How to Model Locomotives

EVERYONE NEEDS locomotives. They’re what gets our trains moving down the tracks. They’re also one of the most popular parts of model railroading. How many of us have more locomotives than we need? Don’t worry, I won’t tell. So now that we have all of these locomotives, how are we going to get the best out of our investments? Some folks are happy to take a model out of the box and start running it. That’s fine, of course, but if you want a place focused on locomotives, a servicing terminal is a great thing to model. If you’re into operations, it adds processes and procedures you can model. If you like building models, there are lots of detailed scenes you can create. Plus, the finished scene gives you a place…

Locomotive service terminals are one of the key components to keeping a railroad operating efficiently. Class 1 railroads have huge facilities that cover several acres and serve large numbers of locomotives. However, small terminals can be found on a variety of regional and short lines and are the ideal size for a model railroad. Although the structures aren’t exactly the same, each railroad’s service terminal uses similar buildings or components to maintain locomotives. These include a service building or enginehouse that’s used for repairs, routine maintenance, and storing parts and supplies. An office is usually on the property for crew briefings and safekeeping of maintenance records. Fuel and oil storage tanks with a pump and a sand tower keep locomotives moving on the rails. While researching prototype railroads to base my new…

I get - a lot of requests from folks for tips on installing sound in a variety of locomotives, many of which I call legacy locomotives. Among the most commonly requested are a group of three that have been around for about 30 years. These are the Atlas Alco RS-3, Atlas Alco S-2 and S-4, and Stewart/Bowser F units. This month let’s have a go at the Stewart/Bowser F units and save the Atlas Alcos for later. Stewart Models introduced its Electro-Motive Division (EMD) F3 model in 1988, and MR reviewed it in the September 1988 issue. The original models ran on a Kato-engineered chassis and powertrain, which makes for a powerful, trouble-free locomotive. Bowser continues to make these models in a variety of body styles and paint schemes, with optional…

One of the chances you take when modeling a small railroad is finding locomotives in the paint scheme you need. There have been an abundance of Electro-Motive Division GP9s produced in HO scale over the years, but never one painted for the Winston-Salem Southbound (WSS). Though we could easily populate our small switching layout with ready-to-run freight cars, we were on our own when it came to a GP9 lettered for the WSS. I started searching for a GP9 that was reasonably close to the WSS prototype. The local hobby shop was out of undecorated models, but it did have an Athearn Genesis GP9 lettered for Burlington Northern. I reasoned that with a bit of work, I could make this model match the WSS prototype. Purchasing the locomotive solved part of the…

Diesel locomotives are big, powerful machines that require regular maintenance to deliver reliable performance. Keeping these complex machines on the road is the job of a small army of skilled electricians, mechanics, and laborers who work in the engine terminals. Locomotive servicing is normally divided into heavy shop work and running repairs. A heavy shop does everything from truing wheelsets to major overhauls, including completely rebuilding locomotives. These shops are huge, covering many acres and employing hundreds of skilled craftsmen. Depending on the site’s history, the work may be concentrated in one large building, or it may be spread throughout a group of structures. A model of a heavy shop would easily fill most layout rooms, so it would look out of place on all but the largest layouts. For most model…

Some railroads employ mobile service trucks to take care of switch engines working in large yards or in urban industrial districts. Manned by a mechanic and an electrician, these trucks save a lot of time that would be lost if switch crews had to return to an engine terminal for fuel and servicing. The truck’s large, horizontal tank carries diesel fuel; the smaller vertical tank holds dry sand. The various other tanks and compartments around the truck hold lubricants, pumps, tools, and supplies. Radio communication makes it easy for the switcher to meet the service truck nearly anywhere. All the service crew needs is a driveway or parking lot location that can be blocked for a few minutes while the servicing is done. Typically, an air hose connected to the locomotive’s brake…