Mystery American locomotive

[railsquid]

Here's a poser - can anyone identify this locomotive?

 

 

It was part of a job lot of "overseas" (i.e. non-Japanese) stuff I bought off Yahoo Japan (hey, I'm in Japan, I can get all the Japanese stuff I want, but I was after some European stuff in the same lot). Now, I know virtually nothing about American trains, but I can't find an exact protoype for this model.

 

The closest I can find is a "Little Joe", but the resemblance is very general at best. I suspect this is someone's project they gave up on, the paintwork is not bad but obviously not a factory finish, and the chassis looks like it was originally designed for a single-cab loco. Says "made in Japan" on the bottom. The pantographs look suspiciously like Tomix ones.

 

I'd be mildy interested if anyone could shed any more light on what this might be... can post more pictures if required... I can probably make use of the pantographs, and the chassis looks like it might come in handy for something...

[Matteo_IT]

Yes... it seems a fantasy Little Joe...

[kvp]

Probably a less than accurate model of this: (the little joes were the Milwaukee Road's only long nosed electrics)

(there was a time when some japanese prototype model trains were painted in american colors and were sold in the US, so being a bit inaccurate was accepted everywhere)

Edited October 2, 2015 by kvp

[Nick_Burman]

A cross between 2 C-Liner shells and a C-Liner chassis. Looks more like an NH EP-5 than a Joe...

 

 

Cheers NB

[Welshbloke]

Yep, the cabs definitely look like C-Liner ones.

 

They may have originally been Atlas/Rivarossi, they made an oddball C Liner with one four wheel truck and one six. Drive was from a vertically mounted motor powering the front truck, the worm gear doubled as the truck pivot. You can probably imagine how well this worked...

 

The real B-A1A C-Liners were only made for a handful of railroads, none of which Atlas managed to pick when choosing liveries for their models. I had a UP one for a while and I've seen Santa Fe "Warbonnet" versions.

 

As for repaints, Minitrix offered a few of their German models in faux BR livery years ago. I have a couple of open wagons loaded with oil drums, a bogie hopper, and a four-wheeled van which are all obviously German as there was nothing like them on BR!

Lima also tried to foist an N scale V100/Br.211 or Br.212 on the unsuspecting public in BR blue with double arrows at one point, and some HO wagons got the same treatment. I find myself strangely drawn to them (and the lurid imaginary private owner wagons, usually advertising companies or products which didn't exist when real private owner wagons ran).

[railsquid]

Hah, got one of those V100s on the way, I mean I like BR blue and V100s so why not combine the two? ;)

 

Here's a Lima N wagon masquerading as a British Leyland car transporter, though if you look carefully there's a subtle mistake which gives it away ;) ;)

 

Anyway looking up a C-liner (I have no idea about American locomotives), it looks similar but the side cab windows are different; the arrangement on this resembles more an EMD F3 or similar (what? you said you had no idea about American locomotives? Well the same lot included a Kato EMD F3 in reasonable condition), though the front windows are different.

 

Looking at the body carefully, I can just about see some lines under the paint which might indicate where the body was joined together. If so it's actually a pretty good job, I would love to know what the backstory is behind this is. Unfortunately I have no particular use for it, I can probably nick the pantographs for some Tomytec units and I did wonder if the chassis could be used for something British like the Class 89, but it's a bit on the short side.

Edited October 2, 2015 by railsquid

[Nick_Burman]

Woops, mistake. The chassis is from a Con-Cor PA-1. The giveaway is the square pilot fixed onto the trucks.

 

 

Cheers NB

Edited October 2, 2015 by Nick_Burman

[Welshbloke]

I'd much prefer one of those Mercedes to pretty much any BL product of the era!

 

I had one of those wagons in some European livery, it was grey but I can't remember any more than that. If I come across it again I must fix the broken handrails with some brass wire and add some cars, as I remember it running surprisingly well for old Lima.

 

The other oddball in my collection is a Con-Cor F3 on a Fleischmann chassis. It's too wide, so the nose looks as though it headbutted a wall. Despite this I'm very fond of it and would love to find more to make up an A-B-B-A set, as it's smooth, quiet, and powerful. Never seen another in GN livery since buying it, though.

[railsquid]

In case anyone's really still interested, here's the chassis:

 

 

The right-hand end has been filed down somewhat. The black plastic box fits neatly onto the underside between the bogies and has "Made in Japan" written on it.

[westfalen]

The chassis is and old 1972 version of the Kato produced Con-Cor PA1 modified to fit the new shell.

http://www.spookshow.net/loco/ccpa.html
 

The body certainly appears to be made of Atlas/Rivarossi C-Liners with much of the molded on detail removed.

http://www.spookshow.net/fmc.html

[railsquid]

Mystery solved :)

 

Now what to do with it... Put it on ebay with a description like "You are buying a professionally kit-build representation (model has some differences compared to the protoype) of a Milwauke Little Joe locomotive incorporating the latest Tomix pantographs on a classic and reliable Kato chassis. Directional lighting included" ;)

[wintimtim]

Mystery solved :)

 

Now what to do with it... Put it on ebay with a description like "You are buying a professionally kit-build representation (model has some differences compared to the protoype) of a Milwauke Little Joe locomotive incorporating the latest Tomix pantographs on a classic and reliable Kato chassis. Directional lighting included" ;)

 

And don't forget to mention 'very rare' in your description on flee spray   ;)

[railsquid]

That would be too close to the truth ;)

[cteno4]

Actually would be the truth to say extremely rare!

 

Jeff

[Kb4iuj]

Yea, those are Alco trucks. No doubt a kitbashed locomotive. Though, it could be an FA vs a PA.

If you to see a real electric locomotive look up a GG1.

[westfalen]

FA's had four wheel trucks.

[Welshbloke]

Looks like they used a pair of PA1 cab end trucks too, as they both have the pilot on the end. Otherwise I'd suggest keeping your eyes open for a PA1 shell and returning it to standard, as they seem to have been excellent performers.

[railsquid]

The sale of the chassis to a good home has already been arranged, I'm keeping the Tomix pantographs which leaves the bodyshell - if anyone wants it, I'll pop it in the post... Like I said, it was part of a job lot and was not one of the items I actually wanted, and as my interest in American trains is minimal, I've got no desire to do anything with it what with a layout which needs completing and a list of British, German and Japanese trains which need care and attention.

[Jcarlton]

It looks like a New Haven EP5 was what whoever build that was trying for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven_EP5

Not bad really for a kitbash.  Though why the MILW paint is beyond me.  The PA trucks are reasonably close to the ones that the EP5s had.  When I was very young we moved next to the New Haven tracks and I remember the EP5's before PC and GG1's replaced them.