Southern Pacific’s FP7’s
per headlight (with LED compensa- tion) to comply with Rule 17, set CV49 to 129. To have the backup (lower) light simulate a Mars light (with LED com- pensation), set CV50 to 130. Let’s go on to the sound: set the au- dio mixer to a preset (CV153 = 2). I add reverb to the horn by setting CV161 to 1. Next, select the correct horn for your model, and set its volume to high (CV129 = 255) for now. Test the horn volume. If it distorts, reduce CV129. Set the rest of the sound CV’s to your preference. I prefer the exhaust and dynamic brake values to be somewhat low in comparison to the horn. Similar- ly, I set the bell volume (CV130) very low, around 40-50. Tsunami has a neat feature that reduces the engine ex- haust to idle when the unit is in dy- namics, called “dynamic brake override control.” Set CV116 to 71 and the en- gine sound will drop to notch 1 (idle) when F4 is pressed.
Other settings I recommend are set- ting CV21 to 8; when in a consist the loco will go to dynamics when F4 is pressed. And, setting CV112 to 3 makes the radiator fans and air com- pressor sounds come on automatically.
Weathering Weathering is a personal preference and techniques vary widely, but I can suggest guidelines for this locomotive. Southern Pacific’s FP7’s were primari- ly used in passenger service, so they were generally well maintained and kept clean. (In the days of the Black Widow paint scheme, SP even waxed the sides of their Daylight trains, so you get the idea of what the equipment
Radio antenna and cable
Original dual horns
No radio antenna or roof vent
Reflector headlight
No m.u. outlet door
Added grabs on anticlimber
No lift lugs Added brake hose No m.u. hoses Original EMD pilot
No. 6446 backdated to “as delivered” condition
would look like.) Early on, the engine side panels would generally be clean and shiny since they were run through automatic car washers often. If you use Dullcote or something similar, be sure to mask off the sides as well as the windows. Still, lead units got pelted
Five chime horn Boiler vents
with stones and the paint on the nose often looked pockmarked, and the sil- ver paint wore through, showing the black underneath. Similarly, the pilots showed wear and rust spots. Eventually the shops tired of painting the three silver stripes on the
Lift lugs
Snowplow pilot
Fireman’s side ladder and strap step
68 Kick plates No. 6458 updated and lightly weathered NOVEMBER 2013
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