I am relatively new to model railroading - started October 2008, after about 30+ years since my boys were young. I developed my first layout (4x8) and acquired a fine grouping of diesels and rolling stock. I am curious why none of the locos I acquired are labled with the respective model designation (ie FP7; Dash-8; SD45; GP40; etc). I have a mixture of old-used and new locos but none are marked. I did not realize this until long after I had placed them on my train board. Of course I can trace most of them back to the original packaging and, I guess, scribe the model numbers underneath the engines. Has anyone else noticed this problem and does anyone know why they are not stamped or labled with their respective numbers for future reference?
welcome to the forum. After a while you will be able to identify the locomotives just by looking at them from a distance. It just takes some time. Here is a great web site to look at locomotives: http://www.railpictures.net/ , the nice thing is that you can select which model you wish to see and look at what makes them different from others. I do know what you are talking about though. It is difficult for someone to see the difference between a GP38 and GP 38-2 if one is not trained for spotting the differences and there are so many different locomotives out there.
There area couple reasons why models are not marked. First, parts such as frames, fuel tanks (which would be the most likely place to mark them) are often used for more than one model.
Second, model designations are by no means standard. In fact,what the prototype maker calls a loco is many times not what the modeler would call them.
Early in the diesel age, EMD used to put the model designation (theirs, not that of the owning railroad) on the data plate. IIRC, the data plate was about 6 x 9 inches, and the model designation was about an inch high. In some cases, that was the only way to tell the difference between models with similar appearances but different internal arrangements and horsepower.
Since my attention shifted elsewhere about 45 years ago, I don’t know what present (or more recent past) practice might be.
I would think the prototype still has to ID them somehow. Identification has been more an educational thing. I know an F7 from a GP-7 without markings, the difference of the model is obvious anyways. A book called “The Diesel Spotters Guide” is a good handbook, I think there is a Steam equivelent, but just hang around this hobby, you will learn it all, keep asking questions and have fun.
One difficulty is that not everyone posting photos to sites like RailPictures.net is knowledgeable enough to put the correct reporting marks or engine model in the photo information, but it is a good start. (Especially reporting marks, half the stuff on RP.net is wrong because people don’t know what the proper reporting marks are and don’t bother either).
I don’t think the question is clear enough for good responses, not that bad ones have been made. Are you asking about the model manufactorer putting marks on the models?
Or something like this. Sorry it won’t post the picture off of railpictures.net, but it wouldn’t work. If you notice painted on the sill at the front of the frame is a builders “plate” that says GP9.
Yes, the Diesel Spotter’s Guide" is an excellent reference.
As long as we are talking about identification and proper designations it is GP7, not GP-7. Alco is the one that used a dash in their loco names PA-1, S-4, RS-3, etc. EMD used dashes for a secondary notation, as an example the SD40 was very different from the SD40-2.
MILW-RODR: That is not the builder’s plate. It’s just a label with the model number. The builder’s plate is attached to the side sill below the cab (trace a line down directly below the logo on the cab in the photo you linked to, you can just make out an oval-shaped tag). The builder’s plate includes the model, date of construction and serial number, etc.
If you want you could get a fine-tip silver art marker and write the name of the engine type on the bottom of the chassis (since the chassis is normally black). I sometimes use a marker to note something inside the engine, like an “F” or an arrow to indicate which end of the chassis is the front, so I’m sure to get the diesel put back together correctly with the right headlight in the right place etc.
I suspect as someone said, model manufacturers use as many interchangeable parts. I know some of the Atlas Alco engines share the same chassis for example. It would hard for them to keep separate parts for each engine just so they could have the engine type labelled on the part.
A simple miss understaning. I wasn’t calling it a builders plate, I knew it wasn’t that. I just didn’t know what to call it. Real builders plates are neat to look at.
I would say the EMD statement made was a little out of proportion. The -2 series from what I understand had upgraded electrics, but the way the statement was made it sounded like a -2 series is different in every way from an original series. As stated, possibly in another post, unless you really really knew the slight visual differences you can’t tell much of a difference between say an SD40 and SD40-2. And then that brings up my point with SD40-3’s. From what I understand they are rebuilt SD40-2’s (possibly SD40’s also) that have even more advance electronics.
I neither call it a “builder’s plate” nor a “label with the model number.” I call it “that thingamajig whatchamacallit duhicky under the cab” which pretty well covers all the bases!
Are you referring to the Company maker designation which is different than the railroad designation, for example the C.P.R. bought locos from Alco-GE they called DRS-15a, other railroads would have other numbers, another example is the Hudson type 4-6-4 with class numbers H-1-a , H-1-b, H-1-c, H-1-d, H-1-e. these numbers would mean nothing to an employee of New York Central. MAYBE this helps answer your question eh?
In fact, just to throw in some more confusion, the Alco designations like S-1, RS-3, etc. weren’t always used by Alco in the same way that EMD used their designations. My understanding is that these originated as railfan terms, although I don’t know exactly how and when. Alco themselves used different and less user-friendly designations, and the only one in common railfan / hobby usage is “DL-109”. For example, what we think of as an RS-36, Alco called a DL-701. Some earlier brass diesels stuck with the Alco model numbers.
(Edit: Hmm…but here is an Alco operator’s manual with RSD-5 on the cover…maybe they eventually adopted the terms? Maybe they were used by marketing, and other departments used the DL term? Anybody able to clear this one up?)
tatans,
In the olden days of yore, I think every RR had a class system for diesels. The New Haven certainly did, and they had a nice simple system. I dunno about the Canadian roads, but they were a little more involved, right? As for the NH’s diesel class system: