Boston, North Station

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Here's a picture of the paint scheme

Everything is straight lines except for the part on the nose. If you cut the masking tape right, you can easily paint that. Or, you can eyeball it and fix it with rubbing alcohol if you mess up.

For the numbers, you can either get decals or paint them yourself.

If you want to paint a F40PH, (the screamers, 1000-1017. The F40PHs without a seperate HEP generator. The HEP comes directly from the prime mover) it's just a purple stripe all around.

The F40PH-2Cs are pretty much the same color scheme as the GP40MCs.

I am leaving the F40PHM-2Cs (1025-1036) out of this because they are a little different in shape. They are F40 clones built by Morrison-Knudsen. But otherwise, they have the same color scheme as the F40PH-2Cs (1050-1075).

If you want to do a historical model (I am suggesting this because you have a Boeing LRV on the layout which is no longer in service), you might want to consider getting a F10 and repainting it in MBTA colors (they had a couple color schemes). The F10s were retired/sold to CCRR in the 80's.

I would not paint my own numbers. they are to small for HO.

Also, F10s are available from IHP if you want one.
 

diburning

Member
Also, if you do decide to get the Bowser undercarriage, know this. They forgot a few key things in it. They didn't include places where you can hook up wires for the pantograph or the headlights that came with the original chassis. The only way to hook them up is to take it apart and do extensive soldering and possibly rewiring. They also didn't put a palce for a coupler so you'd have to drill holes for Kadees. (They don't make functioning Tomlinson couplers yet. They have dummy tomlinson couplers out there, but they look terrible and aren't the same ones as the ones actually used on the Boeings.)

Also, if you DO decide to get a F10, there are some MBTA RDC-3s on ebay right now. If you get them they will totally fit in!

There are still currently 2 RDCs sitting on a siding across the main from BET.

Here are some pictures I took when I passed by.

MBTA Boise Budd RDC
MBTA/B&M Boise Budd RDC

I guess if you are doing a modern model of North Station and BET, getting these would still work and they'd still fit in since they are still sitting there today.

Toy Train Heaven has the decal kit for locos and coaches and the T logos!
 
I would really prefer to stay as modern since I have the Amtrak downeaster running with my commuter rail. I'm making exceptions for the LRVs simply because there are no other options for them.

I'll be staying away from the RDCs and F-10s.
The F40phs, GP40MCs, and Comets are my focus...and in 1990's+ paint.
 
Green Elite Cab,
I just checked out island models and Imperial. I guess I'm not sure now if the MBTA's BTC/CTC-3 is a Comet 3 or something else.

MBTA refers to the Comet 2 as a BTC/CTC-1.

The MBTA BTC/CTC-3 has no middle doors unlike the comet 3. I think every commuter rail train has at least one of these since they generally have restrooms.

Pics:
CTC-1
CTC-3
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Yeah, those are definitely not comets. Theylook familiar. I want to say they are the same as the MARC cars, but those are fluted, and even more different yet. I don't think anyone makes that car. The Comet IIs you'll find though.
 

diburning

Member
The CTC-3s (1500s) are German made cars. They were made by MBB (Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH) (A german aircraft company). They are not comets. The german cars have bigger windows than the comets and are restroom equipped. They are also 6 inches narrower (3 inches on each side) than the comets. (Although the Kawasaki bilevels are also the same width as the german cars at 120 inches. The comets are 126 inches wide) Lengthwise, they are all the same.

There are currently no manufacturers making the german cars in HO. People have tried kitbashing them and failed.

If you want the Kawasaki bilevels, they will be coming out soon. Here's a picture of the prototype:

mbta2mw8.jpg


It is made by
The Railroad Depot although you probably don't want them since you are modeling the north side.

You might get some bilevels soon. MBTA has ordered 75 bilevel cars from Hyundai-Rotem and they will run them both on the North and South sides. Nothing will be retired, they are just ordering them because the MBTA is strapped for equipment already. If they are ok, then they will be on both sides. If they are junk, then they will send them all up north and take some of the single level cars from the north side and run them on the south side.

There's a very high probability that they are junk because they didn't do very well with their last order (I forget which state it was in). Taiwan ordered locomotives and coaches from Hyundai-Rotem and they had nasty vibration problems and kept breaking down.
 
Thanks for the info about the CTC-3 cars. I had no idea they were German made!

I am going to try to make my own CTC-3 coaches from scratch. I will build a master and then create an RTV mold so that I can cast more. These won't be finescale, but they will work fine for me. I am building this layout for operation, so I will be certain to produce an open wheel truck that will have amazing low-resistance. I may have to seek out light-weight ball bearings to ensure this, and simplify power pick-up. Ball bearing are tricky to pick out, as many are intended for heavier loading, and thus do not spin freely. I will make sure my trucks can be used on the walthers comets and amfleets for retro-fitting.

That is very interesting news about the new bi-levels. I sure hope they are decent equipment! Are there any sketches as to what they may look like?

If I am sucessful in producing my CTC-3s the hard question arrives.
Do I use the Walther's purple or the railroad depot purple?
 

diburning

Member
Use the railroad depot purple. The Walthers purple is too pink. If you look at the photographs you liked to, the Walthers look way off. If you do decide to repaint your comets, repaint them in that shade of purple. Same thing with the F40PHs and your GP40MC if sucessful.

No sketches of the Rotems have been released yet. Model railroad companies probably won't make those either because MBTA equipment except for the F40s, Boeings and the comets are all custom ordered. I know for sure that once the Rotems arrive, they will be used in the north and south sides while the kawasaki cars will stay on the south side.

The Rotems will start arriving in 2010.

MBTA is also taking bids for a new locomotive order. No one outside of the high office people know if the bidding is still open or whether a locomotive order has been done yet. MBTA said that no details will be released until the negotioations are finished. What we do know right now is that the order is for 28 locomotives with an option to purchase 10 more for a total of 38. (If they run good, they can buy 10 more. If they aren't running above and beyond their expectations, then they will only purchase 28)

Probable bidders are Motive Power Industries (MBI) who is currently doing mods on the GP40MCs to add a switcher mod so that they may be used as switches when needed. Bids from international firms were encouraged. GE might make them, but GE is more interested in large orders for at least 75 locos so they may or may not bid. Electro Motive Diesel (EMD) might bid. EMD made the GP40MCs and the F40PHs. However, when those locomotives came out, EMD was part of General Motors (GM). Now, GM thought it wasn't profitable so they split off from EMD. EMD's quality is going downhill.

People have begun speculating as to what type of locomotives that the MBTA might get. Some people think MP36s or MP40s. Some people think F59s but EMD doesn't make F59s anymore.
 
Cool thanks for the Info! I will most likely go with the darker purple. I will be receiving a life like MBTA f-40PH found on ebay. I had one of these years before, and I remember the color to be much darker than the Walthers. I will probably use this as my color guide.
Too bad the lifelike model has the "phase-1" yellow stripes on the nose! I think these will be rare some day so i refuse to paint it into the more recent scheme. I'll have to park it nose-into BET haha.

Moving on...Here are sketches of my layout!
Lower%20level.jpg


upper.jpg



The Lower level is complete and operational...detailing is just begining!
The Upper level has not yet begun.
 

diburning

Member
Umm. I am not aware of Life-like making a F40PH in MBTa colors. Life-Like is made by Walthers. Also, the Phase 1 paint scheme was only for the Screamers (F40PH, they don't have seperate HEP generators) They are numbered 1000 t0 1017 so make sure that it is numbered as such. Could you link me to the auction? I would like to have a look at it.

Also, I don't see anywhere on your layout, the part where you are running the LRVs. I just got my LRV today. It looks nice. Do you know which direction it goes when it drives forward? Does it go in the direction of the A end or the B end? The B end is the end with the pantograph.
 
Hi Diburning,

Here's a link to all the Life-like f-40s. This definitely is one of the old screamers #1004. These were made in the 80's! Great to have found another one....and OHH what a great price! (under $20 for NIB)...too bad the models were only so so in quality.
http://tycotrain.tripod.com/lifelikemodeltrainscollectorsresource/id20.html

As far as the LRV's go... They are still planned to go underground beneath North Station at some point. For now they are running on my lower loop to break in. I fabricated a nice linkage to couple them together reliably. My other 2 units are tucked away in dry storage for preservation.

So far I am very happy with the mechanisms. They seem a lot happier to be run in pairs. This allows me to have one running in each direction which takes the stress off the worm drives. This makes the pair run like a standard dual-truck-powered locomotive. This opposing orientation is most likely not prototypical, but it makes them run a lot smoother. I'm not sure how the T ran them to be honest. I would think the pantograph would only work in one direction like a trolley pole.

My LRVs are the newer IHC models sold in the purple boxes...perhaps they improved the mechanisms since the AHM days?
 

diburning

Member
Hi Diburning,

Here's a link to all the Life-like f-40s. This definitely is one of the old screamers #1004. These were made in the 80's! Great to have found another one....and OHH what a great price! (under $20 for NIB)...too bad the models were only so so in quality.
http://tycotrain.tripod.com/lifelikemodeltrainscollectorsresource/id20.html

As far as the LRV's go... They are still planned to go underground beneath North Station at some point. For now they are running on my lower loop to break in. I fabricated a nice linkage to couple them together reliably. My other 2 units are tucked away in dry storage for preservation.

So far I am very happy with the mechanisms. They seem a lot happier to be run in pairs. This allows me to have one running in each direction which takes the stress off the worm drives. This makes the pair run like a standard dual-truck-powered locomotive. This opposing orientation is most likely not prototypical, but it makes them run a lot smoother. I'm not sure how the T ran them to be honest. I would think the pantograph would only work in one direction like a trolley pole.

My LRVs are the newer IHC models sold in the purple boxes...perhaps they improved the mechanisms since the AHM days?

Wowthat's nice, but I still wouldn't get a life-like though. Walther's makes Life-like. Life-like has the quality of a toy. Walthers locomotives are ok, but their motors die over time.

Like the bowser mechanism, both ends of the real Boeing LRVs drive. The pantograph can work in either direction. It doesn't matter because the pantograph doesn't move side to side like a trolley pole would. It only moves up and down with the varying height of the wires. The T ran them in any direction that they were in and didn't car whether they were running from the A or the B end or whether they were coupled in a certain way.

IHC stopped making the Boeing LRV in the 80's when the last of the Boeings arrived on MBTA property. Mine is in a purple IHC box too. Mehano started making them, but IHC bought out Mehano. While the company was still Mehano, AHM bought them and rebranded them as AHM. They are all the same and nothing has changed.
 
Ya, the lifelike f40's I had ran pretty well and durable, but like you say they aren't the most impressive looking/sounding mechanisms! I have another one in Amtrak colors that will be painted to MBTA soon. I think both of them will receive modified GP35 chassis to allow them to operate more reliable.
 
Here's a quick update on my MBTA project! I've got 4 MBTA "screamer-class" F40PH locos all painted up and ready for windows and better lighting!
attachment.php


Coming soon I'll have photos of my updated MBTA Comet coaches. I've carefully repainted all of my comets to the proper shade of purple! I now have a fleet of 12 comets...(6 coaches + 6 cabs).


I also got a great deal on a set of SD70MACs from ebay. These are now used on my New Hampshire "Bow Coal" train.
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diburning

Member
Looking back, I've just noticed something that I should have told you about earlier. On your cab car, I noticed that you put a K5LA horn on it. All of MBTA's cab cars have the K3LA horn (3 horns instead of five)
 
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