CPR - EMD E-8

CPR E-8 1802 handles a passenger train over the White River Division.

If one models a CPR passenger train though New England an E-8 would be nice to have in the fleet. A few years back I purchased a few CPR coaches and baggage cars. I then needed an engine to pull them along my layout. CPR used three E-8's for this job, 1800-1802.

At a local flea market I got a deal during the winter of 2011 on a Proto 2000 unit already finished in CPR colours.  Unit 1802 ran and looked good. The factory paint job was quite nice. Since my layout is DCC I needed to add a decoder. I had a Digitrax DH121 on hand. It has no sound, but I can live with that. I was fairly new to adding decoders to engines and with all the room inside it would be a good unit to experiment with. The decoder went in well. I added a LED headlight which required some drilling to add a styrene tube to hold and aim the headlight.

DCC has been added and a styrene tub added to house the LED headlight behind the plastic lens.

Details Added
While I had it apart I decided to paint the engineman and fireman. Kadee true scale couplers are installed, the horn was painted black, the wipers are painted silver and class light jewels by Juneco are added. I added a Detail Associates #2807 speed recorder and repainted the handrails. I thought the yellow plastic handrails just did not look right. I used a mix of Floquil DRG&W yellow and reefer yellow...about 50-50. I just dabbed the brush in both paints and mixed it a bit on a board before applying it on the handrails. I lightly weathered the unit before putting it into service on the WRD. I did dirty up the trucks a bit more than the body. At some point I may replace the decoder with a sound unit....George Dutka

CPR 1802 the last of a group of 3 E-8's is seen at WRJ on the WRD.

Coasting through Middlesex Center on the White River Division.