Rio Grande PA's

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I am in the process of adding a decoder to a ‘Proto’ model, changing to LED’s etc. Was about to look into a pair of SMD units for the bottom light, when I saw a photo of 601 on the Cal. Z. and it looks like only one light.

Hence, as delivered - did the PA’s come fitted a MARS light or similar ?

Also could some-one tell me what name/type of horn was fitted ?

Thanks

Rob

2

Rob,

The factory-installed lower headlight was a single bulb unit. This is in the black and yellow scheme. The single bulb lower lamp was retained through the silver/orange nose scheme and into the 4-stripe scheme. In that scheme, somewhere between 1953 and 1959, the lower lamp was changed to the two-bulb unit as depicted by the P2K.

My guess is P2K wanted to feature the “oscillating” headlamp and the only cheap, easy way back then was with two lamps. With the decoders available now, that’s easier to do with a single bulb…

The factory horn looks like a single-chime, but by the time the PAs went into service, the Rio Grande had changed it to the dual flute, with one forward/one backward horn. Not sure the make/model.

BTW, if that’s a first run P2K chassis, the motor may have a high amp draw. You will want to check to see if your decoder is rated to handle the amperage if this is the case.

3

Thanks Mike

I had tried PA Alco etc. in Google, but did not get near to an answer.

After your reply I got thinking again, This time Gyralite, bingo.

The lower light could have had a mechanical oscilating mode (model 20750).

Rob

4

Mike,

I have a Yellow/silver 4-stripe PA by P2K, did that model also have the high amp motor? It sounds like the OP has the black/yellow P2k (as delivered) version from what i could glean from his comments.

Jim F

5

Jim,

I’m not sure about an as-delivered black-yellow version of the PA. I presume this was a later run, maybe after the single-stripe was produced? So it’s chassis probably has the low-amp draw, later motor.

I had both the four-stripe and single stripe P2Ks. I’m fairly certain that the first run P2Ks with the high amp draw motors were the four-stripe version. I wanted to use the four-stripe version when it came time to convert to DCC, so swapped the chassis from under the later single-stripe version (with low amp motor) to power the four-stripe shell to avoid having to purchase a high-amp decoder. I then sold off the single-stripe shell with the high-amp draw chassis, with appropriate notice of what the buyer was getting.

6

I only have the one 4 stripe unit and as they are pretty rare anymore, I guess I need to remotor it eh?

I’ve seen a the 4 stripe PA up for $169 on fleabay, which is about double the MRSP at original availability so it looks like some is trying to cash in on the rarity and the fact that the only other game in town are the comparitively pricier MTH PA’s.

7

Makes me glad I held onto the four-striper. There’s nothing to swapping the shells. IIRC. I have decided to replace the bulbs with LEDs, just haven’t gotten around to it yet. If I do that, I’d like to add sound also, but haven’t figured out where that line item in my budget will be funded from yet…[^o)]

8

I have some, possibly first run, undecs, they have a black body shell, & a friction driven radiator exhaust fan detail. I do not know if all the runs have this, but it seemed unusual to me.
If you would like Documentation Photos of the Chassis config, I would be happy to supply them, with the data on the box.
Perhaps we could help identify the units in question.
Let me know if that would be helpfull…
Thanks!

9

Howdy all:

I have one of the P2K units in the original scheme, and, after reading all the documentation available, decided to test the stock motor. With no load, just running around a loop of track, the motor pulls 0.4 amps; when tested at stall, the amps read 2.8. I am currently in the process of repowering my unit with an Athearn Genesis motor, using Athearn dogbone drive shafts. The other alternative was a Kato motor, which would be a drop in replacement, also using the dogbones. One thing to point out-with the remotor, top speed is very much reduced, to around 78smph, which I can live with. I have upgraded to LED lighting, and am looking at either SoundtraxxTsunami or QSI Titan for sound.

Hope some find this useful,

regards,

Mike McAnally

Pahrump, NV

10

While replacing the chassis would be an easy solution, it would be more costly. I’ll probably be faced with remotoring when DCC conversion time comes. The PA is in storage for now.