[Nick Jr]

Bill, thank you. LiG

 

[Nick Jr]

Have made some progress. Rob sent a belly fixture with each shell. I cut and spliced them to make 3. The center is probably for batteries and the other two are fuel. The rear tank is a little bigger as it also feeds the steam generator, I think. Raining or I would have posted it on rails and running. Maybe a bit before I do that, taking a foster dog today, LiG

 

[choochoowilly]

Looks great, and good luck with the new foster, post pictures, Bill

 

[du-bousquetaire]

Hi there Nick great job on that BP 20. I wish someone wouild make the castings in 1/32 scale and I would do suit. As I started late in US and Pennsy modeling I stuck to 1/32 scale to keep the visual right with live steam being mostly 1/32. What I would also like to find is an E7 or E8 in 1/32, as I used to ride behind them when I was student in NYU and would visit my mother in Massachusets on the PC era NYNH&H. Finding one of the Great Trains model in Europe is hopeless. Meanwhile the MTH PA1 does the honours. And of course live steam.
Progreess on my new layout is coming along nicely, soon I should be able to post some photos.

 

[Nick Jr]

Bill and du-bousquetaire, thank you. Having fun for sure. Foster is doing fine, takes a lot of very worthwhile time. LiG

 

[Nick Jr]

Someone sent me this pic of a beautiful lash up. Does any one know what that open panel in front of the windshield is for? Thank You. LiG

 

[Dave Meashey]

Nick;

This is just an educated guess, but perhaps it is access to the front sander fill pipe. On the streamlined locomotives, it seems that the designers did not like stuff like that to show, so they would hide it under hatches and panels.

Best, David Meashey

 

[Nick Jr]

David, thank you, that was one that never entered my mind. LiG

 

[choochoowilly]

not sure about that as the pictures i found showed the sand filler hatches on the side of the engine 1 front and 1 rear

 

[choochoowilly]

Found this site to be very interesting and does mention the sand boxes and shows the hatch in the numbered drawing but doesn't say what it was for but interesting read
https://heritagerailalliance.wildap...BLW-SPECIFICATION-LOCOMOTIVE-RF16-MAY1949.pdf

 

[Nick Jr]

Bill, a lot of good information there. I printed it all. Will have to enlarge the diagrams and parts lists so these Geezer eyes can see them. I like to make folders of my builds and bashes, along with the actual information from the builders. Thank You Very Much. LiG

 

[choochoowilly]

Funny i went to look at it again and that link doesn't work now

 

[on30gn15]

Someone sent me this pic of a beautiful lash up. Does any one know what that open panel in front of the windshield is for? Thank You. LiG

Even after reading lots of PRR locomotive books, and Baldwin books, through several decades of being a modeler and railfan I didn't know those had that!

 

[on30gn15]

Does any one know what that open panel in front of the windshield is for?

All I can offer is a potential possibility, depending on year.

Have seen as far back as late 1980s this photo of a M&StL EMD FT described somewhere as modified with this hatch in top of nose to meet a government requirement calling for easy access to windshield to keep it clean.

I wish I still had Kalmbach's early 1980s reply to the letter I wrote about this photo in their Diesel Locomotive Cyclopedia mentioning it and asking what it was about & was it indeed made from a F unit side window as it appeared to be.

Their reply to my question about the picture of this hatch in their book was that nobody ever did hatches like that.

I trashed their letter because it was so in-your-face absurdly, ignorantly, wrong.
Should have kept it as a sellable souvenier!

 

[on30gn15]

Could also deduce that it simply an emergency access hatch.
Put these 2 photos together and they could point to that,

A different hatch in nose,
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5148000
"Note that the emergency access door is open; perhaps it's a sultry day in Sea Girt and the crew seeks some extra ventilation! ("LouisFols"; #11 of 31)"

But it brings to mind that when locomotive rolls on side in a wreck, that nose-top hatch could potentially be an emergency exit/access route,
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1897834

 

[choochoowilly]

Great bunch of research

 

[Nick Jr]

Interesting features, thank you. LiG

 

[Nick Jr]

Haven't had much time to play trains this summer, been getting acquainted with my new companion. But didn't stop planning.
I have a USAT F3 and noticed the fan blades spin with the slightest air movement. a feature I want for the Shark. Made a mounting plate, cut out the cast fans and installed the new ones. Made an air box, attached a Cisco router cooling fan to produce air motion. LiG

 

[choochoowilly]

great looking fan, and Bug is looking happy and healthy

 

[placitassteam]

Looks like a rescue dog, good on you! The fans are cool too.