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 Good evening all!

With the close of one project begins another. And this one is a doozy.

In 1917 the Milwaukee road placed orders with GE and Baldwin Westinghouse for 15 passenger electrics to handle they’re premier passenger trains on the Road’s western extension. In 1919 the first of 5 EP-2 Bipolars (E-1 through E-5) where delivered from GE. The next year Baldwin and Westinghouse delivered 10 (E-10 through E-19) EP-3 Quill driven motors. All 10 Westinghouse motors were assigned to the Rocky Mountain division between Harlowton, MT and Avery, ID with the Bipolars handling the Pacfic extension at Othello, WA.  

Very few know of the existance of the Quill Motors as they were not well advertised to the public as the Bipolars were. Though crews preferred the Motors for the power, speed and comfort at high speed, they were plagued from the factory with weak frames and the quill drives were a maintanence headache. Even after numerous rebuilds, they were all scrapped by 1957 and lost to history. 

Today I am taking on the project of scratch building this locomotive to pull my in the making Columbian, The Milwaukee’s second named passenger train in the west. Drawings have been expanded to 1/4” scale and progress is already under way with the side frames and body. 

 

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Here E-15 is shown handling the Columbian. This loco had many schemes over its 35 year career and is pictured here in a black with silver stripes. 

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1/4” scale drawings 

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Here the rebuilt side frame is shown. I will be using this to create molds for all 4 side frames.

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The body will be assembled in two sections. A and B ends. Here the “B” end of the Quill is under construction. This end house the controls and side doors. The A end controls were removed in a later rebuild for better  electrical and other mechanical upgrades. I will scratch a full cab interior and the roof will remove over the cab.  

Updates to follow!

 

James

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Last edited by E21 James
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Wow !   Looking forward to your progress.  Thank you for the background info.  I'm a juice-jack fan.  Love electrics of any type, especially heavy electrics.  

Interesting about the problems that plagued these locomotives, yet they still hung around for almost half a century.

Dan Padova posted:

Wow !   Looking forward to your progress.  Thank you for the background info.  I'm a juice-jack fan.  Love electrics of any type, especially heavy electrics.  

Interesting about the problems that plagued these locomotives, yet they still hung around for almost half a century.

Thank you! It’s funny as Westinghouse built the New Haven EP-2 and the frames on those were significanlty heavier and better built. Those electrics only weighed 175 tons compared to the Milwaukee’s EP-3 at 310 tons. It’s strange to me how at the same time they could build two locomtives, supposedly identical, and yet look almost nothing a like. 

I will update periodically. Thanks again!

James

bob2 posted:

So are you sending the frame master to a foundry?  Lost plastic, or sand-cast?

My persomal "doozy" will be 2- railing the MTH Bi-polar.  I missed a body on eBay - it went for under $130!

Good afternoon.

I am actually going to make my own molds and pour high strength resin frames for these. Below is a photo of the drive itself. My plan is to permanently attach the crossmember to the frames and front pilot to make one solid frame. The wheels will ride in there ball bearing journals which will be sprung. The pedastal binders will be removable so the wheel assemblies can drop out. The middle axle of each truck will be the tower for the belt drive. 

I will have a drawing of how the cross member will attach to each frame soon.

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James

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The GN Man posted:

James, looking forward to watching your progress on this. The EP3 "Quill" is a locomotive I have wanted to see in O scale for along time... 

FYI, these did occasionally see service on the Coast Division and visit the Tacoma shops. This is discussed in Noel Holley's excellent reference book "The Milwaukee Electrics",  which I'm sure you have. The five Bipolars were sometimes not enough to cover movements of passenger extras in addition to the scheduled trains, so an EP3 was sent west to help.  

I’m actually the second individual to have started this build. There is another who had one built out of germany. But none the less, I have wanted this engine for quite sometime. 

Of yes, Holley’s book is a must have for any Milwaukee fan. And yes they did but not as often and nor am I modeling the pacific extension. But you know modelers lisence has taken over and A Bipolar had made it’s way over to the rocky mountain side before they were transferred to that side permanently before scrapping. 😉

Thanks

 

James

The face of E-11. The last Quill to survive until it’s scrapping in June, 1957. This is the B end and as mentioned from above is the controlling end of the motor. The roof section will be removable for cab interior viewing. Next, I will get the bracing finished and start on the A end. Once the two are finished I will attach them as one solid car body.  

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James

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Last edited by E21 James

Westinghouse motor update!

This thing is huge. The car body easily dwarfs that 16” straight edge ruler. I am actually about 4-5” too long on the car body and will be shaving off a small amount on the A end (unfinished cab) to bring it into spec. Once the sides are sanded smooth, and both ends finished, I will start into the small details such as doors, windows, air intakes, and rivets. The roof will be the final addition. I will be fitting a milled brass frame to this to mount the body and trucks.

More to follow.

 

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James

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You are doing a fine work on this engine! 

It remembers me this old electric engine which ran on the hard "Maurienne" line in the Alps between Chambery and Modane (border city with Italy)!

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In the years 30/40, this line was electrfied by third rail (1500 V dc); as you can see there is now catenary!

One of these has been preserved and restored and is now in display inside the huge engine house of Chambery.

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rotonde Chambéry

jpv in France

 

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