Page Updated:
Feb 12, 2000
EMD SD:
SD-7
SD-9
SD-35
SD-38
SD-40
SD-40-2
SD-40-2R
SD-45
SD-45-2
SDP-45
SD-50
SD-60
SD-60M
SD-60I
SD-70
SD-70MAC
SD-80MAC:
Photos
Prototype
Loco Roster
HO Modeling
References
EMD GP
EMD SW
EMD E/F
GE Dash7/8
GE U-Boat
ALCo Century
ALCo RS/S
Electrics
Misc
Rosters
Rolling Stock
Maintenance
Scenic Gallery
Modeling
Ref Shelf
CRCyc Home
What's New
Help Out
Site Map
Contributors
|
Conrail 4122 Tips by Bob Waller & Larry Lawler
The SD-80MAC is probably the most popular and strangest of all modern Conrail locomotives. Needing high-horsepower, high-tractive-effort locomotives in the mid-1990s for hauling coal over the Pittsburgh Line and the Boston Line, Conrail turned to General Motors Locomotive Group's (GMLG) for their new 5,000hp SD-80MAC.As soon as I get info from some readers, I'll be posting information on the Kato SD-80MAC. However, it is still fairly easy to model Conrail's SD-80MAC's using the older Rail Power SD-90MAC shell with a few alterations. Prior to the article below, my good friend Larry Lawler provided most of the information on this page. He based his information on his own 80MAC modeling efforts. Since then, Model Railroader in their October 1998 issue published an article covering most of Larry's points. I list the article on the SD-80MAC References page.
While the article is good, it fails to mention how and where to apply many of the model's detail parts, causing confusion among some modelers. Larry and I suggest that you use the article as a jumping off point for your project, then refer below to the details, corrections, and other tips we have added. You should also use prototype photos from the CRCyc whenever doing any modeling. The result will be a better, more accurate and visually appealing model than presented in the article alone.
Russ Goodwin in his October 1998 Model Railroader article chose to model CR 4122, a typical Conrail SD-80MAC is all respects. The tips below are for this unit, but most can be applied to others as well. So let's get to our model!
Wheels: Looking first at the trucks, replace the stock Athearn wheels, which are 44" scale inches in diameter, with 45" wheels manufactured by NorthWest Short Line. Not only will you have the proper, larger wheels, but your model will run better.
Dynamic Fan: As of this writing, there still isn't a correct 54" replacement for the dynamic brake fan on the RPP shell. The article fails to mention that the shell's fan is incorrect, but now you know. We will hopefully have more news on this soon.
Class Lights - New Info: Previously we had been telling you to use the class lights from a Cannon & Company 88" Low Nose Hood kit for modeling the recessed FRA-approved class lights on Conrail SD-80MAC's, eventhough Larry managed to use them on his model and the article in question also used them. The problem with the C&C part is that the class light mount is angled to match a typical EMD low short hood, but the mount on Conrail locomotives is recessed and is perpendicular to the rail. This takes some reworking of the C&C part to match the Conrail prototype.But in steps Rob Russell with a better solution. He suggests using Cal-scale's 190-490 PRR Marker Light, which is listed for passenger cars but is also the exact shape and size of the lights used on the locomotives. He feels that when you take a look at the Cal-scale part you will agree that this is the way to go when modeling Conrail's recessed marker lights.
Numberboards: Keeping with the cab, the article says to use the numberboards from an RPP SD-60M shell, placing them above the cab windows. Unfortunately, these are the wrong numberboards for the SD-80MAC; the SD-60M boards lack the four latches found on the SD-80MAC boards. Remove the SD-90MAC boards and relocate them above the windows. And even these boards aren't exactly correct, lacking the rounded inner corners of the CR units. Such is the life of a model railroader--always compromising!Headlights: I noticed that in the article the entire front headlight is painted white. From what I've been able to tell, some units have white-painted headlight plates, while other units have plain metal. It appears that all SD-80MAC headlights have plain metal hoods. Even if some hoods have been painted white, the paint appears to have worn off fairly quickly.
Pilot: Add a Details West #236 MU Cable, painted yellowish-orange, to the front and rear pilots. Also add Detail Associates #1509 MU Receptacles/Lids. Follow the drawings in the April 1997 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman to see how the right side ones are mounted one above the other--the Model Railroader drawing is clearly wrong on this point. Check the photo to the right. Also, add a Details Associates #6206 delrin air hose to the coupler, draping over the plow. Cal-Scale #227 brass hose can also be used.There are also two support struts underneath the center of the anticlimber that need to be added, though these tend to be difficult to see on many photos since they are painted black along with the rest of the pilot. Use some scrap sheet styrene for these, using the RMC drawing as a guide. The MR drawing overlooks this.
Another little painting tip. On CR 4122, the kick plates on the steps are painted white, while on the article's model they are painted black. Some units do have them painted black, but not this one. Check your photos.
Plow: Use Details West #155 plow for a close match, draping the hoses through the opening and paint the handrails white. I have always seen the hoses placed through the plow opening, and it looks good. The model in the article has them draped behind the plow, with the opening closed.
Cab Windows: That does it for the front pilot and hood. Next, the cab windows. Some units have full-height wind deflectors, such as Detail Associates #2312; other units only have rearview mirrors; while other units have both or none at all. Check the photos for your unit. CR 4122 is correctly modeled without any mirrors or deflectors, as pictured to the left.In the article the side cab windows are totally painted silver. Checking the prototype photos above, you'll notice that blue is present. By painting the proper window sections blue, the model will not only be more prototypical, it will also make the side cab windows look less 'bulky' and out-of-scale than they do on the article's model. Also, use a good black felt pen and 'paint' the rubber gussets around the front cab windows.
Sand Box: Moving onto the rear sand box, the SD-80MAC should also have the Details Associates #2307 access covers applied, as does the UP SD-90MAC. I noticed these are missing from the RMC drawing and the model, while the MR drawing contains them. Sorry, but I currently do not have a good photo of this feature to post here.
Conclusion: Okay, that should do it for now. There are other details that can be added to the underframe if you desire, such as piping, more truck details, and so on. Even so, you will now have a darn sharp looking and accurate Conrail SD-80MAC thundering down the rails. Just remember that Conrail normally ran these in pairs until the last couple of years. So buy two of everything!
Photos for personal use only. All rights reserved by original owner of image.
Reproduction or redistribution in any form without express written permission is prohibited.