Phase IC GP35 - N&W 1322 - 13D Black
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Many GP35's were repainted into this scheme from the F3 black hamburger scheme, and
never saw anything in between like the hamburger blue or experimental serif "N & W"
scheme.
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The long hood handrails are the Kato stanchions cut off and drilled out to receive .012 brass wire.
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Being a Kato I can also install a Wangrow 104 decoder, utilizing basic functions only.
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The Kato frame seems to be of a heavier alloy than P2K and Atlas use. Result is, the
unit still has a reasonable weight even though the pot metal isn't jammed into every
spare nook and cranny. Only modification to the frame was to cut off (completely)
the vertical slab at the short hood end, which interferes with the Cannon nose.
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Notice speed recorder on both sides, as per prototype. Apparently this was due
to the dual control stands on N&W locos, each had it's own recorder and cable.
Definately an interesting touch, one I still need to add onto my GP38AC.
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This is one of my favorite models to work with, the Kato GP35. It has the best drive
line in the business, Blomberg sideframes good enough to not want to replace them
with Athearn, an excellent shell, and a perfect stance in terms of body-vs-chassis
placement... something easier said than done if you just look at the output of
many manufacturers over the years.
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The end rails on the short hood end are a throwback... they are brass wire and Smokey Valley
stanchions. The other end uses an out-of-the box Atlas end rail.
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The short hood rails are swiped from an Atlas GP38/40 set. Fit perfectly. Best to find a black
set so when the paint chips it shows black, not gray.
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This loco has a Cannon front end, exhaust stack, and inertial hatch. I replaced the
fans with DA housings and Banna spiral grills on the 48" fans. I left the factory 36"
fan alone although it could use a little enhancment with a paintbrush.
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Drifting slightly beyond the digital's limit of focus. I think this camera is like me.
Without glasses, I can focus 8" to almost zero. With glasses, about 24" to infinity.
In between I'm in trouble.
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This shot provides an interesting comparison of Cannon treadplate (about 2x scale size)
to Kato treadplate (about 5x). This doesn't bother me all that much - it is less noticable
viewing the model than it is in this photo. Kato is the largest molded-on tread in
the business now, but at one point K-company had the ONLY molded on tread in the business.
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Cab interior is what I could salvage of the molded Kato interior, chopped
in half and trimmed back in the middle for clearance of wiring and other junk,
and the remaining side portions glued up inside the Cannon cab to the top of the
sub-base.
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Yes Dave it has cab glass. Well, cab plastic and too much Future. The winterized windows
are a pain to glaze because they are thicker than Cannon cab walls, so the window always
ends up looking recessed. The only alternative is the molded insert P2K bundles with various
locos that have a winterized window option.... which I used on my GP7... and which looks
not much better than a Run8 vacuum formed part.
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These are the Kato stock inertials and blower housing. I didn't see enough advantage in
whacking them, they look pretty decent.
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The distinctive "wire rake" radiator grill appeared on all GP35's after phase Ic (quite a few) and
on the vast majority of SD35's including all high noses built for N&W and Southern. While
this Kato rendition is not necessarily Cannon quality, it is better than the only previous
source for this part - the ancient Atlas/Roco SD35. Supposedly Atlas will be offering this
grille correctly rendered on future runs of SD35's.
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HO scale models are viewed from above most of the time, so Banna grills and Cannon exhaust
stack are well worth the effort.
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Another fuzzy shot, but the weathering blends nicely if you don't go tack sharp. Unfortunatly
I prefer tack sharp, anything less seems to be hiding something. The weathering on this loco
did turn out, IMO, slightly better than on the GP38AC... albeit somewhat less ambitious with fewer colors
used. My book photo (B&W) of the 1322 shows it had bee run regularly on fresh ballast or had
even been used on a ballast train, as the light colored lime haze on the trucks indicate. So
I used Pollyscale concrete airbrushed for most of this effect.
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