STEPS 2A, 2B AND 2C
BUILDING A SOUTHERN TUXEDO GP7 by BOB HARPE
STEP 2A) SKIRT REMOVAL DIAGRAM,SEE PHOTO BELOW:

USING A SHARP # 11 X-ACTO BLADE, MARK THE AREA TO BE REMOVED FROM THE SIDE
SKIRTS. THIS STEP IS CRITICAL IN THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR MODEL SO PLEASE MARK
CAREFULLY.

STEP2B) REFER TO PHOTO BELOW AND YOU WILL SEE HOW THE CUT SKIRTS SHOULD LOOK. 

USING AN X-ACTO SAW BLADE, VERY CAREFULLY CUT THE THREE VERTICAL
LINES. CUT ONLY TO THE SEPARATION LINE BETWEEN THE SIDESILL AND SKIRT. DO
NOT CUT PAST THIS LINE!!

NEXT, USING A SHARP # 11 BLADE, SCORE THE HORIZONTAL CUT BETWEEN THE
VERTICAL CUTS SEVERAL TIMES. NOW, USING A PAIR OF PLIERS, CAREFULLY BEND THE
AREA TO BE REMOVED AND IT BREAK OUT CLEANLY. IF THE SECTION ACTS AS IF IT
WANTS TO TEAR THE SIDESILL, SCORE THE HORIZONTAL LINE SEVERAL TIMES MORE AND
REPEAT. 

USING A FILE, CLEAN UP ANY UNEVEN AREAS WITHIN THE PORTION THAT WAS REMOVED 
AND SQUARE UP THE VERTICAL LINES.  ( REPEAT FOR THE OTHER SIDE)

STEP 2C) NEW PILOT HOLES. SEE PHOTO BELOW:

NOW DRILL THE THREE # 70 HOLES FOR THE MU HOSES AND AIR HOSES. THE HOLE FOR
THE MU HOSE SHOULD BE LOCATED ON A STRAIGHT LINE BETWEEN THE TWO FILLED
HOLES AND APPROX. .025" FROM THE INSIDE FILLED HOLE.

DRILL TWO # 80 HOLES FOR THE LONG PILOT GRAB, APPROX. .025" INSIDE OF OLD
HOLES.

DRILL FOUR # 80 HOLES FOR THE COUPLER LIFT BAR. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE
LOCATION FOR THESE HOLES WHEN REVIEWING THE SCAN. THE NEW OUTSIDE HOLES ARE
LOCATED TO THE INSIDE OF THE OLD OUTSIDE HOLES AND THE NEW CENTER HOLES ARE
LOCATED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE OLD FILLED HOLES. (REPEAT FOR OTHER PILOT)

THIS SHOULD KEEP Y'ALL BUSY FOR A DAY OR TWO. I'LL POST THE NEXT STEPS ON 
TUESDAY.

IF I MISSED SOMETHING HERE, FEEL FREE TO SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE GROUP.

QUESTION:

I RECEIVED A VERY GOOD QUESTION THIS MORNING FROM ONE OF THE PROJECT 
FOLLOWERS CONCERNING STEP 2 AND THE SKIRT MODIFICATIONS.

HIS QUESTION WAS WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD REPLACE THE REMOVED SKIRT PARTS AS 
HE WAS MODELING IN THE 1961-62 SOU. ERA AND WANTED HIS MODEL TO REFLECT THIS 
POINT IN TIME.

I SPOKE WITH WARREN THIS MORNING AND WE AGREED THAT MOST SR GP-7'S RETAINED 
THEIR FULL SKIRTING UP UNTIL THE 1968-70 TIME PERIOD. THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS WE 
SEE WOULD BE THE EX-CG UNITS AND THEY WERE MODIFIED IN THE MID 60'S OR 
THEREABOUTS.

THE LATEST I SEE ANY FULL SKIRTS ON ANY SR GP-7 IS 1972, SO ANY MODEL BUILT 
AFTER THAT TIME WOULD MOST PROBABLY BE MODIFIED AND DESKIRTED.

IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A UNIT OTHER THAN THE ONE THE GROUP PROJECT AND HAVE 
QUESTIONS ABOT THE DETAILS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AND I'LL LOOK THRU MY COLLECTION 
OR I'LL CONTACT WARREN AND SEE WHAT HE KNOWS.

KEEP THE GOOD QUESTIONS COMING.

BOB HARPE

THE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS THE UNIT NUMBER YOU ARE DOING. IN JUNE 
1971 SOUTHERN RENUMBERED THE ENTIRE GP7 FLEET INTO THE 8200-SERIES 
NUMBERS. THEREFORE IF YOU ARE DOING A UNIT PRIOR TO THAT DATE, YOU 
WILL HAVE TO USE ITS OLD, ORIGINAL NUMBER. IN CASE OF THE 8273 BOB IS 
DOING, IT WOULD BE NUMBERED 2179. THERE IS A PHOTO OF 2179 IN THE 
FILES SECTION WITH THE FULL SKIRTING SHOWN.

WARREN CALLOWAY

© Bob Harpe 2003
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