HO PRR diesel models

I'm nuts, I'm trying to acquire as many of the models of diesels that ran in the era of the Pennsy that I plan to model as I can, so here's a list I've been working on. Listed for each type of loco are non-brass models I know of. In the case of some of the more common ones inevitably not all varieties will be listed (like the EMD F units). I've been less than good about compiling some of this, so "phase" information if anyone cares to contribute is always appreciated. Also, tips on how to make these models more accurate as far as what actually operated on the Pennsy are appreciated.

News

Nothing interesting yet.

Notes

Where shells are the same across several companies' models of a unit they are grouped together.
I need to go back and add "Fidelity" as in adherence to what is correct for PRR.
I also intend to go back and detail what the phases mean for each unit, and add notes about making units more accurate or otherwise improving them.
Jerry Shickler suggested a metric for comparing performance of the locomotives. For those units which I own, I will try to do some ratings when I get a place to start testing.
Andy Miller notes trainphone antenna info would also be useful; I'll try to add that on the unit-specific pages, as well as provide any tips I can as I begin equipping my own fleet.
Jump immediately to:

Alco

Model Phase Manufacturer Detail Notes Fidelity
C424 1 Atlas Very Good 1 2 3  
  Tiger Valley Models   11  
  AHM Fair 3  
C425   Atlas Very Good 1 2 3  
  Tiger Valley Models   11  
C628   Stewart   6  
  AHM Fair 3 5  
IHC
Mehano
Model Power
  Life Like Fair 2 3 5  
  Tiger Valley Models   11  
C630   Tyco Fair 2 3 5 7  
  Stewart   6  
  Tiger Valley Models   11  
C636   None   9  
DL600A(RSD7)   None      
DL600B(RSD15)   A.C. Gilbert   3  
DL640(RS27)   Tiger Valley Models   11  
DL701(RS11)   Atlas Good 1 2 3 10  
  Life Like Fair 3  
  Model Power Fair 2  
  Tiger Valley Models   11  
DL702(RSD12)   Atlas Good 1 2 3 10  
  Tiger Valley Models   11  
  Mehano      
FA1   Walthers Trainline Good 1  
Train Miniatures 1 3
  E-R Models Very Good 1 2 4  
  American Flyer HO   3  
FB1   Walthers Trainline Good 1  
Train Miniatures 1 3
  American Flyer HO   3  
FA2/FB2   Life Like Proto 2000 Very Good 1 2 3  
  Model Power Fair    
PA1/PB1   Athearn Good 1 2  
  Life Like Proto 2000   6  
RS1   Atlas Very Good 2 4  
RS2   Model Power Fair 2  
  AHM Fair 3  
  Kato      
RS3 1a Model Die Casting Very Good 1  
1a,3 Stewart Very Good 1 2 3  
1a Atlas Very Good 1 2 3  
RSD5   Atlas Very Good 1 2 3  
S1   Atlas + Smokey Valley long hood kit Very Good 14  
  Atlas Very Good  
S2   Atlas Very Good 1 2 4  
S3   Atlas + Smokey Valley long hood kit Very Good 14  
  Atlas Very Good  
S4   Atlas Very Good 1 2 4  
  AHM Poor 2 3  
T6   Tiger Valley Models (shell only)   11  

Notes

RS2: Bill Gripp plans to start with the MDC RS3. He believes it is a PhIa like the Atlas & Stewart. Only Stewart did the PhII and PhIII. The major problem with the Atlas is that the battery boxes need to be removed and "sheet metal" work done to fill the voids. The MDC RS3 has completely separate boxes which make them easy to delete. And he intends to use the excess boxes to update some CNJ RS3s to include the headend lighting boxes these had next to the cab on the long hood side and next to the radiator.

RS3 hammerhead conversion kits are available from Detail Associates and Tiger Valley Models.

Baldwin/BLW

Model Phase Manufacturer Detail Notes Fidelity
AS616   Stewart Very Good 1 2 3  
DR12-8-3000(Centipede)   None      
DR4-4-1500(early frt. shark)   None      
DR6-4-2000A/B(psgr. shark)   LBF Shops   6  
  Trainstuff Manufacturing Fair    
  Miracle Castings   2  
DRS4-4-1000   Stewart Very Good 1 2 3  
DS4-4-660   None      
DS4-4-750   None      
DS4-4-1000   None      
RF16A/B(later frt. shark)   Model Power Good 2 22  
E-R Models 2
  Tyco Poor 3  
RS12   Stewart Very Good 1 2 3  
RT624   None      
S12   Athearn Good 1 2 5  
VO660   None      
VO1000   Stewart   6  
  Fleischmann   3  

Notes

The DRS4-4-1000 and RS12 while distinct locomotives appear externally the same.

Electro-Motive Division

Model Phase Manufacturer Detail Notes Fidelity
E7A/B   Con-Cor Good 1  
  Model Power Fair 3  
  Life Like Proto 2000 Very Good 1 2 3  
E8A   Life Like Proto 2000 Very Good 1 2 3  
  Rivarossi Good 1 2 3  
  AHM/IHC Good 1  
  Model Power Fair 3  
F3A 2,4 Stewart Excellent 1 2 3  
  A.C. Gilbert   3  
  Marx   3  
  Cox   3  
  Model Power   22  
2 Life Like Proto 1000   1  
  Varney   3  
F3B 2,4 Stewart Excellent 1 2 3  
any Highliners Excellent 23  
F7A 1 early Stewart Excellent 1 2 3  
  Athearn Fair 2 22  
  Revell Fair 3  
  Tyco   3  
  Mantua Good  
  Life Like   3  
  Bachmann Plus Very Good 1 2  
F7B 1 early Stewart Excellent 1 2 3  
  Athearn Fair 2 22  
any Highliners Excellent 23  
  Bachmann Plus Very Good 1 2  
FP7   Atlas Very Good 1 2 3  
E-R Models 1 2
GP7 3 Atlas Very Good 1 2 3  
Atlas Classic
  Cary Very Good 3  
2 Life Like Proto 2000 Excellent 1 2  
  Front Range Products Good 1 3  
Trains Unlimited 1 2
GP9   Cary Very Good 3  
3 Life Like Proto 2000 Excellent 1  
1,2 Front Range Products Good 1 3  
Trains Unlimited 1 2
  Walthers Trainline Good 1 8  
Cox 3
  Athearn Fair 5 19  
  Model Power Fair 3  
GP9B 3 E&C Shops   6  
GP30   Athearn Poor 1 3 5  
  Lionel Good 1 3  
2 Life-Like Proto 2000   6  
2 Bachmann Spectrum Good 1 2  
GP35   Athearn Good    
1a Kato Very Good 1 2 3  
  Bachmann Plus Very Good 1 2  
  Rail Power Products Very Good 23  
NW2   Kato Very Good 1 2 3  
  Varney   3  
  Revell Fair 3 5  
SD7   Life Like Proto 2000 Very Good 1 2 3  
  Rail Power Products Very Good 23  
SD9   Athearn Good 1 2 5  
  Life Like Proto 2000 Very Good 1 2 3  
  Rail Power Products Very Good 23  
SD35   Atlas Good 1 3  
Con-Cor
  PEMCO Good 3  
IHC Premier 1 2
SD40   Kato Very Good 1 2 3  
  AHM Fair 1 3  
IHC 1
Mehano 1 3
  Rail Power Products Very Good 23  
SD45   Kato Very Good  
  Bachmann Plus Good 1 2  
  Athearn Fair 1 2 5 21  
  Rail Power Products Very Good 23  
SW1   Walthers Good 1 2  
  AHM Poor 3  
Model Power  
SW7   Athearn Fair 1 2 5  
  Con-Cor Fair 3 5 24  
SW9   Life Like Proto 2000 Very Good 1 2 3  
SW1200   Life Like Proto 2000 Very Good 1 3  

Notes

The Atlas/E-R FP7 requires an air tank under the frame in front of the fuel tank.

All the EMD Es and Fs require "nose rings" (the lifting pads on the front) which are available from at least Cal-Scale and Detail Associates, and likely others.

Fairbanks-Morse

Model Phase Manufacturer Detail Notes Fidelity
C-Liner A   AHM Fair 2 3  
IHC 2
  Miracle Castings   6  
C-Liner B   AHM/IHC Fair 3  
  Miracle Castings   6  
Erie-Built A/B   Novatech Plastics   3 12 26  
5 Miracle Castings   6  
H10-44   Walthers Very Good 1 2 4  
  HobbyLine Fair 1 2 3  
H12-44   Walthers Very Good 13  
H16-44 4 Bachmann Spectrum Good 1 2 15  
4 Bowser Good 3 11 15  
Cary
H20-44   None      
H24-66(Trainmaster) 4 Athearn Good 16  

Notes

The Walthers "H-10-44" has elements from both the H-10-44 (three louvers near the top of the hood sides just in front of the cab) and the H-12-44 (screening or grating on second engine compartment door in front of cab and on the two engine compartment doors behind the slatted radiator louvers)

The Cary Model Works white metal H-10-44 body is an accurate representation of the first FM shifter model used by the Pennsy. It requires a stock or modified (lengthened to get correct truck spacing) Athearn SW7/9 frame or an extremely rare out-of production Smokey Valley frame designed for the Cary body.

To accurately model one of the 15 PRR H-12-44s, the three sets of wide louvers on either side of the hood need to be removed. A screen/grating needs placed on the hood above the second door in front of the cab (which also has such an opening. Two sets of six louvers the width of the cabinet doors need to be placed above the second and third sets of cabinet doors. The edges of the twin louvers should be in line with the center of the second and third set of cabinet doors.

In September 1952 the Loewy-styling was simplified by elimination of the bump on top of the nose and the removal of the steam-style roof overhang over the rear platform. All 15 of the Pennsy's H-12-44s, 8708-8723 were built after the change. To accurately model a Pennsy H-12-44, the Custom Finishing conversion kit (Walthers part # 247-264, @$9.49 list) must be installed on the Walthers body to accurately model this engine.

The Walthers "H-10/12-44" could be the basis for a model of the 38 H-20-44s used by the Pennsylvania. The height (14'6") of the H-20-44 long hood was the same but it was was 4" wider (10'2" vs 10'6") than the H-10/12-44 and the entire unit was, and 2'10" longer (48'2" vs. 51'0") over strikers than the earlier models. There is a triple screened air intake (two screened rectangular openings on either side of the hood immediately in front of the cab) and four H-10-44 size sets of louvers on the hood side, each one centered over one of the first four cabinets doors immediately behind the large louvered radiator intake on either side of the hood.

Cary Model Works also makes white metal bodies for an FM H-16-44. Apparently Bowser now has a mechanism and they sell as Bowser units.

Baby Trainmaster: Bachmann's is a late (Ph4?) H-16-44 with high walkways all around. The PRR had an earlier version (PhII?) with low walkways.

General Electric

Model Phase Manufacturer Detail Notes Fidelity
44 ton switcher 4 Bachmann Spectrum Very good 1 2 3  
U25B 1,4 Stewart Very good 1 2 3  
U25C   AHM Good 1 3  
Rivarossi 1 2 3
U28C   Athearn Good 5  
U30C   Athearn Good 1 2 5 17 18  

Lima

Model Phase Manufacturer Detail Notes Fidelity
T-2500   None      


Detail ratings

Excellent
Very detailed and accurate.
Very Good
Detail is better than average.
Good
Detail is passable, close enough for most people.
Fair
Trainset quality detail.
Poor
Very crude detail.

Notes

Note 1
Available in prototypical paint scheme.
Note 2
Page author owns this model.
Note 3
This model is out of production.
Note 4
This model no longer being produced in prototypical paint scheme.
Note 5
Hood is too wide, generally because the shell was designed for a larger motor.
Note 6
Not yet in production.
Note 7
Produced in a high nose variation not correct for the Pennsylvania's low nose units.
Note 8
Produced in a low nose variation not correct for the Pennsylvania's high nose units.
Note 9
Units were delivered after the Penn Central merger was commenced, in PC "squiggle" scheme.
Note 10
It's very nice, with a Kato drive like the rest of the Atlas RS units, but it's too short since they reused the RS-3 chassis.
Note 11
Kit is made of white metal castings.
Note 12
Requires Athearn PA chassis.
Note 13
Requires Walthers conversion kit.
Note 14
Requires Smokey Valley conversion kit.
Note 15
Pennsy owned the phase 2 variant, which did not use the Baby Trainmaster body style, which makes this incorrect.
Note 16
Pennsy owned the phase 2 variant, which makes the detail on this unit slightly incorrect.
Note 17
Pennsy owned an early version of this model, which had the U28C body, not the later U30C body.
Note 18
Model has incorrect GSC-style 6 axle trucks rather than Adirondack trucks. Adirondack sideframes available from Atlas and Train Station Products (formerly from Detail Associates).
Note 19
Model actually is of a GP7.
Note 20
Deleted.
Note 21
Paint scheme features incorrect number.
Note 22
Available in incorrect Pennsy paint scheme.
Note 23
Shell only; Not a complete model.
Note 24
Shell is actually an NW2 body rather than an SW7.
Note 25
Presumably requires chassis.
Note 26
Various people have reported delivery problems with NovaTech Plastics; Indeed, I received the Erie-Builts I ordered in May 1997 in December 1997.

Credits

Thanks are due many people; They can be found on the credits page, now separate.
These pages created by Daria Brashear, shadow@dementix.org