# S.P. Coastal Merchandiser train make up.



## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael G. and myself was testing out his F-3's sound sys. and lighting. He wanted to do a night test run and do some adjustments so here is a short video of part of his train that will in time have 25 cars behind it. 
This is what the Southern Pacific ran between LA to San Fran on a over night run up the Calif. coast in the 50ths and 60ths i think..
Here is the video of our night run plus snail derailments. Now I fixed the Snail problem ..R.I P. 



Maybe Michael G. will add to this post and tell you what he has done to the F-3's and what he has installed on R/C & Batt. power. We did get the start up on each unit one at a time.. Kind of neat..
Anyway we had a fun night in the dark and lighting up the layout.


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## Reg Stocking (Sep 29, 2010)

The CME was restricted to ca. 23 cars including caboose if memory serves. SP's airbrake rules provided that trains running at Column 1 (passenger) speed had the brake system charged to a higher pressure than for freight trains, and for the system to work correctly the train could have only a short consist. Can anyone chime in on this? 

The train as shown really does look good.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes you are right.. and lot of times they ran a pass car instead of a caboose on the train. 
Maybe Michael G will come in due to he has done more research on then.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice video, Noel.... Snails casuse derailments where you are. Quail and rabbits here.....

Nicely done.. Looks like you had enough ambient light to help the quality....


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## Hiawatha Gent (May 6, 2011)

What a fun video. Thanks for creating, shooting and editing. Great job.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

The Coast Merchandise or Overnight train was Southern Pacific’s answer for LCL and faaast freight between Los Angeles and San Francisco it ran the rails daily for nearly forty years. The Coast Merchandise was established in 1935 and discontinued in 1942 due to the war effort. The Coast Merchandise East/West was reestablished in 1946 as scheduled First Class Trains #373 and #374. There were two additional trains in later years known as “Advance Coast Merchandise #371/#372”. The Overnight Train was also known as “The Zipper”. Over the years The CMW/CME often ran as section of the Lark.


The Overnight box cars were specially equipped for high speed service. In the days before TOFC the Overnight box cars were painted black, in 1953 or so the box cars were painted silver to match the NEW TOFC service trailers or dry vans.


Ultimately my Coast Merchandise consist will have two F3A units and a single B unit. I’m presently detailing and weathering the second A unit. The lead A unit #6115 and B unit #8001 in Black Widow paint each are equipped with Airwire Drop-ins and Phoenix P8 sound while the second B unit in Scarlet/Gray paint is non-powered and equipped with a Sierra Sound card. The powered engines are currently using Lithium Poly 4S/2800mAh 14.8V battery packs with cell charge/balancing pigtails.


The lighting on the lead A unit has been completely updated with warm white LED’s; two 3mm for the headlight, a single 5mm for the Mars light. The lenses and reflectors were spun on a lathe to size. Numbers boards, cab light, rear headlight and classification lights also use the warm white LED’s. Southern Pacific used white and green “classification” lights to identify the train as being on the schedule and or as an extra or second train on the schedule. I used a single white and green LED to simulate this activity per class light.


I don’t know if there was a limit on the MAXIMUM number of cars that could be pulled due to airbrake rules at speed; I have several original SP books in this regard. I’ll have to take some time and read through the books and report back later. I have 25 PS-1 box cars, a caboose and coach destined for service with this train. I’m also slowly collecting more box cars, flat cars, dry van trailers and auto transport trailers to emulate the Overnight in the later year’s post 1953 when TOFC began operation.


Michael


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael,
I enjoyed the video. Keep us posted on progress. Do you plan any kitbashing for a caboose?


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Very nice. Did you put a MARS light in the top headlight housing? Hard to tell from the video.


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## Reg Stocking (Sep 29, 2010)

Michael- 

Keep up the good work. An old SP yardmaster told me that the black Overnight boxcars were called steels. When the service started, most freight cars had wrought iron wheels for reason of economy and were restricted to ca. 35 mph. Passenger equipment and refrigerator cars had steel wheels which wouldn't shatter at high speed; the Overnight cars had to have steel wheels to run at Column 1 (passenger) speed as provided in the employees' operating timetables. 

The most magnificent freight train I've ever seen was No. 371 passing the Chevy Chase crossing north of the Glendale station ca. 1955. It was all shiny aluminium Fruehauf trailers on flatcars with a GS-4 in full livery working hard on the grade and putting up a spectacular plume. You could get an Accucraft and....


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Bob, 

Yes there is a Mars light in the top headlight housing together with a 5mm LED and a machined reflector. I’m very happy with the headlights both the Mars and lower two lights work very well and your right it’s hard to note the Mars light in much of the video, its one those you got a be there things….


Paul,


I most definitely intend to kit bash a caboose or two, your fine examples of same promoted the desire. Thing is its gonna be some time before I can go there, as I'm still working on Daylight schemed Atlantic and Pacific engine builds not to mention my heard of dismals that need some love. All that said I'm working on completing a trio of GP-9’s a GP-38, U25 and need to work on the CM's second F3 A next, some day cabooses and the second generation of Overnights will see find their way to my workbench.


Reg, 


I have noted the nickname “steels” or something similar in my reading, as you suggest these were for speeeed. As you likely know the Overnights were prepped same as head end box cars for passenger service, in fact many of the Overnight box car fleet saw service at the front of a passenger train or two.


I have an Accucraft GS-4 its in that diminutive 1:32 scale so it’s a bit small for my 1:29 scale equipment. I plan on building a MT to pull the Overnights I already have a custom drive and a BoxPac driver set for it. I’m presently trying to master rolling my own boilers and utilizing a 1000 watt resistance soldering station. 


Thanks for the kind words guys and to Noel for the video work…


Michael


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Stan Cedarleaf on 02 Jul 2012 07:45 PM 
Nice video, Noel.... Snails casuse derailments where you are. Quail and rabbits here.....

Nicely done.. Looks like you had enough ambient light to help the quality.... 
.....................................................................................................


I had to kind of laf about your Quail and Rabbits derailments.. I know Rabbits can leave some track bombs. Not sure on the Quail, but guess can leave a mess.

We usually don't have Snail problems, but then the weather has been back and forth. 
I was run some test on some Eng's. I worked on today and walked the track and found about 8 dead Snail by the rails so happy the Snail bait work that I put out last night..

We do get some big Bull frogs derailment once in awhile at night and they can kick off a Train off the tracks. They come up from the back pond.

The yard is pretty well lited up and also have a 500 watt Halogen mounted up on a tall pole w/ a cam pad that can be turned up and down the walkway. 
Anyway tk's for the comment Stan.

Boy those Eng's sure looked and sound real at night. Like Michael said you have to be there to see the action that the camera didn't really show very well.


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Keep up the good work. It is good to see another SP modeler on the site. As far as I know, I am the only one in Florida, at least in the FGRS and the GRR clubs.


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Noel, Mike and Bob,

Great to see SP fans on the site. Fantastic video, and I really like Mike's Mars light with the two levels of flashes. I have a Mars light on my live steam GS-4, but with only one level of flash. I'd like to learn more about Mike's technique.

Will any of you be in Sacramento attending NSS this month? I'm packing a crate to send out and will be bringing my 14 car San Joaquin Daylight (Train 52) along with several SP engines (AC-12, AC-6 flat faces, F-4/5, GS-4s and MTH F units) along with reefers, etc. I also got talked into doing a clinic on cab forwards Friday morning. 

Hope to link up with you. I'll be there Wed thru the Saturday dinner.

Best regards,

Alan


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Alan,


Noel and I are local to the Summer Steam-Up and were going to attend this year. We’ll probably show up in the morning when its cooooler. See you there…


I am most definitely an SP fan, everything from the early days of steam to the end. Sounds like you have a notable collection of SP hardware in Gauge 1. Someday a cab-forward is my future. 


Is your clinic on the Cab-Forwards about the behemoths’ in of themselves or about operating and modifying the models?


Michael


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Bob,


I feel you, I’m the only around here (Sacramento, CA) that I know of that models SP in 1:29 scale yet there may be others locally being SP was big here! Noel has a huge HO layout themed in the 40’s or so out back in a 40’ office trailer.


I run the gamut with equipment, much like yourself and Paul, dismals to steam. I have some steam powered engines too, but I enjoy running the sparkies more than tinkering with the live steam. This is kinda of a quandary for me as I sale, service and install boilers and their associated equipment for a living.


Michael


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

*Looking for some help.
*
I’m in need of some information with regard to SP and my aforementioned Overnight train with regard to the condition of the equipment; specifically equipment condition and or with respect to how clean were they kept and weathering thereof. 


I suspect I may have over weathered my engines; I’m a youngster (54) and never saw these trains run even though I grew up in Ventura/Ojai California. What I do recall was the trains were typically dirty and looked well used…. When I suggest I may have over weathered the engines my perspective is with regard to their age given they were F3’s and new in 1947 through1949 and were used for many years but I don’t know what engines numbers specifically ran on the Coast Merchandise trains nor do I know when or if the F3’s were phased out of use again of the Coastal Merchandise trains.


I already discovered my F3-A engines #6114, #6115 were available through 1949 before the system wide renumbering scheme when they became #6128 and #6130 respectively. My USAT numbered F3-B #8000 and #8001 never existed on the roster. The B units which were originally part of the four unit sets as delivered from EMD were originally numbered in sets as #6114 A,B,C,D, A & D were A units and C & D were the B units. The renumbering scheme of 1949 started at #8018 for the B units (#8018 was originally #6109B).


Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Michael


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I googled 'Espee Forums' and saw several where you might get your info faster.... 
John


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael, 

I'm finishing developing the Friday morning forum now. It is including the history/development of the cab forwards as well as modeling work to convert an AC-12 to a flat face AC-6. 

Look forward to meeting you. 

Best regards, 

Alan


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Michael try this SP site: http://espee.railfan.net/espee.html it is an SP modelers archive and is loaded with lots of good information. 
Check out my site when you get the time also: www.liveoakrr.com


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions guys; I am aware of the SP site Bob linked to, lots of great info but nothing with regard to my needs that I could locate. I suppose this is pretty mundane information for most, but I’d like to model the F3 engines that actually pulled the Overnights.

Paul found a roster of 1954 which noted SP F3 engine #6144-A, #6145-A and #8044-B as being in the motor pool for the Coast Division. So I guess I’m going there… These specific engines were never transferred to T&NO like most other early F3’s and they were on the roster through 1965 too…

What about the condition of the engines with regard to cleanliness, paint and weathering? Did they look well used at the ripe age of five, I suspect not. Anybody have knowledge of how well SP maintained their equipment in the early days?

Michael


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

From the books I have, these units were kept clean. I used some photos to weather mine as you can see on my web site. I used Floquil Earth and lightly dusted the trucks and running gear. On the roof area, I used some Grimy Black to show streaks from the diesel exhaust. When new these units appear to have been washed regularly.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Bob Pero on 06 Jul 2012 01:42 PM 
Michael try this SP site: http://espee.railfan.net/espee.html it is an SP modelers archive and is loaded with lots of good information. 
Check out my site when you get the time also: http://www.liveoakrr.com/ 
....................................................................................

Tk's for some of the SP Inform. I've been looking for that for my Ho Little Truckee layout. I have some BW. F-7's to re-nbr.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I to enjoyed the video. Night running hides alot of back ground stuff.


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## ththfxr (Dec 27, 2007)

*....all your videos.....your having a good time, always looks great!*


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Here is a picture of the lead unit of my Coastal Merchandise train #374. I beleive its a bit over weathered? I'm modeling the mid fifties with this train and the F3's were about six years old.

I'm getting ready to change the number boards to #374 and the engine number to #6145 along with touching up sevral areas that have suffered aging on there own from use and abuse.

Michael


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## ththfxr (Dec 27, 2007)

You have done a nice job adding details to the F3. As for being over weathered, well this unit has just been through the snow sheds and tunnels of the Sierras and Tehachapi once to often helping a Cab Forward steam loco.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael,
Probably is a little too dirty for the era you want to model on the coast route. I don't have any of the USA F3's because I always hoped that USA would retool to F7's. I'm not a big fan of the chicken wire.. But,when I talked to the folks at USA at the BTS they said any plans they had for F7's probably will not happen. So, now I'm keeping my eye out for F3Aand B's. It would be nice if there were some castings for the Farr grilles. Even the later F3's had them. Your dirty units would look good running on my layout. Have you given anymore thought to a roadtrip?
Some follow up. I looked in S.P. Historic diesels vol. 10 and found that F3 6145,class DEF-2 had the Farr type grills. At least that is the way I read it. Now the onus is on you to find a way to make them! Then I can copy.


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

OK, so it just came in from a run and had not hit the wash rack yet.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Paul,

Yeap, F3A #6145 (originally #6122D) was of the second class or iteration DF-2 (DEF-2), these were the first F units shipped with the Farr stainless grilles and horizontal air intake louvers (no more chicken wire)… The #10 SP Historic Diesel’s and SP Diesel Compendium have proved very valuable in my research.

I’m working on a remedy for retro-fitting the chicken wire air intakes, I’m going to attempt to photo-etch my own stainless Farr grilles. I’m researching the DIY process now and ordered some materials to experiment with.

I think the weathering probably dates my #6114 to early mid sixties just prior to retirement. Since I’m already working on another F3A, for my train I was thinking of reassigning #6114 and its B mate, perhaps to the San Joaquin Division as #6153 and #8052. I’ll still need to update with Farr intake grilles add nose MU connections and according to the picture on page 22 of SP Historic Diesels it was retro-fitted with a 1500 gallon fuel tank too (the fuel tank update is contrary to SP Diesel Compendium V1, but the picture evidence is hard to dispute). #6153 also had the nose grab iron update and was radio equipped too.

So I’m pondering assigning new engine numbers, train numbers and details to another F3A-F3B-F3A set with little to no weathering for my #374 Coast Merchandise train if I want to accurately represent this train of the mid fifties.

I may even forgo the F3’s in favor of F7’s for the CM #374; this will require, Farr intake grilles, adding a fifth 36” fan for dynamic brakes, nose MU connections and possibly; nose grab irons, 1500 gallon fuel tanks and a plow pilot depending on which F7’s are modeled.

I goggled the distance to Gig Harbor, WA; it’s about 750 miles or so. I’ll have to work something out in the future. I need to get a few more projects completed before I make the trek. I have many other period pieces that would like grand on your SP pike… 

Michael


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Michael, 
Back in my On3 days I was using Archer Echtant and felt tip pens (Sharpies) as the resist. Seems to me you could tape/rubber glue thin sheet metal to paper and print your own ready to etch whatevers. 

The only catches are paper feed and the ink's resist value. 

Does photo etch rely on paper film? 

Something to consider. 

Also 'they say' that etching never completely stops..... but it sure is dang slow. 

John


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