Don: Put me down for one, also. I realize that you have modeled a standard GE steeplecab of about 45 - 50 tons, weight. and realizing that the Milwaukee's steeplecab switchers were some 85 - 90 tons, weight, i just wondered if you could make both versions? The lighter one would probably be equipped with a trolley pole, whereas the Milw version should have a pantograph.
From what I can tell, looking at the various photos of the prototype, the main difference between the two was in the height of the cab. And that was because the cab floor was raised about one foot. I suspect that this was where additional weight was placed for additional tractive effort. I wonder if you could make the standard cab, for general interurban use, and then make a special "riser" that would lift the cab floor and make the engine look more "bulky", as the Milw engines appeared. There might be a slight line or seam where the standard body fits on to the "extension" section, but I don't think that this would be too noticeable nor objectional once the engine model was painted.
Certainly GE had standardization in mind when they built those engines, and, in fact, I believe that some of the 44 ton diesels as well as the first box-cab, I.R. diesels sometimes used the same trucks and maybe the same main frame. One thing for sure is, these were definetely GE engines, not Westinghouse-Baldwin that sometimes confuses some of the guys.
Paul Fischer
