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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on May 7, 2018 9:05:15 GMT -8
Blomberg's under Alco's!!! My eyes!!!! My eyes!!!! Eeeeyyaahhhhhh.....!!!!!!! Ed oh my, I feel your pain.
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Post by roadkill on May 7, 2018 11:43:10 GMT -8
The story I read was the Rock Island took the trucks from their trade-in FT's (to GE) and put them under the FA's, then put the AAR Type B's under the FT's to be reused under their first order of U25B's.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on May 10, 2018 18:40:50 GMT -8
As I cruise along like a stuffed jack rabbit, I did make a little progress. The roof is ready for its EMD exhaust and lift rings. The horns can be located and placed. The original FA style number board and class light detail has been removed. The Rock Island FA-1m's had EMD F-unit style number boards and class lights, even while in Rocket paint. Actual after a while this set really grows on a person. A couple quick photos.
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Post by roadkill on May 11, 2018 4:08:32 GMT -8
Both of my FA1's were had small numberboards, I replaced them with Athearn PA boards. There's an Ebay dealer that lists them every now and then.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on May 25, 2018 18:35:59 GMT -8
Got the roof of the FA EMD'd along with finishing the FA's back door and modified headlight. The EMD ladder steps are in place on both sides. Did some wire bending for the strange ALCo grabs found on the back over the MU signal hoses. I see Walthers will be producing these and the side grabs for their Mainline PA and PB. Overview shot of the set. I took these before work and rushed the photos. The coupling of the FA and FB. Unlike the Proto 2000 PA and PB, the FA-1 and FB-1 were done much better. The modified headlight area. After the conversion and when some of these units got the EMD type B truck or Blombergs, Rock Island removed the grille work from around the headlight. This left a distinct indentation. I removed the stock headlight and grilles from the unit and glued in some flat styrene to show the indent. The engineer's side of the FA. Don't have the cab door in yet, but you can see the EMD ladder step. The FB with the hand bent grabs.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on May 28, 2018 19:09:16 GMT -8
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on May 31, 2018 2:59:55 GMT -8
Made some more progress. A finished end of the FB-1m. The grabs and the cut bars are scratch built using 0.012" brass wire. Also modified the MU signal hose to a six hose per side arrangement.
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Post by roadkill on Jun 1, 2018 4:57:35 GMT -8
Jim, you need to check out the latest issue of "Classic Trains", there's a cool color pic of a Rock Island freight with an F7a-F7B-FA1m consist. The trailing unit looks to be the 139 in fully striped solid maroon with it's original trucks but with a raised external manifold giving it a bump on the roof. It's the only Rock Island FA1m I've seen like that.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 1, 2018 16:37:55 GMT -8
Jim, you need to check out the latest issue of "Classic Trains", there's a cool color pic of a Rock Island freight with an F7a-F7B-FA1m consist. The trailing unit looks to be the 139 in fully striped solid maroon with it's original trucks but with a raised external manifold giving it a bump on the roof. It's the only Rock Island FA1m I've seen like that.
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Post by rockfan on Jun 3, 2018 5:27:18 GMT -8
The original trucks were Alco. RI had problems with the engines in the FAs and they were repowered at EMD. When they received new engines alot also got EMD trucks. This is from an RI book I have.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 3, 2018 6:26:43 GMT -8
The original trucks were Alco. RI had problems with the engines in the FAs and they were repowered at EMD. When they received new engines alot also got EMD trucks. This is from an RI book I have. When the EMD power plants went in sometime in the mid-1950's, many or all retained their ALCo Type-B trucks. Then as time wore on, the EMD Type-B began to be seen under some of the FA-1m's and FB-1m's. I have photos of some of the FA-FB's still riding on ALCo trucks in the early part of the 1960's. Some went to scrap with their EMD engines and ALCo trucks.
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Post by rockfan on Jun 3, 2018 8:27:46 GMT -8
I agree in with what you're saying exept that they were retrucked the same time they were repowered. Someone said that they came with EMD trucks as built, and that isn't so.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 3, 2018 8:57:45 GMT -8
I agree in with what you're saying exept that they were retrucked the same time they were repowered. Someone said that they came with EMD trucks as built, and that isn't so. At least SOME units got EMD prime movers and retained their ALCo trucks. SOME of these units later received EMD trucks. This is confirmed by photographic evidence. See below: Here is FA-1m #138 with ALCo trucks and EMD power. You can tell by the two exhaust stacks. Photo date is August 1961. Later photo of 138 now with EMD trucks and cab doors. Photo date unknown. 131 in full butter knife. Still retains the grille around its headlight and doesn't have nose MU. #143 - Peoria 1963. Full butter knife and a "Rock Freight" placard. Three put out to pasture FA-FB-FA all with ALCo trucks.
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Post by rockfan on Jun 3, 2018 9:15:43 GMT -8
I have to disagree with you on this. There's a very good RI book, Rock Island Diesel Locomotives by Louis A Marre that has great information including when the FAs were repowered and retrucked at EMD.
9 FAs were retrucked 7 were not. It's 4 FBs that were retrucked and 4 that were not.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 3, 2018 9:34:26 GMT -8
I have to disagree with you on this. There's a very good RI book, Rock Island Diesel Locomotives by Louis A Marre that has great information including when the FAs were repowered and retrucked at EMD. 9 FAs were retrucked 7 were not. It's 4 FBs that were retrucked and 4 that were not. But all the FA's and FB's got EMD power.
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Post by rockfan on Jun 3, 2018 9:41:53 GMT -8
I never said they didn't.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 3, 2018 10:32:24 GMT -8
I never said they didn't. It appears then that some got EMD trucks later in their lives. I'd like to know the numbers of the FA and FB's which were re-trucked at time of rebuild.
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Post by rockfan on Jun 3, 2018 11:06:53 GMT -8
I told you where I got the information. As you said, all were repowered. This is true. They were also retrucked at this time.
What proof do you have that contradicts this?
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Post by onequiknova on Jun 3, 2018 11:48:29 GMT -8
I told you where I got the information. As you said, all were repowered. This is true. They were also retrucked at this time. What proof do you have that contradicts this? The pictures of 138 he posted above proves at least one received it's EMD trucks sometime after being re-engined.
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Post by rockfan on Jun 3, 2018 12:02:57 GMT -8
How about when it was re engined?
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Post by onequiknova on Jun 3, 2018 12:26:30 GMT -8
How about when it was re engined? You lost me. The twin stacks are clearly present in the first picture of 138 with Alco trucks.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 3, 2018 19:22:19 GMT -8
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Post by lvrr325 on Jun 3, 2018 23:08:00 GMT -8
I thought I read somewhere the Blombergs came off FT trade-ins; I don't recall the reasoning for the swap. But it does appear some were altered during heavier shopping.
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Post by fr8kar on Jun 4, 2018 5:03:08 GMT -8
Wow! This latest post literally dropped my jaw. Man I sure wish I could enlarge the photos. The pilot, numberboards, pin lifters, dang... nice work!
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Jun 4, 2018 5:30:34 GMT -8
Wow! This latest post literally dropped my jaw. Man I sure wish I could enlarge the photos. The pilot, numberboards, pin lifters, dang... nice work! You can enlarge the photos. Click on the photo and it will take you to Photobucket. There on the top right hand side of the photo is a + sign. Click on it and have at it! Thank you for the kind words.
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Jun 4, 2018 6:01:11 GMT -8
Jim: NICE!!
(Not that I’d ever advocate such blatant disfiguring of any ALCo product) At least these changes are much more subtle than the EMD GP hoods grafted onto RS-2 or 3s.
I’ve bent Alco ladder grabs and they are indeed a challenge.
You’ve done well. Looking forward to paint. That should be a whole new adventure.
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Post by roadkill on Jun 4, 2018 6:07:30 GMT -8
Whelp, that pic in "Classic Trans" sure ain't the 139 LOL. I'll dig it up when I get home and take another look.
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Post by roadkill on Jun 4, 2018 6:09:53 GMT -8
How about when it was re engined? From what I understand the units that got retrucked got them from FT's that were being traded in to GE on one of the Rock's U25B orders, the AAR trucks went with the FT's to be reused under that particular order of U25B's.
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Post by rockfan on Jun 4, 2018 6:25:39 GMT -8
You really should look at Marre's book Rock Island Diesel Locomotives, lots of great information including a table showing the dates for repowering and what ones were retrucked at EMD when they were repowered with EMD engines.
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Post by roadkill on Jun 4, 2018 6:27:01 GMT -8
I'm guessing it's out-of-print? I'll give that evil auction site a try for a copy. Thanks!
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