Detailing And Weathering A SP Phase 1 GP-9

The GP-9 is a fantastic locomotive to detail and weather. It is unique because all GP-7's, GP-9's GP-18's and GP-20's in N scale have interchangeable parts. This allows you to kit bash many variations of these locomotives when it comes time to kit bash them and detail them. Most modelers don't know that all the parts of the GP-7, GP-9, GP-18 and GP-20 in N scale are interchangeable. I'll be using Sunrise Enterprises detail parts for the GP locomotive. Sunrise Enterprises is no longer in business, but I was able to accumulate many of their different detail parts to use on many SP, ATSF and Southern diesel locomotives on the roster of the "New" JJJ&E. Few manufacturers today specialize in supplying the N scale modeler with quality detail parts.

It was fun to work on the SP GP-9. I detailed two of these locomotives, SP #3509 and SP #3498.  I used a Dremel tool with very fine diamond points to drill the holes for the detail parts on the locomotive shell and frame.

                 Photo  #  1  SP #3509 completely detailed with Sunrise Enterprises detail parts. These parts include MU hoses,     MU Cables Round MU Stands, Antennae, Steam Generators, Rotary Beacons & Stands, High Stacks, Over head Air Tanks, Spare Knuckle Coupler and Speed Recorders. All of these detail parts were used on SP #3509 GP-9 and SP #3498 GP-9.

                                       Photo  #  2  An early color  track side photo of SP # 3508 GP-9 with all the detail parts cemented in place, on the outer mainline track in the Monterrey Mountains.

       Photo  #  3 An early color photo of the fireman's side of the SP #3509 GP-9 showing all the detail parts from this viewing point.. The spare knuckle coupler is mounted on the front truck along with the speed recorder.

Photo  #  4 An early color photo of the SP #3508 GP-9 showing an overhead view of the diesel. The diesel parts on top of the diesel shell are an Antenna, Steam Generator, Rotary Beacon and Stand, High stacks and Air Tanks.

All the detailing of this SP #3509 GP-9 took about 90 minutes to complete. The next step is to weather this diesel with the Bragdon Weathering System. I already added the detail parts to SP #3498 and weathered the locomotive with the Bragdon Weathering System. I'll post these photo's in a few days.

The photo's below are the initial weathering of SP #3498 Phase 1 GP-9 with the Bragdon Weathering System. The weathering can be toned down by brushing the excess weathering powders from the diesel shell.

          Photo  #  5  Initial weathering of the SP #3498 Phase 1 GP-20 with the Bragdon Weathering Powders on the fireman's side of the GP-9 

Photo  # 6  Overhead view of the Initial weathering of the SP #3498 Phase 1 GP-20 with the Bragdon Weathering Powders on the fireman's side of the GP-9 

Photo  #  7  Comparison of a weathered and unweathered SP Phase 1 GP-9 with detail parts added.

              Photo  #  8  Another view of a completely weathered SP Phase 1 GP-9 and an unweathered SP Phase 1 GP-9 with the detail parts added. The weathering of SP #3498 will be toned done in subsequent photo's by using a soft sable brush to remove some of the excess weathering.

Photo   #  9  Closeup of Initial Weathering of SP #3498 with the Bragdon Weathering System

Photo  #  10   Closeup of Initial Weathering of the roof of the SP #3498 with the Bragdon Weathering System

Detailing And Weathering A SP Phase 1 GP-9

I weathered the detailed SP Phase 1 GP-9 with the Bragdon Weathering System. This was easy to do since I've been using this technique for many yeras. I weathering the vents with a Grimy black soot. The rest of the shell and trucks were weathered with the Grimy black soot, dirt and dust and some rust.

Traditionally SP diesels were heavily weathered and never were cleaned. I detailed # 3509 and #3498. I weathered SP #3498. If you applied too much weathering in any area, the weathering can be toned down with a soft sable brush. That's the beauty of using the Bragdon Weathering System.

              Photo  #  1 Trackside Photo of SP #3498 GP-9 weathered with the Bragdon Weathering Powders. The SP #3498 GP-9 is on the mainline high in the Monterrey Mountains.

        Photo  #  2  SP #3498 GP-9 on the engineers side of the GP-9. I moderately weathered the shell of the SP GP-9 using Grimy black soot on the roof and around the vents  below the roof. The rest of the shell of the GP-9 was weathered with dirt, dust and rust.

   Photo  #  3  Another view of  P #3498 GP-9 on the engineers side of the GP-9. I moderately weathered the shell of the SP GP-9 using Grimy black soot on the roof and around the vents  below the roof. The rest of the shell of the GP-9 was weathered with dirt, dust and rust.

Photo  #  4  An overhead view of the roof of the SP #3498 Phase 1 GP-9 weathered with grimy black soot around the fans

Cheater Boxcars Or Helpers

              
"Cheater" Boxcars are a great addition to N scale railroading . This type of boxcar is powered and aids N scale locomotives especially steam locomotives to negotiate grades of 2% or greater, that many steam locomotives couldn't handle without help.

The "Cheater" boxcars are easy to make and work well on layouts with DCC. In 2004, one of the large hobby shops in Ft. Lauderdale Florida had a "blowout special" on Life Like  UP GP-20's for $16. Needless to say there was a large "run" on these sale price GP-20's. I bought eight of the LL GP-20's which I intended to use for "Cheater" Boxcars or "Helpers" for many of my steam locomotives as the "Original" JJJ&E had a completely graded 120 foot mainline  ( 2% ).

I used the frame of the LL GP-20 as the main component to build the "Cheater" boxcar. I was able to hard wire a Lenz 0521W decoder to the diesel frame and motor.The orange and gray wires of the decoder are soldered to the motor tabs. The red and black wires of the decoder are soldered to the original light board. The led is cut off from the light board and the rear light board is removed from the frame. The decoder is taped to the frame where the rear light board was positioned with Kapton tape. This  Life Like GP-20 wasn't DCC friendly. Front and back lights weren't necessary as the frame was completely covered by a 50 foot boxcar shell. At the time I had some MRC 50 foot boxcar shells that I used for my new motorized "Cheater" boxcars. I was able to install MT N scale couplers at each end of the GP-20 frame.

Now I consisted the "Cheater" boxcar to a steam locomotive that needed extra power. The "Cheater" boxcar provided ample pulling power to aid the steam locomotives, I consisted these to. The Life Like GP-20  is very powerful  in its own right and this Gp-20 can easily pull 20 cars on level track.

I used two 'Cheater" boxcars on the "Original" JJJ&E and they have a presence on the "New" JJJ&E ( See Photo  1 ).

I gave several of the other Life Like GP-20's that I didn't use to friends who wanted to make "Cheater" boxcars or "Helpers" for their own layouts.

Photo  # 1  Two completely weathered 'Cheater" Boxcars on a siding with the Switching Yard in the background.

                      Photo  # 2  A Completely weathered Southern "Cheater" Boxcar on the mainline east of San Marino with the Monterrey Mountains in the background.

           Photo  #  3     An  N  scale coupler mounted to the LL GP -20 frame. This car was weathered using Bragdon Weathering Powders. There are couplers on both ends of this "Cheater" Boxcar.

                  Photo  #  4   A Completely weathered Western Pacific  "Cheater" Boxcar on the mainline east of San Marino with the Monterrey Mountains in the background.

                  Photo  #  5  The WP "Cheater" boxcar in a consist with a ATSF 2-8-8-2 articulated steamer on the mainline in San Marino.

                  Photo  #  6  The Southern "Cheater" boxcar in a consist with a ATSF 2-8-8-2 articulated steamer on the mainline in San Marino.

The "Cheater" Boxcars are easy to assemble. You can use any GP-7, GP-9, GP-18 or GP-20 frames with a 50 foot boxcar shell. All the above N scale diesels have interchangeable parts.

Weathering Locomotives, Rolling Stock And Buildings With The Bragdon Weathering System

Many years ago I started to use the Bragdon Weathering System to weather locomotives, rolling stock and buildings on the "Original" JJJ&E as well as the "New" JJJ&E which was started in 2009 . The complete Bragdon Weathering System contains 16 colors; light, medium, dark rust and soot, Ash,Grimy Gray,Dust Bowl Brown,Weathered Brown,  Old Yeller,Green Grunge,The Blues, Used Brick,  Lime Morter White,Dark Rail Brown,Old Tuscan and Antique Iron.

These weathering powders are easy to apply with a small 18/0 sable brush. If excess powder drops on your work area, it can be reused.You can leave the powders on the models you weather as is.The weathering powders will remain in place. You can also use Dullcote after applying the powders but that isn't necessary. If you do use Dullcote, you might find it necessary to re-apply the lighter colored powders over the Dullcote to re-establish the full effect of the Bragdon Weathering System.

The weathering powders will adhere to any non-glossy surface. It has no resemblance to chalks. Brushing the weathering powders on a locomotive, rolling stock and buildings give instantaneous results. The weathering powders require no  drying or curing. If you use the weathering powders  carefully; you won't have to replace any of the colors for a long time. According to the company, "The weathering powders are made from real rust and other weathering agents that have been ball milled to a particle size over 100 times finer than chalk and blended with a pressure sensitive, dry adhesive. The Weathering powders will adhere to most surfaces. They are nonmagnetic and nontoxic".

            Photo  # 1  The "Idaho Hotel" a signature building on the "New" JJJ&E was weathering with the Bragdon Weathering Powders over 12 Years ago. This building was used on the "Original" JJJ&E and survived a move from Florida to Texas with the weathering intact.

Photo #  2  The Schultz Gear Factory was completely weathered using the Bragdon Weathering System. This building was also used on the "Original" JJJ&E and also was moved from Florida to Texas with all the weathering still in place.

Photo  # 3 Rolling stock can easily be weathered with the Bragdon Weathering System. Varying degrees of intensity can be accomplished with the weathering powders which stay in place on the model.

Photo  # 3A A sepia photo of Rolling stock can easily be weathered with the Bragdon Weathering System. Varying degrees of intensity can be accomplished with the weathering powders which stay in place on the model.

 Photo  # 3B An old platinum photo of Rolling stock can easily be weathered with the Bragdon Weathering System. Varying degrees of intensity can be accomplished with the weathering powders which stay in place on the model.

Photo  # 3C An old B&W photo of Rolling stock can easily be weathered with the Bragdon Weathering System. Varying degrees of intensity can be accomplished with the weathering powders which stay in place on the model.

Photo  # 4  A highly detailed Southern Ms-4 Mikado is easily weathered with the Bragdon Weathering System. A fine 18/0 sable brush was used to apply the weathering powders. This locomotive was weathered over 10 years ago.

Photo # 5 Closeup photo of the highly detailed and weathered Southern Ms-4 Mikado on the Engineers side.

   Photo # 6 The completely weathered Southern Ms-4  Mikado #4910 on the outer mainline  track. Another Southern Ms-4 Mikado on the inner mainline track that is very lightly weathered with the Bragdon Weathering System.

 You should give this system a try. A small 16 color kit is $37.50 USD.