C&O is Hiding From me or Something


K

kwalker421

H-8 Lover
Walthers has been out of stock with pretty much every loco i think i like. Hah, anyone know why this is?


Second question. I really can't seem to find any C&O GP7s or F7s anywhere! Everywhere i look (Walthers, hobbylinc, ebay) i can't find them! They have standard DC locos but ive upgraded to DCC and i'm really not that good with installing decoders yet.

Is C&O just not that popular with model makers? or am i just looking at a bad time?
 
It's just been a while since they did any production runs of C&O stuff. If you really want some C&O locos, I'd say go ahead and buy whatever you can find whether its equipped with a decoder or not. There are plenty of people who do decoder installs for a fee - and they're probably easier to find than another seller of a C&O geep or F-unit if you let them get away!

Just my .02
 
Unfortunately, you're in the same position as me. I model the NKP. It's been gone for 45 years and was never one of the most popular roads in the US to begin with. There are some DCC ready or equipped C&O engines at http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/SearchResults.asp now but there will never be a very great selection of C&O engines anywhere. If you want to model the C&O, it's time to invest in a good air brush and compressor and get used to applying decals. You'll have to buy undecorated engines of the model you want or strip the paint. The C&O paint is not too complicated and isn't hard to paint once you get the hang of using an air brush. Don't overlook a good C&O engine just because it doesn't have DCC either. There are a number of members here that will install DCC for you at a reasonable price.
 
UP2CSX said:
Unfortunately, you're in the same position as me. I model the NKP. It's been gone for 45 years and was never one of the most popular roads in the US to begin with. There are some DCC ready or equipped C&O engines at http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/SearchResults.asp now but there will never be a very great selection of C&O engines anywhere. If you want to model the C&O, it's time to invest in a good air brush and compressor and get used to applying decals. You'll have to buy undecorated engines of the model you want or strip the paint. The C&O paint is not too complicated and isn't hard to paint once you get the hang of using an air brush. Don't overlook a good C&O engine just because it doesn't have DCC either. There are a number of members here that will install DCC for you at a reasonable price.
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I, too model NKP. I usually buy undecorated engines and do 'em up. Decals are plentiful. Also one must consider that NKP didn't last long after deiselization. I have some Alco PA,s, F3 and F7's. Mostly steam engines, Berkshsires, Pacifics, Mountains..... Early Geeps and SD's, Trainmasters....

If you are not a rivet counter, you can run whatever engine models under your favorite flag.

I have a couple ofreally nice Intermountain F units with the "bow wave". Regal series, I believe. Nice units. But I repowered them with motors from Proto 2000 units. REAL good runners now. C& O units were just on eBay last week. I was fortunate to pick up three more nice F7's and a couple of SD9 high noses. Rolling stock is still rather plentiful.

Bob
 
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Keep searching, they'll turn up. BTW where abouts are you located. (can tell from your profile) The Scale Show is this coming weekend in Timonium. If you are in MD, PA or Va its not terribly far, and I'll bet there will be some there!
 
stationmaster said:
I have a couple ofreally nice Intermountain F units with the "bow wave". Regal series, I believe. Nice units. But I repowered them with motors from Proto 2000 units. REAL good runners now. C& O units were just on eBay last week.
Bob
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Did you find the Intermountain units to be not so good motor wise??
 
Intermountain units were noisy and weak. I like 30+ car consists. Even double heading seemed to be a strain on the units. But the detail is outstanding and the paint very nice.

I had a friend that has since passed on that had a contact in Virginia that I bought motors from and was very reasonable. Ned then repowered the units. I had 10 of them done. Ned was kind(or maybe bored) enough to do the work for free. Maybe he just felt that he should return the favor of me ballasting track and building roads for him on his layout. In any case, the change in performance was greatly noticeable. An AB or ABB or ABA can now pull almost 75+/- cars. Adding traction wheels also helped.

I like Intermountain, I'm sorry to have misled you to maybe think that they are inferior in any way. Just, I like long trains and most engines cannot meet the rigors of really long consists right out of the box without some mods. Coal trains are typically long, as are many units such as Triple Crown and intermodals are also rather long.

Bob
 
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Bob, nice to meet another NKP modeler. They had GP-35's delivered just before the merger so just about anything up to that would be prototypical. As I'm sure you know, they were one of the few Class 1 roads never to have an F or E unit of any kind on their roster, although EMD did their darndest to sell them some. Never heard of a Trainmaster on the NKP roster but I'll bet one would look good in the original black and yellow stripe scheme. Since the NKP basically only had two color schemes from the start of dieselization (not counting the Bluebirds), it would be reasonably easy to transfer the scheme to any modern unit. How did you paint your F units? I'll bet they look nice if they are in the Bluebird scheme.
 
I used the white and blue scheme. Mine is a bit different in that I used a bit more white. I also have a couple of PA's and PB's that I used as patterns for my engines. I have GP 18's, GP7's and GP9 high nose engines in the bluebird scheme also. I am currently working an a reverse bluebird PA. A couple of my F7's are a "bow wave" that I stole from one of my C&O engines. Very unique. When I get back to our summer home, I will take pictures and post. Although my layout is semi prototypical, I have taken liberties with the paint jobs.

The layout is actually home to six different roads, Monon, NYC, C&O, Pennsylvania, Wabash and NKP. All ran near my home in Indiana. The time frame is from the '20's to the '60's. I can change modules and be in the time following and run NS, CSX, Penn Central, Conrail. Being modular does have its advantages. And it allows for MORE trains!!! Gotta love it.

Basically my road is steam oriented. Berkshires rule the layout. There are a few Pacifics and Mountains,and even a couple of Consolidateds, but with 10 Berks, it is for fast freight. I even pull the two passenger trains with Berkshires.

Modern big motive power is cool...but, they don't have any side rods..little smoke and not as much noise....and NO CHUFFS!!!!

Bob
 
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stationmaster said:
Intermountain units were noisy and weak. I like 30+ car consists. Eve double heading seemed to be a strain on the units. But the detail is outstanding and the paint very nice.

I had a friend that has inice past on that had a contact in Virginia that I bought motors from and was very reasonable. Ned then repowered the units. I had 10 of them done. Ned was kind(or maybe bored) enough to do the work for free. Maybe he just felt that he should return the favor of me ballasting track and building roads for him on his layout. In any case, the change in performance was greatly noticeable. An AB or ABB or ABA can now pull almost 75+/- cars. Adding traction wheels also helped.

I like Intermountain, I'm sorry to have misled you to maybe think that they are inferior in any way. Just, I like long trains and most engines cannot meet the rigors of really long consists right out of the box without some mods. Coal trains are typically long, as are many units such as Triple Crown and intermodals are also rather long.

Bob
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Interesting. I had a number of these units, but never ran them that much. They seemed to be very solid. I recently sold an ABBA set, but keep an ABB set. I was intending to take them overseas with me, but now maybe I'll sell the power chassis's and put the nice shells on some other chassis I have.
 
C&O kato

Oh, and I also have some really nice weathered C&O F units ABA set on Kato chassis that run like a watch. I may sell these if I find someone to paint up B&O or C&O on some undec Paragon F3's I have with sound & DCC
 
Custom Painting B&O,C&O, SantaFe

stationmaster said:
I used the white and blue scheme. Mine is a bit different in that I used a bit more white. I also have a couple of PA's and PB's that I used as patterns for my engines. I have GP 18's, GP7's and GP9 high nose engines in the bluebird scheme also. I am currently working an a reverse bluebird PA. A couple of my F7's are a "bow wave" that I stole from one of my C&O engines. Very unique. When I get back to our summer home, I will take pictures and post. Although my layout is semi prototypical, I have taken liberties with the paint jobs.

The layout is actually home to six different roads, Monon, NYC, C&O, Pennsylvania, Wabash and NKP. All ran near my home in Indiana. The time frame is from the '20's to the '60's. I can change modules and be in the time following and run NS, CSX, Penn Central, Conrail. Being modular does have its advantages. And it allows for MORE trains!!! Gotta love it.

Modern big motive power is cool...but, they don't have any side rods..little smoke and not as much noise....and NO CHUFFS!!!!

Bob

Basically my road is steam oriented. Berkshires rule the layout. There are a few Pacifics and Mountains,and even a couple of Consolidateds, but with 10 Berks, it is for fast freight. I even pull the two passenger trains with Berkshires.
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I agree with you....STEAM...and then some diesel.

And I've always said my RR goes from the east coast (Balt) to the West, so I can run ANY road name. There are some liverys that are just too pretty in certain forms not to be left out of a train layout.....many C&O steam engines and those SantaFe F units and DL109.

I'm kit-bashing a B unit for the SF DL109 that LL did such a nice job on. I got it all cut up and glued back together, but I want someone more experienced to paint it.

I've got some 'special' B&O paint schemes I want done on a few undec E units. These utilize the B&O colors, but slightly rearranged to match a particular paint scheme seen on some of their corrugated passenger cars...real classy. Beside B&O use to experiment a lot with colors themselves.
 
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Two color schemes aren't too bad to paint. I've done three and four colors and have sworn NEVER to do four color schemes again. It took me two weeks just to get the masking the way I wanted it.

I have a couple of Southern DL-109's. Butt ugly engine. I have also mimiced a couple into the NKP stable in the bluebird(sort of) colors.

I've been in this hobby since PAB(pre air brushes) and have found air brushing to be one if the TOP 10 greatest innovations to the hobby. Just my opinion of course, and it doesn't amount to much usually.

I would offer to paint your engines, but I feel that I am only good enough to trash my own equipment.

All of the talk here about NKP makes me want to get back to the new house and get things running again. The small layout here just doesn't give me the same gratification. It's like eating a chocolate chip cookie when there's chocolate cake to be consumed.

Bob
 
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B&O sample painting

Not in correct color, these renderings, but you get the idea ;)
 
i live in southern NJ. there is way to much going on my home at the moment to take a trip to Timonium. but trust me, i'll continue to look.
 
Santa Fe DL 109

This is a N scale unit, but you get the idea...beautiful engine in the Santa Fe colors, And SF was one of the few to have a B unit as well
 
railandsail said:
Not in correct color, these renderings, but you get the idea ;)
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B&O's look elegant don't they? And the "warbonnets are classic. I also am fond of the BNSF "Pumpkin" and "Executive" schemes on the modern engines. Still no side rods or "chuffs".

I really hate to comment on the shear number of cars and engines I own. It makes me sound like I have "obsessive-compulsive disorder". But I inherited many of them, so it's not my fault. In coal cars alone, I have 397 cars.

As far as kitbashing and repainting, that has just come about in the past 5 years or so. More out of necessity. NKP, C&O, Monon, and Wabash head end power is rather hard to find, but not impossible. I usually buy RTR unnumbered units in the road names I have. My kitbashing is usually restricted to structures.

I have a program on the computer that allows me to make my own decals also. Great little add. Many of my buddies have taken advantage of this also. One is a "mogul" and has set up his own line. We designed his logo and, at the risk of sounding a bit conceited, it looks great.

Bob
 
kwalker421 said:
i live in southern NJ. there is way to much going on my home at the moment to take a trip to Timonium. but trust me, I'll continue to look.
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Tell me a bit of what you are looking for, and I'll see what comes up. Since I don't have as much to sell this time, I'll do a bit more looking....that's dangerous :eek:
 
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