Electrifying Ideas

[J3a-614]

I'm such a steam fan I often forget about "locomotives other than steam" (as the Interstate Commerce Commission used to call anything else but a steam locomotive in its inspection and maintenance regulations back in the good days).  Still, there is a good deal of interesting material from this time, particularly in the electric line.

My first nomination for a new electric model would be a Virginian EL-3, a series of three-unit boxcabs the VGN crews called "squareheads," for obvious reasons:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=40919

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=80223

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=38063

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=88583

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/listdocs.php?index=rs&id=310&Type=Drawing

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/filterdocs.php?index=rs&id=310

The locomotives are candidates, in my eyes, for having 64-inch drivers (very close to those of  Bachmann's 2-8-0, suggesting the use of similar gears, axles, belt drives, etc.), and for having very close cousins on the Norfolk & Western, class LC-2:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=11925

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=20509

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=89691

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=23775

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=89690

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/filterdocs.php?index=rs&id=158

Included for illustration purposes, the earlier LC-1:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=77230

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=5448

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=89689

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=33124

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/filterdocs.php?index=rs&id=157

I wouldn't expect this from Bachmann, but someone who has been making Union Pacific turbine locomotives, with their span-bolster trucks, might find this one worth considering:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=89848

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=77265

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=77234

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=38056

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/listdocs.php?index=rs&id=309&Type=Drawing

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/filterdocs.php?index=rs&id=309

So much for coal field electrics. . .

One electric I am surprised that was never made was the Pennsylvania's P5; these were the direct predecessors of the famous GG1, and were the road's primary freight electric after the coming of the Gs:

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_prr4737.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr4722.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr4754.jpg

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00014329

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr4711.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/electric13.html

Any comments?  And in addition, are there any comments about how to make stringing wires easy?

[jettrainfan]

I could see a P5 coming out if any, they seem to be simple enough.