Notes on making HO scale EMD FL9 locos from Atlas FP7 locos

Scratchbuilding an HO EMD FL9 Diesel-Electric/Electric loco from an Atlas HO FP7 is described in issue 3, volume 15 (Sept. 7, 1984) of the New Haven Shoreliner magazine. The FL9 is about 4 feet longer than the FP7, has different trucks (Flexicoil B in the front and a Flexicoil A1A (a C with the middle axle de-motored) in the rear) and has some miscellaneous chassis and body modifcations -- differences in porthole and vent locations, different horn, different dynamic brake fan, and different steam generator details (or HEP generator-set details if you are modeling a current (rebuilt) FL9). The bulk of these modifications are covered in the Shoreliner article, but I did some things differently -- these diffrences are described in the document referenced below.

Notes on Scratchbuilding HO FL9 locos from Atlas FP7s. (PostScript)
Notes on Scratchbuilding HO FL9 locos from Atlas FP7s. (HTML)
Tcl/Tk program for drawing the third rail assemblies.

Here are some pictures I took of a "typical" AMTRAK FL9 (AMTRAK #486, sitting at the Albany-Rensselaer, NY station). I found these pictures very helpfull in getting some of the details right.

Front of AMTRAK 486 (FL9) sitting at the Albany-Rensselaer, NY station.
Rear of AMTRAK 486 (FL9) sitting at the Albany-Rensselaer, NY station.

The pictures below are blowups of the two trucks. I found these very usefull in figuring the dimensions, etc. of the third rail gear.

Blowup of the front truck of AMTRAK 486 (FL9) sitting at the Albany-Rensselaer, NY station.
Blowup of the rear truck of AMTRAK 486 (FL9) sitting at the Albany-Rensselaer, NY station.

Photos of the completed model (#486):

View of my HO FL9 hitched to 4 Athearn 72' passenger cars sitting on the end of a scratchbuilt arch suspension bridge.

View of my HO FL9 hitched to 4 Athearn 72' passenger cars sitting on a test track out in my driveway.

View of my HO FL9 hitched to 4 Athearn 72' passenger cars sitting on a test track out in my driveway, closeup of the loco.

Another view of my HO FL9, all by itself. This is a better picture - done with controlled lighting and 100 speed film.

Notes on finishing.