A recent trade brought to me this early boxcab Diesel model that was built by Pierre Bourassa in 1997. Constructed mostly from sheet plastic, the only commercial parts are related to the Baker drive unit he used, the kind with a belt drive (more on Baker here).

As he clearly had a prototype in mind I was very curious to ascertain what the prototype model was. Searching online led me to the conclusion that he based this model on a GE “two-power” locomotive built in 1930. Overall, 44 of these locomotives were built, mostly for the NYC but also for the Michigan Central, Lackawanna, and the Rock Island. If you want to find a prototype photo, one of the easiest searches is for Rock Island #10000, which was their lone example.

These were built in two- and three-power versions, and when you look at them now, these hybrid locomotives were ahead of their time. They all had a 300 horsepower Diesel in them, but it ran at a constant speed; it was used only to recharge the batteries that normally supplied power. In the “three-power” version they also had an electrical pickup, and it could operate as a straight electric locomotive in electrified territory. Operationally it was a very flexible locomotive, and they remained in service for many years.

Pierre captures the essence of the prototype for sure, but does take some license with the details. But then again, being a model of a fictional CN prototype gave him some leeway to do what he wanted. As they say, “Model Railroading is Fun!”

When the model got to me it was close to operational but needed one major upgrade. Pierre had connected the two powered trucks with a rubber tube, which was common to do back in the day, but that was not cutting it now. I reworked AHM SW-1 universals to connect the trucks better (and more flexibly), and also I replaced the drive belt with a fresh one from Lowes (these are standard plumbing parts).

This final photo shows the inside of the model. The only other repair it needed was to solder one of the light bulb wires back on. Pierre loved to put working light bulbs in his engines, and this one now that it is together runs great. Maybe better than when built? I feel sure the new universal helped, I believe Pierre would approve of the upgrade.