Modeling SP's Road Switchers (Part 2) - Medium Steam Engines

This is the second post of Modeling SP's Road Switchers, which I would classify as medium size.  In Modeling SP's Road Switchers (Part 1), where I covered SP 0-6-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0, 4-6-0, and 0-8-0s.

In this post, I will focus more on the next group of engines heavier, primarily the medium sized Mk (2-8-2) type.  When these engines were built they were among the SP's biggest steam engines and were used in freight and some passenger service for the engines with 63" drivers.

The prices listed below would be what I would consider to be "Fair" market value for a model in good condition in February 2017 without DCC.  In most cases the low price would be for a model requiring a new paint job and the higher price what a model with minimal repainting would be "fair".

SP 2-8-2 Mikes

SP 3208, a Mk-2 class 2-8-2.  Photo from Eddie Sims Collection, used with permission.

The SP's smallest standard 2-8-2s were the 57" drivered engines of the Mk-2 and Mk-4 classes.  These two classes of engine outlasted the larger Mk-5 and -6 class engines.  The Mk-2s and -4s lived until 1954 and 1955 the various locals around Oakland, Tracy, Mojave, and San Jose.  They also show naturally up as heavy switchers around Oakland and Los Angeles.

SP Mk-2 Class - Sunset ($400-450) & Division Point ($900-1100+)

The left side of an Mk-2 Class from Sunset Models.

The right side of an Mk-2 Class from Sunset Models.

The Mk-2's were assigned to numbers 3200-3215.  These were built in 1911 with 57" drivers, converted to oil firing in 1912 and superheated between 1917 and 1919.  Several were rebuilt to Mk-4 specifications between 1929 and 1931.  Several of these engines lasted until 1954 and 1956, when finally replaced by GP9s in local service.

SP Mk-4 Class - Sunset ($400-450) & Division Point ($900-1100+)

Left side of Sunset Models SP Mk-4 with WSM 120-SC tender.

The Mk-4s were assigned numbers 3216-3235.  These were built in 1913 and upgraded several times over the years.

Right side of Sunset Models SP Mk-4 with WSM 120-SC tender.

The model shown will probably become SP 3203, a rebuilt Mk-2, which had the heavier frames and new cylinder block fitted when it was upgraded.  A previous owner tried to relettter it, scratching up the cabsides, which will require some additional work to fix.  Otherwise this is a smooth running engine.

Arizona & Eastern - Mk-4 Version

SP 3239 with 90-R-1 - Eddie Sims collection

SP 3239 with 120-SC-series tender from an AC-1/2/3 or AM, after 1948-49 - Eddie Sims collection

Five engines built for the Arizona Eastern (AE 901-905) were transferred in 1921 and 1924 and numbered 3236-3240, bumping five of the original SP 3236-series Mk-5s into the 3271-series. 

SP 3237 - Eddie Sims collection

The left side of an AE Mk-4 from Sunset Models with an extra "120-C-2" also from Sunset from a 2-10-2.

The right side of an AE Mk-4 from Sunset Models with the corrected cylinders.

I talk more in-depth about the Sunset Mk-2 and Mk-4 models in my blog Correcting Sunset Models SP Mk-2 & Mk-4.

Update April 2018: I recently picked up an SP Mk-4 (non-AE version) which I'll be photographing and posting about here soon.  It will probably become the Mk-2 SP 3203 with a 120-SC-type tender.  The engine had the correct cylinders, so I believe firmly now that the two customer engines I blogged about above were a weird case where the previous estate owner swapped the cylinders to make the Mk-2 into a Pacific Lines Mk-2/4 with the upgraded cylinders, so I simply corrected that non-factory swap back to the original arrangement of parts.

SP Mk-5 & -6 Class

SP 3248 post-war with 120-C-2 tender. - Eddie Sims collection

The Mk-5 & -6 class engines were built with 63" drivers for mountain passenger assignments and also soon down graded to medium freight service. 

SP 3249 with No 327, the Shasta in branchline passenger/mixed service. - Eddie Sims collection

The 3249 and 3265 were engines that worked the Shasta local trains on the Siskiyou line.

SP 3256 in Bakersfield? - Eddie Sims Collection

 Many were assigned to the T&NO (Texas Lines) and models of these are available with the signature "Dog house" on the tender for the brakeman.  I will be focusing on the Pacific Lines Mk-5/6s which did not have the "dog houses" primarily the Balboa Models which were the more common models.  Alco Models imported 2-8-2s that were only correct for one SP engine and with major rebuilding a second engine.

SP 3269 - Mk-6 - ALCo Models ($350-400)

SP 3269 with the Elesco FWH and piping in front of the stack.  Ryan Dora model & photo, used with permission.

SP 3269 and 3270 were odd-balls among the Pacific Lines engines as they're fitted with Elesco feed water heaters mounted across the top of the smoke box in front of the stack.  Alco Models has imported a model of the SP 3269.  The 3270 also was weird in that it was fitted with a longer UP-style smoke box.

The rest of the Mk-5s and -6s were basically identical.  Some were fitted with "Sport" cabs with their slanted front wall, while others retained their square cabs.

Balboa Mk-5/6 ($325-450)

Returning helper SP 3259 drifts light through Bealville at LMRC, San Diego.

The Mk-5's were built by Baldwin in  1913 and assigned numbers SP 3236-3249, but in 1921 and 1924 the first five were moved to the 3271-3275 series.  Most were rebuilt over the years with higher boiler pressures and other changes like super heating.  Most were retired between 1951 and 1953, with one lasting into 1956.

SP 3270 was also built in 1914 and loaned to Baldwin for the Pan Pacific Exposition in 1914 It finally entering service in 1915 on the SP classified as a Mk-5.  Its first rebuild saw it equipped with Elesco FWH in Dec 1920.  The SP 3270 was retired and scrapped in 1953.

SP 3271-3275 were the renumbered SP 3236-3240 which lasted into the 1952-1954 time frame.

SP 3276 & 3277 were originally built as the AE 906 and 907 in 1917 and retired in 1953 and 1952 respectively.  The AE engines were fitted with a smaller sand dome, more like what SP 2-8-0s were fitted with and the position of the bell and the sand dome were reversed from other Mk-5s.

The Mk-6 class were built by Lima in late 1914 and were numbered in the series 3250-3269.  The Mk-6's were rebuilt back and forth to coal and oil over the years.  SP 3269 was fitted in 1921 with a Elesco FWH, one of only two SP Pacific Lines engines fitted with this type of feed water heater.  Most of the Mk-6's were retired between 1953 and 1954, with one lasting into 1957.  Many lost their FWH's during the early 1950s.

SP 3251 - Mk-6 - with Sunset 120-C-2 Tender ($100-150) 

SP 3251 - Right side - Eddie Sims Collection

The SP 3251 worked many years out of SLO on the King City Local on the Coast Div.  There was at least one photo of the engine working out of Mojave.

SP 3251, an Mk-6 that lived for a long time based at SLO, and used on the King City Turn.

Here's the version I did for a customer back in the 2010s.

This model shows the forward sand dome and "Sport Cab" with the 120-C-2 tender from a Sunset 2-10-2

SP 3259 - Mk-6 - with Sunset 120-C-2 Tender ($100-150)

The left side of SP 3259 with changes including replacement MDC "Harriman" cab andwalkway changes.

One of the photos I have from the Jeff Ainsworth pictorial shows this engine working out of Bakersfield.  So I'm pretty sure this engine worked out the rest of its life between Bakersfield and Fresno in the Valley.

The right side of SP 3259 with Sunset 120-C-2 tender.

SP 3266 - Mk-5 - with Athearn-Genesis 120-C-6 Tender ($80-90)

The left side of SP 3266 with FWH above the 4th driver and Ath-Gen 120-C-6 tender.

My 3266 is rather worn out, with heavy de-plating on the drivers.  It will need a heavy amount of upgrades and repairs from a spare parts engine, plus the $120 Athearn-Genesis 120-C-6 tender.

The right side of SP 3266 with Athearn-Genesis 120-C-6 tender. (weathering not complete on tender)

Other SP 2-8-2s

The SP also had some non-standard Mikes that they acquired second-hand from other RR's.  I will cover them briefly.

SP Mk-10 - Ex-Minarets & Western # Engines (SP 3296-3297)

SP 3296 Portland, OR in 1948 flooding 8ft above flood stage & broken levee - Martin Hansen collection

The Minarets & Western Lumber Company at Pinedale, CA (near Fresno) was abandoned in 1935.  SP bought the two small 51" drivered Mikes and quickly assigned them to heavy yard switching duties in Northern California, at Dunsmuir.

Westside Models (WSM) imported (Sam. built) models of this class.  These models are more common to find than the Sunset Mk-2/4s, but unfortunately are much less useful if you're modeling areas other than Northern California or Oregon.

SP Mk-11 - Ex-Newaukum Valley # 521 & 522 (SP 3298 & 3299)

The SP bought two more Mikes from Wm. Shenker, an equipment broker.  These two engines came via the dealer Georgia Car & Loco Co. in November 1940.  Both had 51" drivers and were retired in 1953 and 1954 in Brooklyn, OR.

SP Mk-7/8/9 - Ex-EP&SW Engines (3300-3324)

SP 3305 running as an Extra.  Eddie Sims Collection, used with permission

The Mk-7/8/9s were built for the EP&SW at ALCo in 1913 with high square cabs, which was a signature of the EP&SW's larger engines including the Mt-2s (4-8-2s).  The Mk-7/8/9s were assigned numbers SP 3300-3324.  Around 1930 they came west and were rebuilt to burn fuel oil.

SP 3303 - Eddie Sims, used with permission

These engines were retired between 1950 and 1955.  Many photos of them can be seen around Los Angeles, Oakland and Altamont Pass in the post-WW2 to mid-1950s retirement dates.  In later years these engines were also fitted with large 120-SC-class "Whaleback" tenders off retired AC-3s and AM-class engines.

North Shore Lines imported models of these Mikes, which are rather expensive if they can be found.

In Closing

SP 3203 switching at Owenyo, 143 miles from Mojave.  Eddie Sims Collection, used with permission.

That covers the mid-range of SP's Steam Road Switchers.  I'll cover working on some of these models in more detailed blogs in the future.  Next time, I'll cover some of SP's bigger engines, and some of the heavier passenger engines.

Jason Hill

Related Links:

Modeling SP' Road Switchers (Part 1) - Light Steam Engines

Modeling SP's Road Engines (Part 3) - Heavy Steam

Modeling SP Road Engines (Part 4) - Articulated Engines

Modeling SP Road Engines (Part 5) - Passenger Steam

Correcting Sunset Models SP Mk-2 & Mk-4

Tender Swapping (Part 1) - A Game for Prototype Modelers

New Drawbar Mount for Athearn-Genesis 120-C-6 Tender

Modeling the Shasta - A Passenger Assignment for an Mk-5/6

Modeling SP Mail Trains (Nos.55 & 56), the Tehachapi - Also used Mk-5/6s near the end in 1954.

P.S. Update

Edit: A question from Andrew Thompson (below) was wondering about the lettering under the cab numbers.

Lettering under numbers reads "MK 63 24/32 221 SF" and rear corner "MK 6"

The data is translated as MK-type, 63in driver size, 24x32" cylinder bore, 221,000 pounds weight-on-drivers (used by the crew to calculate their pay rate for the day), S = Superheated & F = Feed Water Heater equipped. 

The S/F notes were only applied to the engines that were so fitted with the upgrades.  Most SP engines were Superheated during the depression at the latest, engines not upgraded were retired and scrapped.  Feed Water Heater systems were fitted on engines which were determined to benefit from the increased efficiency when pulling trains and recylcing exhaust steam to heat and inject the new tender water into the boiler.

More information can be found on my blog-page on the "Locomotives of the Southern Pacific (Spotters Guide Book) - Research page."  Enjoy!

SP Cabooses (Part 1) - Ex-Coaches

In this post I want to cover two examples of SP's non-standard cabooses.  Both of these models are better than 10 years old, but are still relevant today.

SP 2850 returns to Bakersfield Yard from the west with a few GS gondolas and an ex-coach caboose, circa 1954.

The starting point for these two models are MDC/Athearn 60ft "Harriman" Coach.  I've discussed these models before in my blog post about SP 2701, which is a Model Power car.

The MDC model is too short among its other issues, so I try to keep the cars with major issues, like incorrect roof profiles and incorrect length out of situations where they'll be coupled to other more correct cars.  Putting cars with major issues of prototype fidelity next to correct cars will highlight the issues with the stand-in model.  This means that the MDC coaches are generally used as kitbashing fodder for other cars or used as express riders cars, cabooses, or local cabooses.

SP 998 - Caboose

My first introduction to this type of use for an old coach was in the VideoRails (Pentrex) SP 1941 film.  In the film we see a Mt-class 4-8-2 working a string of about 40 tank cars over the Suisun Bridge.  The SP must have been short on cabooses that day, or maybe the 60ft Coach was used on the train to get it to Sacramento for shopping.  In any case, it was an neat view of the train silhouetted against the sky as it worked its way through the massive bridge trusses.

SP Caboose 998, built from MDC/Athearn coach

The SP 998 was a one of the 60-CC-1 class chair cars converted to Caboose service on Dec 22, 1952 in LA, originally built as Chair car SP 2530, it was retired in 1957.

I did this conversion and added Tomar's G-G-R Marker lights to the rear corners of the vestibules for end of train service.  The underbody mechanicals looks much like the other Soho 60ft coaches I've been working on, such as SP 1005 and T&NO 777.  Walthers 8ft Pullman Trucks are used in place of the original MDC trucks that came with the car.  I have yet to add the battery box and brake systems to the SP 998.

SP 973 - Local Caboose

It should be noted that these cars may not match up to late 1940's and early 1950's agreements of what constituted a "Caboose" according to the Union Agreements.  Non-Union Cabooses therefore could only be used by crews that were not Conductors and Trainmen.  This restricted them to being used by "Yard Crews", Foremen and Switchmen on switching jobs near yards within what were known as "Switching Limits", not to be confused with operational "Yard Limits" under Rule 93.  These "Switching Limits" were defined in the Union Agreements as to which areas would be worked by yard crews and which would be worked by road crews on locals.

The towns of Edison and Oil City were within these "Switching Limits" of Bakersfield Yard.  As such any switch engine and crew could be told by the Yard Master to go out and work one of the outlying areas, for which they could pick up a "Caboose" to let the three or four men (Foreman and usually two or three switchmen) that couldn't ride on the engine out to the area where the work was.

Partially finished T&NO 777, a Soho 60ft 60-C-5 coach

This model is a bit of a stretch for my era, but it's an interesting example of a stand-in.  The Caboose SP 973 started life as the T&NO 794, a 60-C-5, much like T&NO 777, which I've covered in its own blog post.

Ex-T&NO 794, weather beaten and downgraded in 1954 to Caboose SP 973 at Bakersfield

This car has not received the new Walthers 8ft Pullman 4-wheel trucks like the SP 998 has, and retains the shorter 7ft MDC trucks.

Among the changes to this model, I divided the windows as best I could with small strips of plastic to simulate the paired window look.  The columns between window pairs is still too wide and there's no single window at one end of the car, but changing that would be a massive rebuild of the car body.

SP 2850 with GS gonds and ex-coach caboose.  Those of you that know the prototype photo will recognize this model shot.

In an undated photo I have of a 60ft coach being pulled into Bakersfield yard by SP 2851 (a 2-8-0), it shows a car very much like the 973, but both vestibule doors are open.  I cut out the doors from this model to replicate that.  I also added a smoke jack to the roof of the car to match the photos.

The other side of SP 973 with the battery box, and a broken window divider, which I replaced with a blank black panel.

A retired SP Bakersfield yardman that I talked to in 2005 said that there was an old 60ft coach that they used regularly on the Oil City switch job, so doing some quick research in Tony Thompson's SP Freight Cars Vol.2 on page 265, there's a table of all the 950-series 60ft coach/chair car conversions to use as Cabooses.  The SP 973 was converted at Bakersfield in March 1954, the earliest of all the SP's 60-CC-Series cars to be converted to cabooses.

The roof of SP 973, weathered with light earth colors to match the Bakersfield mud and dust.

This seems to be several years too late for me to model, but in the photo, the car appears to be in green, not freight car brown, so this is how I chose to model the SP 973, as if it was just patched for caboose service but not repainted.

A photo has since come to light showing that the SP 973 was repainted into full clean Freight Car Red when the conversion was made.  Perhaps I should change the number at some point, but it's not worth it at this point.

Mechanicals on the SP 973

MDC trucks and couplers

The mechanicals on this car are very simple.  I kept the stock weights in the area between the bottom of the body floor and the sub-floor that MDC made.  The truck centers were not moved.  The "Talgo" style coupler boxes mounted to the trucks were cut off, and mounted to the body.

Opened doors and diaphragms on the SP 973

The diaphragms are still the American Limited ones from the early 2000's.  The problems of them popping out aren't as noticeable on these caboose service cars because they are only coupling to freight cars, not other cars with diaphragms.

I hope you enjoyed this quick look at a couple of non-standard SP Cabooses.

Jason Hill

Related Links:
SP 2701, 60-CC-1 from a Model Power Coach (Part 1)

SP's 60-C-5 (Part 1), SP 1005

SP's 60-C-5 (Part 2), T&NO 777

Index SP Heavyweight Passenger Car Models

Athearn/MDC 60ft "Harriman" Baggage Car (Part 1) - Mechanicals

SP 10250-51-52 (Part 3) - Track Cleaning Pad

In SP 10250-51-52 (Part 1) - Diner-Lounge 1949 Conversion blog post, I started to modify the diner unit to the 1949 San Joaquin Daylight configuration as a Diner-Lounge and also start to retrofit the Kitchen unit to the pre-1951 look.  This was followed shortly by a following post SP 10250-51-52 (Part 2) - Diner-Lounge 1949 Conversion where I go into depth on building a new lounge section for the diner.

Kitchen, SP 10260, refitted with a slider pad

In Part 3, we are returning to the Kitchen Unit, SP 10251.  I'm also including some photos of other MTH Kitchen units in-service at LMRC in this post.  The kitchen units have a very large water tank under the rear third of the car to supply the kitchen and pantries.  The tank hangs pretty low over the track and is a good candidate to modify and convert to hide a Masonite track cleaning pad without detracting from the look of the passenger train.

The water tank under the stock MTH Kitchen Unit.

Removing the Tank

This is actually a pretty easy conversion.  First start by removing the water tank from the bottom of the floor of the car.  I covered this briefly in Part 1 in terms of removing the tank.  This is most easily done by removing the kitchen shell, followed by the interior, which will expose the two mounting studs in the floor.

Here's the Kitchen unit with the tank removed and a section of Masonite pad cut for a 40ft freight car.

The pad that I'll be using is cut from 1/8" Masonite panel.  It already has the leading and trailing edges chamfered to ride over any uneven sections of track work.  This pad was a bit too long for the space allowed under the car between the truck and other underframe equipment boxes.

The underframe of SP 10251 with the tank removed.

The only other major modification to the underframe structure that I made was to remove the wire "pipe" running between the frame members.  I had to cut one end of the wire with my Dremal cutoff disc so that I could remove it without damaging the underframe sills.

Modifying the Masonite Pad

The pads that I stared with were cut to fit between the trucks of a 40ft freight car.  The kitchen installation will require the pad to be shorted to match the length of the prototype car's water tank, which is 1.900".  I did this with a razor saw.  A quick pass to put a chamfer on the cut end was easily done with a file and my bench sander.  The pad is 1.135" wide.

Building the Pad Structure

I did some quick measurements of the floors ride hight and bottom of the underframe ride hight also.  This would form the basis of the calculations of figuring out the heights for the pad and guiding structure.

The various parts laid out before I started working on building the pad.

The first step in building the pad suspending structure is cutting the "Centerboard" which will ride between the frame members of the underframe.  A "Centerboard" is a movable keel on sailboats which slides within a box or trunk.  This pretty well describes the relationship between the box formed by the sills of the underframe and the new guide structure for the pad, which I will refer to as the centerboard.

"Centerboard Trunk" of the Kitchen Unit, prepared for the pad to be test fit.

I also want to plan for the possible replacement of the Masonite pad without completely building a new pad structure, so I made a top-plate for the pad from 0.020" styrene sheet, cut about 0.06" narrower than the pad is.  The pad was mounted to the top-plate with RTV Silicone, which should provide some flex to the joint, which ACC-type (super) glues will not.

I marked the centerline of the top plate  and marked offsets 0.06" off the centerline so I could see the marks as I mounted the 0.125" wide Centerboard.  The Centerboard was then glued using liquid styrene cement (I prefer Tamiya brand) to the centerline of the top-plate.

RTV Silicon, the Masonite pad, and  styrene "Top-Plate" both of which are scribed to provide some tooth for the cement.

The bottom of the top-plate is scribed with my carbide scribe tool to give some tooth for the RTV Silicon cement to hang on to.  A very small amount of cement is applied to the top of the pad and clamped to the top-plate until it dries.

The Centerboard is a piece of 0.125"x 0.250" strip styrene cut to be 1.850" long or about 0.040" shorter than the span of the hole between the cross frames of the underframe.  This will allow slight forward and backward freedom of the pad while remaining trapped between the underframe members and the skirting of the car.

I was planning to suspend the pad and structure from the holes in the cross beams of the underframe using 6lb. test fishing line.  To do this I made some small brackets from 0.125"x 0.250" styrene strip.  I cut them square at one end and diagonally on the other between 0.300" and 0.170" with the tapered side towards the middle of the pad.  Later I will drill a hole for the fishing line rigging.

During test fitting at this point, I didn't like how exposed the pad was and being able to see the top of it.  I plan to paint the top and sides flat black, but I want to do better simulating the side of the water tank.

I add a couple of 0.188"x 0.020" styrene strips down the side of the top-plate which will ride inside the skirts of the car.

Finished track slider cleaning pad and structure.

The whole pad and structure assembly is painted with flat black spray paint.  I made sure to keep the cleaning surface down on the paint bench to keep it as clean as possible.

Pad fitted to the bottom of one of the Kitchen Units, ready for service.

At this point I elected not to rig the fishing line as I wanted to see how the pads preformed.  I also did not add any weights to the top of the pads, allowing them to ride with only the weight of the Masonite pad and the few bits of styrene on top.

Evaluating the Results

The pad not visible under SP 10260 in this lighting.

Two pads were completed for use at the La Mesa Model Railroad Club January 2017 TT/TO 1950s session.

SP 10260 with completed pad sticking out somewhat into the layout lighting in this view.

 I am still pondering about narrowing the width of these pads slightly, to make them less obvious.  In some staged photos the existing pads are pretty well camouflaged.  After the test runs it seems that the dirt marks from the traversing the curves shows within about 0.05" of the max width of the pads, so not much could be gained from narrowing them.  Making a pad too narrow will allow it to fall between the rails and derail the car as it exits the curve.

The pad from one of the kitchen units after only two laps!

The pads did their job as can be seen from this photo above.  I mounted a pad on each of the two MTH Triple Unit Diner sets worked out very well.  The pads caused no issues during testing or over the weekend event.  I took these photos after each car traveled two laps with fresh pads.

With the black carboning brushed off, it's ready for the next trip

A quick scrub with a wire brush and they're good to go again!

In Closing

The cleaning pad is barely visible in this photo in the shadows under the Kitchen Unit.

Being able to remove the pads from the car quickly and easily is one vote for not rigging the fishing lines to keep it captive under the car.  I will have to see how these preform in the next few months.  Perhaps rigging it with the fishing line will not be too much trouble.  Time will tell.

In the SP 10250-51-52 (Part 4) blog post, I will go into more depth with completing the Lounge-Diner interior module for the SP 10250.

Jason Hill

Related Links:
SP 10250-51-52 (Part 1) - Kitchen & Diner-Lounge 1949 Configuration

SP 10250-51-52 (Part 2) - Diner-Lounge 1949 Configuration

MTH Daylight Passenger Cars - Review & Mods

Index of SP Lightweight Passenger Cars Models