Sunday, July 28, 2013

1981 TOFC/COFC led by GP50 3825



GP50 3825, custom painted and weathered, with raised air horns, air conditioning, rotating beacon, snowplow, and antennae.  This was the first third generation road diesel produced by Kato.  It featured a solid metal frame, dual flywheels, and all wheels powered.  The model was very heavy and pulled like crazy, but the mechanism was complicated and somewhat noisy, and never reproduced by Kato.  But the three I have are still powering TOFC trains on my Needles Division.

As for the prototype, the units were delivered in two separate orders to the Santa Fe by EMD, 3810-3839 in 1981, and 3840 -3852 in 1985. 

The 3500 hp GP50's were the beginning of the computer age for diesels, initiating traction control for a increase in tractive effort among other improvements.

Micro Trains Santa Fe 50' Refrigerator car. I removed the roof walk and mildly weathered the car.  It must have a critical shipment in order to be included in a priority TOFC/COFC train.

Container on Flat Car.  One 40' container and two 20 footers.

One 40' container and two 20 footers.  All the 89' flat cars on this train are from Micro Trains (MT).

Four 20' containers

Mitsui Orient Lines and American Presidents Line

Neptune Orient Lines and Hapag Lloyd

Two private corp. trailers

Mitsui O. S. K. Lines and American Presidents Line

Southern Pacific trailer and "K" Line container on open frame chassis.

Couple of Santa Fe trailers with replacement panels.

Two custom painted and decaled trailers (MT).

Mitsui O. S. K. Lines and Sea Land 40' containers.

Hy Cube (ITEL) container and APL 40' container.

Missouri Pacific 45' trailer and Preferred Pool 40'.

Two American Presidents Line containers and kitbashed caboose.
You can view a video of this train on YouTube at:


                                  http://youtu.be/oI4YWsL1KpY

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