Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

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Chris Webster
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Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby Chris Webster » Thu Sep 03, 2020 10:56 am

Perhaps the strangest OMI diesels I've seen, a F40PH that BrassTrains sold for $850:
O Scale Brass Model - OMI Overland 0431.1 Amtrak F40PH, Phase III w/ lights #305 - F/P - 1990 Run - Ajin *DOES NOT RUN*

On the positive side, it has a very nice paint job, albeit damaged under the fireman's side window.

Now for the weird: It has claw couplers and there is a slide switch mounted to the frame, below the area of damaged paint. There are visible wires in the cab, plus a wire is caught in the bottom corner of the fireman's side door. Some of the detail parts have not been installed. The listing says it does not run, which is understandable since all the wheel surfaces are covered in black paint.

Any ideas on why someone would do this?

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De Bruin
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby De Bruin » Thu Sep 03, 2020 12:04 pm

If it was like 40 years ago I'd guess travel agency display model? Note the two listed Superliners (also sold) have the black painted wheels too.
The tinplate couplers on the F40 though are .....well...odd indeed.
Perhaps the former owner was not a model rail but nevertheless wanted couplers on his set, and then quit when he moved on to install them on the Superliners and realized he couldn't make them fit.
Really, who knows. (yikes!)
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ScaleCraft
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby ScaleCraft » Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:24 pm

Couplers are the least of the issues. Why did someone pay $850 plus shipping and Nexus Tax for it?
Not running, wiring messed with. Makes no sense to me. Brass doorstop if it doesn't run.
Dave....collector, restorer, and operator of the finest doorstops

bob turner
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby bob turner » Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:41 pm

Hey, come on! I have a couple of unpowered Overland PAs that someday will get dumped. They are anything but doorstops!

The doorstop title goes to things heavy enough without extra weight to be able to be used as actual doorstops, or even boat anchors. Sand Castings are usually the medium, and if no sand castings are present I don't think the model makes the doorstop grade.

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ScaleCraft
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby ScaleCraft » Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:55 pm

A doorstop (no caps) is used to hold a door open. This one is a non-running, messed with, over $900 delivered doorstop. They can't be that desirable or rare, can they?

Definitely not a Doorstop. Not enough class.
Dave....collector, restorer, and operator of the finest doorstops

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robert.
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby robert. » Thu Sep 03, 2020 6:53 pm

Box says "painted and lights only" I"m not the sharpest tool in the shed. Something tells me. It does not have a motor.
I spend entirely too many hours a day tying my shoes

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ScaleCraft
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby ScaleCraft » Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:05 pm

robert. wrote:Box says "painted and lights only" I"m not the sharpest tool in the shed. Something tells me. It does not have a motor.

I thought that initially. But, there are driveshafts. So, unless the manufacturer put all the shafts and bearings, and gearboxes in, and left the gears out, most likely it's powered.
Maybe they just stuck empty gearboxes in, the the shafts are to keep the boxes from spinning.

Mister Turner has two dummies, maybe he can tell us what the underside of a dummy looks like.

If it IS non-powered, then there is a real problem with that much money for a slug.
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ScaleCraft
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby ScaleCraft » Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:13 pm

http://www.trainmaster.ch/ZX-962.htm
painted, lights, different road numbers, one with added weight....
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rogruth
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby rogruth » Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:26 pm

I just don't understand why somebody would pay @ $900.00 for something probably doesn't work. ???
roger

I support thread drift.
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robert.
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby robert. » Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:15 pm

From the drawing that comes with it. It should be on trucks with 6 wheels. I guess you can't really trust anything.Maybe painted only means we left the numbers off.
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ScaleCraft
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby ScaleCraft » Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:25 pm

an F40PH is B-B trucks.
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ScaleCraft
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby ScaleCraft » Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:50 pm

F40C is six wheel trucks.
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De Bruin
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby De Bruin » Thu Sep 03, 2020 11:49 pm

The drawing is from a Micro-Scale decal set for Amtrak cowl units which covers both the SDP-40F and the FP-40
although (yet more oddly) in this listing Bill posted the drawing from an HO set, note the 87 prefix in the set number.
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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:31 am

rogruth wrote:I just don't understand why somebody would pay @ $900.00 for something probably doesn't work. ???


just another display of the oft-times irrational aspect of the hobby, Roger.
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Chris Webster
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Re: Claw couplers on an Overland F40PH

Postby Chris Webster » Fri Sep 04, 2020 7:47 pm

robert. wrote:Box says "painted and lights only" I"m not the sharpest tool in the shed. Something tells me. It does not have a motor.

"Painted... only" means that the factory did not apply the decals.
De Bruin wrote:Note the two listed Superliners (also sold) have the black painted wheels too.
Now that you've pointed that out, I'm thinking that perhaps these models were shipped from the factory with painted wheels?
The tinplate couplers on the F40 though are .....well...odd indeed.
Those claws probably cost more than Kadees.
rogruth wrote:I just don't understand why somebody would pay @ $900.00 for something probably doesn't work. ???
Because they can spend even more money sending it to Criswell and having him rebuild it!


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