EMD Displays – Cutaway Model Diesel Shop
EMD not only designed and sold locomotives, they also designed and provided contracting services for Diesel Locomotive servicing facilities, and the tools and equipment required to operate them. The locomotive shops were featured in an EMD advertising catalog titled FACILITIES, profusely illustrated with black and white line drawings by their staff artists. The EMD designed diesel shops, including the Erie Railroad diesel shop in Marion, Ohio, were the subject of a series of articles in Railroad Model Craftsman magazine a dozen years ago. EMD’s use of models was also covered in a RMC article in the same time period.
To promote this service, EMD built a 1/48 scale (model railroad “O” scale) cutaway model of an EMD designed servicing facility that was basically similar to one of the shops shown in the FACILITIES catalog. This model included a cutaway of the side and roof to show the servicing tracks, storeroom, workshop areas, locker rooms, and the oil storage tanks in the basement. The locomotives in the shop were General Models (later All Nation) NW2 and F3 cast “O” scale models that were readily available in hobby shops at the time. The shop and its base were transportable in a station wagon or pickup truck. The display was shown at trade shows and open house events. The eventual disposition of the model diesel shop is not currently known.
In my experience, it seems like very few museums have a display of this type, showing the servicing of locomotives, either diesel or steam. The construction of this model and level of detailing are easily compatible with current model railroad practice, and building such a display might be practical for a museum working with a local model railroad club, with the result enhancing recognition of both organizations.
General Models (All Nation) NW2 and F3 locomotives as used in this display are frequently available on eBay auctions. The white metal Comet Authenticast 1/48 scale machine tools for the shop are no longer in production but are also occasionally available on eBay auctions. There are now fairly accurate 1/48 scale resin models of EMD 567 diesel engines that are available for display in the shop.
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