B&M GP18

Did B&M have any gp-18's that were high hoods from the factory.? Not a rebuild of GP-9 . Recently picked up a high hood GP -18 w/db undecorated would like to model one in B&M , but can;t seem to find one like that in the archives.

No. The B&M's six GP18s (1750-1755) were all low nose.

Thank's Tom for your quick responce, I guess I'll be cutting the nose down .

Before you cut, keep in mind that the horizontal surface of a GP-18's low nose is not flat but pitched as on the GP-20s/SD-24s.

Here are some photos of B&M's GP18s to help you with your modeling project (as you can see, there are several paint schemes for you to choose from!):

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1027821

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1499371

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1394422

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=344867

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=11555

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1014037

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1653042

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=11556

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=337423

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=346194

Thanks everyone, someone has some low nose parts they are going to send me, It;s going to be early bluebird or the bicentenial scheme haven't made my mind up yet.

About 15 - 20 years ago Proto 2000 had a GP18 decorated in Boston & Maine colors. The #s were 1750 & 1755. The Stock number is 8152 for both numbers. You may put out a want ad in a magazine or on an online forum. You might find one, but the price may be high, seeing that (B&M paint) is long out of production. Check Model Railroader mag, FEB. issue. Train World ad, pg. 25, 2/3 down the left hand column. They have some GP18 for sale, Proto 2000, item 30519 for about $90. Call the info line and ask if these are low nose and if they have them in undecorated. If so, you'll save yourself a lot of work. And, no, mine are not for sale.

The tricky bit when doing a B&M GP-18 is that 5 of them (IIRC 1750-1754) had four 36" radiator fans instead of the two 48" fans that most GP-18s had. This is visible in the pictures MEC407 points out.

jbvb wrote:The tricky bit when doing a B&M GP-18 is that 5 of them (IIRC 1750-1754) had four 36" radiator fans instead of the two 48" fans that most GP-18s had. This is visible in the pictures MEC407 points out.

I did notice that in the pictures I was looking at. I'm am dealing with the Proto 2000's. My undecorated version has 3 fan motors, one being on the dynamic brake itself. I'm going to assume that Lifelike did not go thru the trouble of making it that specific on the B&M models they put out. It's probaly easier to make this look like a GP-9 rebuild the more I think about it. Someone is sending me some low nose parts , so when I get them we'll see what's going to be easier to do.

Thank you everyone for your input, I have learned a few things about the GP-18 I didn't know, my model will be as close as possible to the real thing. I will post pictures when I'm done.

This is the one I would like to do;http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=1014037

I'll bet the non stock fans on the first 5 units was the reason for the confusion. The reason was that the 4 BL2s got traded in on them. I think that the 5th was from a wrecked F unit. I kitbashed some of the units with the 36" fans, using Proto 2000 kits. My method was to fill in the holes with styrene, then fill the gaps with body putty. Details West has the 36" fans.

Engineer Spike wrote:I'll bet the non stock fans on the first 5 units was the reason for the confusion. The reason was that the 4 BL2s got traded in on them. I think that the 5th was from a wrecked F unit. I kitbashed some of the units with the 36" fans, using Proto 2000 kits. My method was to fill in the holes with styrene, then fill the gaps with body putty. Details West has the 36" fans.

I'm kitbashing the 36" inch fans from the 48'' fans that came with the model, I only need the 3 because the 4th is blocked with the winterising hatch. Go to my Flicker link in my signature to see the progress I've been making.

If the Moderator likes we can post this in the Scale Model forum.

I've been doing the finishing touches on my B&M GP-18 1754 Bicentenial scheme go to this link for the updated photo's

http://www.flickr.com/photos/96365980@N ... otostream/

new video of it going around my layout with a carnival train...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdoQB3S4Fnc

A Bing search found this for sale:

http://www.thewhistlestop.com/current/catalog.htm

Scroll down through HO to the Life Like section; there's an Undec GP18 Low nose w/DB for sale.

Good luck!

I only saw one once..
1986, she was far from home rails..heading toward Buffalo on the Southern Tier Main,
back in the days when Guilford was running trains from Binghamton to Buffalo via the D&H traffic rights..

very rare unit! even then..
and especially in the lead!



Scot

In the late 1960s, B-21 (Salem hauler that continued as a local to Newburyport, Gloucester or Topsfield, depending on the day) had been getting RS-3s, but after a breakdown on the Lynn marshes bollixed rush hour, only GP-7s, 9s and occasionally 18s were assigned. So I got to ride a few, and photograph others. I never heard how BET chose the engine, possibly one off an inbound freight that wasn't needed for an outbound job till the evening.