 |
| CV #7919 handles a caboose out front of the White River Junction station. |
Another Alco switching my White River Jct. yard
Central Vermont # 7919
Q-6-a
Q-6-a
I liked my Bachmann S-4 so much I purchased a Bachmann S-2 just before Christmas. It has DCC and sound included and runs smooth and sounds great. My S-4 is CV 8027 which I covered in my post of Oct. 10, 2012. The S-2 switcher I also detailed as a CV switcher but this time in an earlier scheme. I really wanted to try a lettering scheme I had not yet tried.
The Prototype
CV 7919 came to the Central Vermont along with #7918 in 1941. CV 7917 arrived later in 1948 from the GTW. Engine 7917 and 7918 had a brand new paint job on them by 1955 with a square herald on the cab and the long Central Vermont herald on the engine housing with a stripe along the running boards. Engine 7919 may have remained as delivered till it was refurbished and renumbered in 1956. I have not been able to find a photo of this engines after 1951 and before 1956. In 1956, 7919 became 8095. The engines scheme when delivered had a metal square placard attached to the cab on each side with smaller numbering on the front of the hood and on the rear of the cab. Larger numbers were found on the engine body sides with a wide gold strip along the running board and a finer strip on the top edge of the engine body. The two stripes lasted till just before 1950 when they either faded out or were painting out. I found a 1951 photo on page 54 of Central Vermont in Color, Morning Sun Books. This photo was taken at WRJ with no stripping top or bottom. The engine had orange handrails at that time. I thought the engine looked interesting in that view so I used it for my project's inspiration. All photo's of #7919 I have seen are at White River Junction also. Since WRJ is the location I am modelling this was a good engine to include on my roster. One can find a good 1947 photo of CV #7919 in the Feb. 2000 issue of Model Railroader showing the original stripes. That article was done by CV fan and friend Marty McGuirk. All three original S-2, 7900s were sent to the GTW in 1967.
 |
| CV 7918 in WRJ during the summer of 1952. Note the top and running board stripe has been removed. The engineman's awning is squared off and extremely narrow. The glass wind deflectors on both side of the engineman's window are folded flat on this day. |
I did add a good amount of details to my model before repainting. I began by adding to the cab, wiper blades, 4 are needed, styrene arm rests are added on each side were the crewman would be sitting, styrene sun shades, a formed wire door handle, and a filler valve on the end of the cab by Details West, #FF-167 fuel filler. On the cab sides I also added brass wind deflectors #CB 2304 Detail Associates. Two painted figures are added to the cab interior once the engine is completed.
I added Kadee #58 couplers that needed to have the brass metal insert trimmed somewhat to fit the Bachmann pocket. Juneco Alco re-railers are used. On the top of the body I added Detail Associates lift hoops #6214, Precision Scale #31334 markers and Juneco jewels, Cal-Scale #190-529 curved corner grabs and Tichy grabs on the hood front and fireman's side.
 |
| On the cab I have added a styrene arm rest and awning. A new metal filler pipe is also added. A wire door handle is also applied. The lettering is off the cab but still needs a little more scrubbing on the engine hood. |
 |
| My Alco S-2 is seen next to the photo I used as inspiration to complete my model. |
The engine was scrubbed clean of lettering followed by a coat of Floquil engine black and a coat of gloss. I used the large numbering from Micro Scale CV #87-990. For the number boards, front and rear small numbers I used leftover Accu-Cal #5808 H numbering. The metal herald on the cab sides was made by photocopying the Micro Scale herald then trimming and gluing it to the sides. I used a pencil on the edges to hide the white surface after the trimming. The Engine got a coat of Floquil flat finish, an over spray of grimy black and some chalk weathering. The end handrails I bush painted Floquil CN #11 orange to match the photograph.
 |
| My two Alco switchers are seen out front of the WRJ station. One is about to depart with a cut of propane tanks destined for a local customer. |
My favourite pass time is not switching (as I spent too many years doing this on the prototype) but now that I have two Bachmann Alco switchers that do everything but belch out smoke, I am finding it fun spending some time working the yard. I also love that this engine has added a bit more prototype history to my WRJ scene...George Dutka
 |
| I adjusted this DCC equipped unit to allow for a slower operating pace with more throttling up sounds and longer stop times which adds to the switching fun. |
 |
| The CV engineman seems comfortable on a warm fall day with his window open. |
George,
ReplyDeleteLooks very nice - I have a Bachmann S-2 I plan to paint/decal for 7918 or 7919 at some point.
Alan Irwin always theorized that since the steam locomotive wafers had green backgrounds prior to 1943, the 1941-delivered S-2s had green heralds under the cab - at least at first. We've never been able to confirm this, but it certainly makes sense.
Marty