O Gauge Union Pacific

OMI 0125.1 Heavy Pacific

Union Pacific 4-6-2 #2897

Absolutely beautiful.  (But wrong).  #2897 never had a front mounted bell or larger sand dome. It also had boxpok drivers much earlier.   I'm excited to pick this one up. Paint is perfect and working lights too.  I have new number decals on the way.  OMI modeled this one after #2888. 1954 photos confirm it.  Photo evidence only finds one or two other pacifics in this class with the front mounted bell but they had boxpok main drivers much earlier in their service life, and smaller sand domes, and were retired much earlier.   Inspecting the decals on it, my plan is re-number it to #2888 for accuracy.

Thanks goes out to Bill D.  For such a nice model.

Enjoy!

3rail 2 posted:

I still have a few...........

 

Donald

Is there any way I can see more pictures of your layout.

Here's my Mountain. (It's not for sale either) 

KTM Union Pacific 4-8-2

Just arrived. I'll get better pics soon. Thanks again to Bill D. 

At least now I'll have something to put ahead of my GGD Harrimans until I get my Pacific #3222 painted TTG.

A new project coming thanks to another forum member and fellow UP fan.......

Cool video. Is that the Lionmaster Challenger? It is one of my favorite locomotives in my collection.  Just for the fun of being able to run it anywhere and it looks great too!

That is the Lionmaster Challenger from the iteration prior to the most recent issue.  It is my favorite semi-scale locomotive and perhaps my favorite locomotive period and I have loads of locomotives ranging from Vision Line Challengers to Rail King triplexes.  This is a great looking engine with plenty of pulling power!

Suddenly, I have a few projects going on.  Wrapping up my test track and took on a couple of locomotive modifications   .....both to circa 1948. 

1. 3rd Rail E7 A&B

- Need to replace pilot using an OMI E6 slotted pilot I will modify to fit and round off the "crease" to be more like the E7's. Not a completely accurate match but a close enough representation.

- Paint trucks gray

-Add handrails to top of cab

- Modify Number boards to just '9' for Train No. 9

- Replace 'Union Pacific Railroad' nose emblem to period correct 'Union Pacific' decal. Depending in how ambitious/confident I am I will replace Union Pacific Letter Decals in each side of the A unit. They are in the wrong position in relation to the windows and seams.

2. Lionel 6-11131 FEF-3 #844 conversion to Sellers system.

- Removing existing detail parts

- Fabricate appropriate pipe parts

- I'll live with the 'sand louvre doors' which were added late-life. I don't want to have to grind

- replace pilot truck wheels with scale wheels

- Repaint to to two-tone grey with Silver-white

- Depending in how ambitious and confident I am, I might re-number to 840 or 841

I'll add photos as I make progress...

Every year, come fall, friends from Pennsylvania come out to Montana for a visit and we roam the Northwest.   This year, we returned to the Powder River Basin and followed the former CNW trackage into Nebraska, the the UP branch south to the main line and the main line to Cheyenne and Sherman Hill.  Here are a few samples of views along the way:

Rapid Transit Holmes posted:

I like this one. Makes one wish they had a layout big enough for long wide sweeping turns!

Detail parts removed necessary for repainting. Now time to fabricate parts...

Awesome stuff guys keep up the great work

Looks great and your reward will be a fantastic loco.

Ron H

I always wanted to see the "real thing", the never-retired Queen of the Rails, so I was at Ogallala on the morning of 10/31/16, with camera in hand, and followed her all the way home:

Aaron,

The mike looks great!  Nice work.....funny I almost snagged that same one.  Not a project I wanted to take on.  Other note: I've located a couple sets of OMI Sellers pieces should have them shipped shortly.  Bill D. is a pretty great resource!

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A suggestion for any UP fan who hasn't followed or seen this whole thread.  First and foremost it is a photo album.  I encourage you to start at page 1 and take your time.  There are a lot of great pictures of O scale UP items from many folks on this forum.  If you have pictures of O scale UP, post them.  Especially if it is a unique model or one we haven't posted yet. After all, this is the Photo Album Forum! Enjoy.

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Lionel FEF-3 1948 Sellers system mod.:

 Sellers brass parts came in. Decided to start over on the pipes using new brass rods instead of the other steel rod I was using.  Timed out on that project for a bit.

3rd Rail E7 UP 998, 1948 mod.:

Modifying an brass OMI Union Pacific Slotted EMD E-6 pilot into as close of an E-7 pilot as possible. I'm detailing a 3rd Rail 2R Union Pacific E7 A&B which was produced as circa 1954+ with silver trucks, solid pilot, "Union Pacific Railroad" on the nose herald into a Circa 1948 with grey trucks, slotted pilot, "Union Pacific" herald, and Train no. "9" on the boards. I also plan to add some hand rails to the top of the cab.  I'm modeling to an actual 1948 photo.

Paint is in, proper nose herald decals are in, picked up new brass rod for pilot details and roof handrails.

Been taking my time on modifying the pilot and fabricating detail parts. Hand filing brass is tedious but with my fingers I can see myself screwing it up if I try to work too quickly. Had to pop out and re-fill some of the holes. JB Weld steel stick working great as filler and build-up. But.... I realized 998's slotted pilot (1948-49) is asymmetrical. The lower plate on the right side (head on) of the prototype is actually longer/wider and covers one of the holes so that it has 4 to the left and 3 to the right. Pfft!  .....Still need to drill out step and re-positioned slots....

Oh yeah, photos........

Mountain and Pacific

I'm almost all Union Pacific, with a touch of BN here and there.

Nice Matt, I like the Challenger and PA.  I'm pretty excited for Scott to deliver the 3rd Rail PA's. I have a 3R A-B on order and matching Yellow 6-car GGD Harriman set + 1 coach.  I hope it's 1947-1954 with grey trucks but I'll have to see.

Cool pic Chris.  I love the Desert Storm SD-40 even though it's a bit out of my era!  Where's that set-up the picture was taken at?

WITZ 41 posted:

Nice Matt, I like the Challenger and PA.  I'm pretty excited for Scott to deliver the 3rd Rail PA's. I have a 3R A-B on order and matching Yellow 6-car GGD Harriman set + 1 coach.  I hope it's 1947-1954 with grey trucks but I'll have to see.

Cool pic Chris.  I love the Desert Storm SD-40 even though it's a bit out of my era!  Where's that set-up the picture was taken at?

 

Its on a modular display, The Independent Hi railers Eastern division.

I love the look of it, even though I'm not a 90's railroader, I think it looks great with the UP tunnel.

86TA355SR posted:

Finally happy with this section and mounted it today. A lot more parts to make for the piping. 

I want to finish this project so I can start my next one. Parts have already started arriving!

Just beautiful work. Thank you for sharing your progress. 

86TA355SR posted:

I can't get enough of the K Line cars!

Looks nice. New addition I presume.

On another note I've emailed Scott (Quick response, Fantastic Customer Focus!) and he indicated the GGD Yellow Harriman cars will likely have Aluminum/silver trucks (post 1958 )  So I think I'll have another painting project soon to make them gray.

Witz 41,  Speaking of "pilot" models, how about some "Oh yeah, photos........" of your completed E7!  Your modified pilot looks gorgeous in the rough but I'd certainly like to see it on the locomotive...

Still working on it. A few Honey-Do's have gotten in the way lately. Working on a way to mount it to the frame.

Cut and filing this brass plate to screw on to the frame using the existing holes. From there I'll try my hand at soldering the pieces together and make sure the assembly aligns properly....

MTH 20-93247 - Union Pacific Double Door Express Boxcar.

Beautiful car. Total fantasy. The Up express cars were 40' Double Door and not as tall as standard boxcars of that era.

MTH did a nice job capturing the look but this is a 50'  car. Just as incorrect as their "Challenger Merchandise" schemed 50' cars.

 Just the same I think it will still look sharp on 3 rails.

Weaver made a pretty accurate one they offered for O Scale West in 3 different road numbers. I'm trying to locate one or all 3. Doesn't matter 3R or 2R.

https://ogrforum.com/t...40-dd-express-boxcar 

I emailed Atlas O just for kicks to suggest they make one.

I had a little free time today to work on my 3rd Rail E7 project for a few minutes. After several frustrating failed attempts to solder pieces together I decided to use gel super glue and declare victory.  The modified OMI pilot, 2 brass plates, and 3 brass cross-member bars to get the spacing are now one screw-on assembly.

Drilled out the screw holes and use nails to verify alignment. Looks good.  I will reinforce with some JB Weld and move on. Side note: I've discovered I am terrible with brass.

Next up a few more detail parts, remove the trucks from both units then prep for Paint.

 Looks ugly now, but confidence is high that it will look good when I'm done.

Was able to screw it on and turn it upright for the first time. Nice to see it actually on the tracks (previous pics were taken upside-down and then rotated.

I'll need to do some finish filing and alignment yet.

Atlas O 8524, 1 - 8.

40' Steel Reefer Car - Pacific Fruit Express 

Based on 1937 R-40-10 car but PFE repaint to late 50's Black & White double herald paint scheme. (Cars show 4-56). Just off the tail end of my modeling era window.  Beautiful cars as one would expect from Atlas O rolling stock. (Old Intermountain design).  I figured that while they are scale the shorter height and proportions would look nice behind my Lionmaster Challenger on a tighter inner loop. Nice details and opening ice hatches.

Thanks Tom and JR Junction.

Rapid Transit Holmes posted:

Every year, come fall, friends from Pennsylvania come out to Montana for a visit and we roam the Northwest.   This year, we returned to the Powder River Basin and followed the former CNW trackage into Nebraska, the the UP branch south to the main line and the main line to Cheyenne and Sherman Hill.  Here are a few samples of views along the way:

Locations would be nice to add to your great pics.  thanks

1. Southbound in the Power River Basin, between Gillette and Bill,

2. Westbound Work Train at Lusk, and

3. Westbounder climbing Sherman Hill.

Sorry!

A little more progress....

Remove door hand grabs and 1953+ herald decal to prep surface for 1948 herald.  Remove number boards and altering them to train No. 9. Fashioning hand grabs for roof of cab over windows.

Nice score Aaron!

Everyone loves eye-candy!!!

Pacific Fast Mail Union Pacific 2-8-0 Consolidation.

Beautifully detailed and smooth running brass locomotive.  Locomotive details are generally quite accurate for a Union Pacific heavy consolidation. 739, however like all 700s, was an oil burner. Also, like most 700s all photo evidence I can find show it with a 9000 gal rectangular oil tender. (OWR&N in Washington and later in Kansas).  

Lastly, I have yet to find any photo evidence of the Vanderbilt tender with the coal bunker modified as represented on this model. I would love to discover the prototype they used as reference.  So it may be another candidate for renumbering in the future. 

Inaccuracies aside, I admire it just the same.

A day on the UP wasn't only just Big Boys, Challengers, and FEFs.....

........also, don't let the 3R Atlas track fool you....suddenly......I find myself now a 2-railer!

.....Now I just need to track down a PSC 17003-1 2-8-8-0 #3560 plus I need Scott and 3rd Rail to make a second attempt at offering a UP overland 4-10-2 #5097...

Enjoy..

My hometown train - the City of Salina!

Sweet Streamliners post Portland Rose!

(Union Pacific Equipment - William W. Kratville and Harold E. Ranks)

Maybe one of the manufacturers can make one of these for you!

Of course, the Portland Rose and the City of St. Louis were more hometown trains from a bygone era that were within my time and I got to experience.  They are sorely missed.

WITZ 41 posted:

Not too much activity here lately.  I'm in a holding pattern until some new items are delivered/shipped...

Anyone have anything we haven't seen here yet?.....

Anyone have the Lionel Legacy Alco PA's they'd like to post photos of???

Here are my Legacy AAs per your request. I've just acquired the powered B unit and plan to pull a 7 car set of K-Line cars .

Nice PAs. Paint those trucks gray! 

I have recently moved and finally got my first Glenn Synder shelf at the York show last week. I was able to get the vision line Big Boy on display with the Aux. Water Tender and the MTH Sun Valley observation car. Currently working on finishing the basement so I can begin layout work.