Alco powered FA-1. the 1976 GP30 always had a Kader supplied chassis,and was a totally Hong Kong produced loco. Edit, after viewing a number of the 60s FAs and GP7s,they did use Type B trucks that possibly Originated under the Metal English FA-1. the sideframes are rather Crude,and the detail is a bit muted,so hope this gets the matter back on the rails. still,any one know what happened to the Hobbyline F-M H10-44 Tooling ? it was made by Culp Brothers,did they take it back ? or is it "Lost" in a Lionel dead Tooling Vault somewhere ? Spikre 
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 17, 2016 7:09:13 GMT -8
Rolling on like a snail on a Sunday stroll....... I worked on the booster unit. The Proto rear doors are somewhat correct and incorrect all at the same time.   The best back door photo I've found of an ALCo FA-1  As you can see at one time FA's and FB's had diaphragms. The Rock Island had lost the diaphragms a long time before EMD chucked the ALCo prime more and installed a 567. Here is my attempt at building a more or less prototypical ALCo back door using strip styrene and the face of the P2K stock back. Looks like garbage, to me at least but it was the simplest solution to match the prototype.   |
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 17, 2016 9:44:00 GMT -8
More photos. When you remove the snap in end door this is the chasm you are left with on the shell.  Tried to take a better photo of the rebuilt rear door.   I think I need a little more slope on the top sheet Here is the roof with the EMD twin exhaust stacks. The exhaust stacks are Highliners parts. ALCo built the units with two panels on the roof. One where the dynamic brakes would be and the other the turbo charger stack. EMD replaced those with one single panel. I sanded down the bolt detail and used a little filler between the two panels on the model. I also used a little filler around the turbo hatch. EMD also did away with the ALCo loop lift rings and used their normal eye bolt. I'll use Archer rivets to replace the bolt detail.  Now for all you ALCo-haulics......look away from the computer screen. For here is the shell with its EMD exhaust AND its EMD trucks.   |
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Post by oldmuley on Jun 4, 2017 16:10:24 GMT -8
I know this is an older thread, but it fits with a project I'm undertaking. I recently picked up two Proto 2k GP30's I'm doing as Soo Line units. Of course they need Alco trucks, so I found an Alco FA-1 FB-1 that I'm swapping the trucks from. This now leaves me with a rather nice FA-1 FB-1 that are truckless. I wondered if there was ever an instance of an Alco engine riding on EMD trucks when I stumbled on this thread. How did this project ever turn out?
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 4, 2017 16:51:11 GMT -8
I know this is an older thread, but it fits with a project I'm undertaking. I recently picked up two Proto 2k GP30's I'm doing as Soo Line units. Of course they need Alco trucks, so I found an Alco FA-1 FB-1 that I'm swapping the trucks from. This now leaves me with a rather nice FA-1 FB-1 that are truckless. I wondered if there was ever an instance of an Alco engine riding on EMD trucks when I stumbled on this thread. How did this project ever turn out? Still a work in progress. Other bright and vivid projects diverted my attention..............  The Rock Island had some of the repowered FA's and FB's ride on their original trucks. Seaboard had GE's that road on EMD trucks. But I can't think of a ALCo powered unit riding on Type-B trucks. |
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 4, 2017 18:29:14 GMT -8
I know this is an older thread, but it fits with a project I'm undertaking. I recently picked up two Proto 2k GP30's I'm doing as Soo Line units. Of course they need Alco trucks, so I found an Alco FA-1 FB-1 that I'm swapping the trucks from. This now leaves me with a rather nice FA-1 FB-1 that are truckless. I wondered if there was ever an instance of an Alco engine riding on EMD trucks when I stumbled on this thread. How did this project ever turn out? I'm doing a pair of Soo Line GP30's    |
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Post by oldmuley on Jun 4, 2017 19:16:26 GMT -8
Where did you find that winterization hatch? I'm assuming it's a part you had to modify.
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 5, 2017 1:48:37 GMT -8
Couldn't you have just swapped sideframes from the GP30 to the FA?
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 5, 2017 3:00:24 GMT -8
Couldn't you have just swapped sideframes from the GP30 to the FA? Because the axle spacing is different. The ALCo B truck has axle spacing of 9'4". The EMD B truck has axle spacing of 9'. Believe it or not Life-Like actually built two different gear boxes to accurately replicate the two different trucks. How do I know? Well, when I popped the Life-Like Proto ALCo B truck side frames of and tried to put them on the Life-Like Proto EMD B gear box......the axles and the journals didn't line up. Same holds true for EMD on the ALCo gear box....axles were too wide for the journals. So you swap the entire truck assemblies. |
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Post by oldmuley on Jun 5, 2017 3:52:44 GMT -8
Couldn't you have just swapped sideframes from the GP30 to the FA? The wheelbase on the Alco trucks are slightly longer than the Type B trucks on the GP30, so a side frame swap doesn't quite work. |
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 6, 2017 0:38:23 GMT -8
Somewhere I have AAR type sideframes that did swap on when I cobbed up an FA2 many years ago. Maybe they're Athearn parts.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 6, 2017 13:31:29 GMT -8
For an Athearn model it is direct swap. Athearn's ALCo type B axle centers are too short. Proto/Life-Like actually got it right.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on May 3, 2018 18:53:23 GMT -8
I actually picked up a few tools and did some work on a project. Mercy It isn't real earth shattering stuff, but I removed the curved in ALCo cab ladder step and replaced it with an EMD version. The prototype did this to clear the EMD type-B truck. It helps on the model too. Finished rebuilding both the front and back doors on the FB-1m. The roof on the FB-1m is also coming together.     |
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Post by GP40P-2 on May 3, 2018 19:28:01 GMT -8
I actually picked up a few tools and did some work on a project. Mercy __________________________________________________________________________________ You have to start somewhere! Better than I have been doing recently. Sad.... BTW, that will be a cool set, keep going, I look forward to seeing it progress. |
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Post by Judge Doom on May 3, 2018 20:18:38 GMT -8
I know this is an older thread, but it fits with a project I'm undertaking. I recently picked up two Proto 2k GP30's I'm doing as Soo Line units. Of course they need Alco trucks, so I found an Alco FA-1 FB-1 that I'm swapping the trucks from. This now leaves me with a rather nice FA-1 FB-1 that are truckless. I wondered if there was ever an instance of an Alco engine riding on EMD trucks when I stumbled on this thread. How did this project ever turn out? Still a work in progress. Other bright and vivid projects diverted my attention.............. The Rock Island had some of the repowered FA's and FB's ride on their original trucks. Seaboard had GE's that road on EMD trucks. But I can't think of a ALCo powered unit riding on Type-B trucks. And the Alaska RR had at least one F7B that they retrucked with AAR-B trucks. |
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Post by Colin 't Hart on May 3, 2018 23:36:47 GMT -8
Still a work in progress. Other bright and vivid projects diverted my attention.............. The Rock Island had some of the repowered FA's and FB's ride on their original trucks. Seaboard had GE's that road on EMD trucks. But I can't think of a ALCo powered unit riding on Type-B trucks. And the Alaska RR had at least one F7B that they retrucked with AAR-B trucks.  From: www.alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco/EC-1505.html |
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Post by roadkill on May 4, 2018 6:25:15 GMT -8
I found myself with an ABA set of FA1's and I'm doing just this on them. Doing one A and the B with Blombergs and the other A with its original AAR's.
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Post by cf7 on May 5, 2018 4:28:05 GMT -8
About time you got some work done, Jim! I've been thinking about doing one of these in N scale. Never knew that about the step. I'll be following this thread as an inspiration on my build!
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