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Living most of my life in Westchester and commuting near the Harlem Division of the old NYC, I came to really love the FL9’s from the Penn Central and Conrail era.  When Sunset did the FL9 I hoped they would do it in PC or Conrail blue and yellow but it was not to be.

I had an old beat up Santa Fe F3 pair so I decided to paint them in PC and Conrail.  They came out so nice (to my eye) that I eventually modified the dummy with a SD truck to imitate the B A-I-A wheel arrangement of the FL9.  I don’t have the skills to do the powered unit.

Here they are today, several years later, I hope you enjoy them like I do.

IMG_0350Pete

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Nice!  I see you added the correct Hancock air whistles.  The FL9s seem to have lasted a long time here in Connecticut on the MetroNorth branch lines, but now they’re gone.  Also, for years I tried to ride behind the Maine Eastern FL9s on the Brunswick to Rockland route, but they’re gone now too.  At least you have some on your layout!

Nice!  I see you added the correct Hancock air whistles.  The FL9s seem to have lasted a long time here in Connecticut on the MetroNorth branch lines, but now they’re gone.  Also, for years I tried to ride behind the Maine Eastern FL9s on the Brunswick to Rockland route, but they’re gone now too.  At least you have some on your layout!

The Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston, CT has a pair of them, at least one should still be operational. www.rmne.org

---PCJ,

(who volunteered there as car host, then brakeman for a few years)

@pabuckee posted:

Thanks Joe,

I will send some pics.  All I did was buy a three axle (unpowered) truck from a Lionel SD on eBay.  I did have to shave the side frames of the dummy frame.  It is not the correct truck for the FL9.  Neither is the front truck, I just left the original.  

Pete,can you send more detailed photos of your fl9 project,I'am going to try it....thanks,joe

@GG1 4877 posted:

The 3rd Rail FL9 is on a list of locomotives that may see a future run and the missing paint schemes are certainly going to be part of the mix the next go around.  I too like the MTA Blue/Yellow scheme and would enjoy having one to go behind my PC black one.

Not to take anything away from your models.  They are fantastic.

Id be in for another set of NH FL9s

@biscuitag97 posted:

Id be in for another set of NH FL9s

Reach out to Scott and let him know.  The factory is always looking for projects to pick up for production as it takes time for the new projects to get through design and tooling.  Scott tries to space them in such a way to provide enough work to the factory to keep them busy, but also not overburdening the buyer on too many models to purchase at once.  It's a tough balancing act!

In the meantime, those "postwar" ones are pretty cool. 

I own several Sunset FL9s from the 2013 run. During 2023 Scott repaired one for me. At the time, I suggested rerunning the FL9s and told him I would buy two new ones if produced. I'm still in for two New Havens.

Meanwhile, a question for @pabuckee: It looks like you stretched your "Lionel" FL9. How did you do it?

MELGAR

MELGAR_2024_0228_04_NH_2043_12X8

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@MELGAR posted:

I own several Sunset FL9s from the 2013 run. During 2023 Scott repaired one for me. At the time, I suggested rerunning the FL9s and told him I would buy two new ones if produced. I'm still in for two New Havens.

Meanwhile, a question for @pabuckee: It looks like you stretched your "Lionel" FL9. How did you do it?

MELGAR

Unfortunately, I missed the last run… I’d definitely be in for a NH if it was numbered for Metro North.

Joe,

Glad to hear you are going to give it a try.  I posted pics of the truck modification. That was the only structural change I made.  

I did make the Hancock Air Whistle out of scrap styrene.  I think it was fairly easy after I figured out the exact size to make it.

The Conrail paint was easy as I found Conrail decals that fit perfectly.  The PC paint was more difficult because there were no decals made in the right color.  I used masking and painting to make the large PC logo.

I'll post more pics of the Air Whistle and the frame modification.  Good Luck!

What paint job will you do?  

Melgar:  No I didn't stretch the frame.  It is a short FL9.  I just cut out the skirting on the Lionel F to make room for the 3 axle truck.  

Pete

@MELGAR posted:

Ron

New Haven Power 1838 - 1968, by J. W. Swanberg, refers to the device mounted on the windshield post as a "tuneful Hancock whistle." If you're interested, I will post a video of the model's sound tomorrow.

MELGAR

Mel thank you for the insightful info.  I always thought it looked like an exterior speaker!

Plus the only one I have heard sounded like a speaker with a torn cone!

NS must have a unit with one of these Hancock Whistle's.  It comes into town at "Oh-Dark-Morning" at a crossing about 2-mile away.  It sounds like a Vet filling a horses teeth!



Ron

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