Cab Forward fun

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BrianMoore
Posts: 384
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:05 pm
Location: Plymouth, UK

Cab Forward fun

Post by BrianMoore »

I picked up an MTH Southern Pacific AC-6 Cab Forward a couple of weeks ago, in a swap for 6 Trix UP 40' boxcars. The owner of the AC-6 was happy to part with it, as the smoke generator and headlight had stopped working, and also because, despite what MTH claims, their own-brand non-DCC decoder is not really compatible with DCC systems.

I ripped out all the MTH innards (which was a bit like opening up a Dalek, but slightly less disgusting), added a plow, made a few detail changes and gave it a full renumbering job into SP 4133, one of two AC-6s assigned to the LA Division, and a Coast Line regular in the year I model, 1954. I used three pictures of the actual locomotive as it was in that year. The weathering is done, and other than getting a Loksound Select decoder and train indicator numbers, it's good-to-go.

The AC-6 was the first Cab Forward to have the air pumps on the smokebox front (with the distinctive and constant air-release sounds), but they didn't have the air horn that later models received.

I took a couple of pictures of 4133 in company with AC-11 4251 (with the larger tender) and AC-5 4120 (with the air pumps on the loco side), and then, most indulgently, lined up the whole AC fleet:

ImageThree flavours of Articulated Consolidation. by bxmoore, on Flickr
ImageThree Cab Forward locomotives. by bxmoore, on Flickr
ImageA Caution of Cab Forwards by bxmoore, on Flickr
Thanks for looking.
Brian Moore
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