RITS Newsletter
Issue 106 Second Quarter, 1998
Volume 25, No. 2
Speaking of Models
by Steve Hile
This issue�s Speaking of Models is being turned over to Ron DeHaemers.
Ron is an ex-RI employee, living in the Kansas City area. He has
embarked on an incredibly ambitious project to model all of the Rock Island�s
Diesel locomotives from GE-IR box cab number 10000 through the year 1973
(pre Rock Blue era). To date he has acquired nearly half of the 946
models this project will require. They run the gamut from Athearn,
Stewart, Rivarossi and Life Like Plastic to Challenger, Overland and NPP
brass. I even saw Varney NW-2�s on his list. I hope that we
can someday persuade him to do a roster feature for the Digest.
Life Like�s Proto 2000 series� most recent entry is an HO GP-9 Phase
III. On the Rock Island, road numbers 1323-1332, delivered in April
of 1959 match this prototype. Life Like has made 1323 and 1329 available
in factory paint in the original pin stripe paint scheme. RITS provided
the paint diagram and the painting is nicely done. There has been
discussion, especially on the RITS web site recently on the color.
I personally think that Life Like has done a good job with this color.
There is a fine line between a maroon that is too brown and one that
is too purple. The decorated models come with certain details that
still must be added. Photos of appropriate units are important in
deciding which ones to use (there is quite a selection of MU receptacles,
for example). Most of the photos that I looked at had the sun shades
on the cab. Many had the large spark arrestors, five chime horn and
firecracker antenna, which are not included).
Anyway, since Ron is doing a variety of paint schemes, he obtained
some undecorated models. Here are his comments:
I
bought 10 undecorated Proto 2000 GP9 phase IIIs yesterday to do as RI 1323-1332.
I know I�ve been critical of Life-Like products in the past, but I�m moderately
impressed by this one.
I have only found a few problems with the shell details. All
the louvers seem to be close to the right places. The walkways are
in a checker-plate pattern, even if it is a bit large. Even the tabs
that held the battery box doors in the open position while I flushed the
batteries are cast in and done nicely. The opening doors are the
right shape even though a little thick. There are no springs on the
doors this time. There is a hole in the cab roof for the upper hinge
pin which needs to be filled.
On the negative, the top of the cab side windows is way too low and
the bottom is a little low. This leaves the window opening out of
proportion, and it is going to be a real problem getting the RI stripes
in the right place. (Steve�s comment: On the decorated models,
the middle stripe goes right along the bottom of the window and seems to
fall where it is supposed to on the long hood.)
The RI herald will fit under the windows but it�s going to be a little
tight. The ridge over the windows is too heavy and curves down at
the ends. The coupler pocket is not properly detailed, but that was
not expected. The louvers below the engineer�s front windshield should
be recessed. The jack pads don�t look anything like the real thing.
Again, the opening doors are a poor fit and have a notch at the bottom.
The detail parts are plentiful. The pilot steps and the box behind
the fireman are separate parts. The fan shrouds are a separate see-through
part with separate fan blades. The handrail stantions are the best
I�ve ever seen. There are MU hoses like the SW1200, drop steps, and
several MU connectors. The detail bag also contains pin lifters,
grab irons, sand fill doors and horn.
The body has minor mold marks and is in a dull gray; it looks primered.
The chassis is very heavy and should pull a bunch of cars. All in
all, I give it a 7.5, biggest mark-offs are for the side windows and jack
pads. Ron DeHaemers.
Short Hauls
In N, Challenger N Scale is offering a limited run four pack of R.I.
boxcars from Intermountain in boxcar red. Included are one 50� double
door car with block R.I. lettering, white herald and yellow �DF� markings,
as well as three 40� single door cars in the following schemes: �Route
of the Rockets� with the �Rocket Freight� logo, �Route of the Rockets�
with the �100 Years of Progress� logo, and block R.I. lettering with white
herald and yellow �DF2� markings.... MicroTrains #31300 is a 50�
standard box painted dark green with a RI red herald on the right and a
short diagonal stripe on the left. Road #110012. Stripe has NO DAMAGE
circle in middle.... Atlas has reissued their N scale U25B with a
new chassis for improved performance and space for DCC decoders.
U25B Phase 2B for the RI are: Catalog #44703 for RI 214, 44704 for RI 222,
44793 for RI 214 w/DCC decoder, and 44794 for RI 222 w/DCC decoder.
Paint is solid maroon, white sill stripe, herald on cab, and silver trucks....
In HO, Athearn has released its 86� High Cube boxcar in three versions,
one four door and one eight door in Rock Island boxcar brown paint and
an eight door �Route Rock� version.... Champion Decals, P.O. Box
1178, Minot, ND 58702, has released HN-23, a decal set for the Rock Island....
Ertl has a USRA boxcar that comes assembled with trucks, couplers and basic
weathering. Road number 15592 is wrong for the series which was 155000-157499.
The model includes a herald, but there is no evidence that these cars had
heralds, and the trucks should be Andrews....
In S, S Helper Service has released 35� Horizontal corrugated semi
trailers in a Rock Island Motor Transit scheme. The models feature
nine rubber tires, a spare tire cage, mudflaps and retracted / extended
landing gear....
In O, Weaver Models has released a GP38-2 in Rock Island paint and
four road numbers.
Until next time....