CNS&M: 452, 453, 454 & 457

The four North Shore Line General Electric freight motors were arguably the core locomotive team for the railroads freight service. The first three were all acquired at the same time, while #457 was a second hand bargain.

I recently acquired from a dealer a Car Works #452 steeple cabs and an MTS Imports #453, both made in brass.



They are pretty much identical, but not quite. Some of this being down to replicating the minor variations between the sister locomotives, and some of it down to the manufacturers implementation of the prototype.



As and when I paint #453, it will be altered to represent #454, as it had an interesting variation on how the cab windows were painted.

I was a little surprised to see on the MTS box that they did three variants; locomotives #452, 453 & 457. This I found odd as according to the drawings I have, locomotive #457 was slightly longer than the original trio. Only six inches, or so, but still six inches can make quite a big difference in the bigger scheme of things.

The next model is  from the days when I was planning to build a layout of the Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad, and it is an MTS model of a Sacramento and Northern GE steeple cab. My intention is to convert this into a model of locomotive #457, as it shares the longer truck center spacing. I see it as a nice little ongoing project for when I feel like doing some soldering.



Here are the three steeple cabs together showing some of the detail differences between them.  I will also have to fabricate, or find replacement castings for the truck for #457.



This last shot pretty much replicates the common picture taken of three "pups" working together.

I will post updates. After all, I still have trolley poles to make for these first.