Modeling a logging switcher
Lionel’s no. 614 locomotive is the starting point for this project
Lionel’s no. 614 locomotive is the starting point for this project.
TMOST POSTWAR LIONEL OPERATORS KNOW THE ODD SHAPE of the no. 614 Alaska switcher, with dynamic brakes and air tanks placed on top of the shell. Few of us, however, know that the design, as explained in Greenberg’s Repair and Operating Manual For Lionel Trains 1945-1969, is based on a locomotive owned by the Coos Bay Lumber Co. in Oregon. As a resident of the Coos Bay area, I’ve always taken a bit of pride in our community’s connection to the Lionel story and thought that tracking down the prototype and modifying a Lionel locomotive based on it might be a worthy project.
Then all the ingredients for this project fell into place. A local antique shop had a suitable no. 634 Santa Fe locomotive at a bargain price. A computer upgrade gave me renewed interest in researching the Coos Bay Lumber Co., and a trip to the local historical museum led to a few surprising photos of the original locomotive.
Those images revealed, aside from masking off some scalloped areas of the shell, the project would be relatively simple, requiring only a few tools and some paint, parts, and a set of decals.
Prepping the shell
First, remove the shell of the “donor” locomotive and sand the lettering off with fine-grit sandpaper. Thoroughly wash the body in warm water and dishwashing soap to eliminate all skin oils. Do the same for the no. 614-100 dynamic brakes.
After the parts have dried, spray the brakes and shell with black primer – I used Krylon. For best results, warm the paint can in hot water before spraying. Be sure you wear a painting mask and spray in a well-ventilated area.
After the primer on the shell has cured (24 hours and no chemical smell remaining), mask an area on either side of the nose for three scalloped stripes, like those on the CBLC no. 1201. Due to modeling and design limitations of the chassis and shell, I didn’t model the front striping on the pilot, but I kept with the spirit of the unit. Snug down the masking tape with the point of a hobby knife to prevent paint bleed-through. Also, mask off the front, top, and back of the locomotive shell.
New paint
After masking, spray the shell with your choice of paint. I used Rust-Oleum “Bright Idea” yellow. Apply it lightly, repeating as needed. Again, use a mask and spray in a well-ventilated area. Then set the shell aside to dry and cure thoroughly.
I had to make a decision regarding prototype versus modeling reality. The white lettering of the decals wouldn’t stand out well against the yellow of my model, which after it had dried I found too light. I used a brush to add black to the nameplate areas on the sides and black circles under the cab windows to make the lettering and CBLC logos more visible.
Since I couldn’t model the nose or pilot striping due to design limitations, adding black to the color scheme was not a project breaker for me. If you do this project using a darker, more “mustardy” yellow, the black circles and nameplates may not be necessary.
Final details
After the paint has dried, remove all the masking tape. Apply a light spray of clear gloss sealer to prepare the area for decals and then set the shell aside to dry.
It‘s now time to apply the decals. This set, Microscale no. 87-8, conveniently has Coos Bay Logging Co. decals that can be adapted for use.
The round logos go under the cab windows in the black-painted circles, similar to the prototype. The full-name decals go on the nameplates along the sides.
I made a pair of number boards to go atop the hood by cutting two ¼" x ¾" pieces of scrap plastic and brush-painting them black.
I also cut four small lengths of toothpicks to serve as the supports for the number boards. Styrene sprue can be used as well. Two should be slightly shorter than the others. Paint these black, as well.
When everything has dried, apply appropriately sized numbers. The Coos Bay Logging Co. had three units: nos. 1201, 1202, and 1203. Since 1201 is easier to cut numbers for than the others, I opted for it. At this time also cut numbers and apply underneath the cab window decals.
Attach all the number boards to the toothpick pieces with your cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA) so the larger pieces will serve as the back bracing. Attach the completed number boards to the locomotive, as shown in the prototype photo.
Using a motor tool or a pin vise plus an appropriately sized drill bit, drill two holes for the air horns on the cab roof. Paint two Lionel no. 50-100 horns black. Allow them to dry, and apply them to the cab roof.
If you like, apply a black permanent marker or brushed paint to the reverseunit lever sticking out of the hood to make it less noticeable.
The shell can be mounted on the chassis. Our CBLC 1201, capturing the spirit of the original, can now be coupled to a drag of log cars, hauling prime Douglas fir and cedar from forests near the town of Powers into Coos Bay. As we say here on Oregon’s South Coast, “Now we’re loggin’!”
Still working
As for the original 1201, the Coos Bay Logging Co. was bought by Georgia Pacific, which stopped hauling logs by rail into Coos Bay in 1970. It was sold to a logging company in British Columbia, where, at last reports, it’s still operating under a different road name and colors.