Walter
'Butch' Curll Gallery
All
images © copyright Mr. Walter Curll and may not be used
elsewhere without his permission.
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Butch
is a big fan of the American Freedom Train. He's modeled
the entire train in HO scale, including the Preamble Express!
I asked
Butch to tell me more about how he came to be interested
in the AFT and this is what he told me:
"My
father got me interested in trains at an early age. My first
memory is seeing READING # 2124 on an IRON HORSE RAMBLE
in Oct. 1959 at the age of 3. My railfanning continued,
with the Reading RR being my favorite. Since Ross Rowland
chose to use # 2101 on the AFT, I just had to go see for
myself.
"I
was a senior in high school on opening day April 1, 1975.
When my wife( who was my girlfriend at the time) and I skipped
school to drive to Wilmington, Delaware to see the train.
At that point I was hooked. And as you know from my slides
of the train, I did get to travel throughout Pennsylvania
to see the train."
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"I
purchased both the steam set and diesel set in HO. I also
purchased extra cars at swap meets and shows. I had not worked
much on the train until after Sept. 11, 2001 when I felt that
I wanted to do something patriotic with my collection..."
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Butch
Curll's AFT model.
Four Bicentennial diesels on top, two Preamble Express locomotives
and the four Preamble Express cars on the first shelf, followed
by two of the American Freedom Train locomotives and their
entire train.
"I
used various web sites for research on the train, the best
one is George Elwood's rr-fallenflags.org
Click on 'American Freedom Train'; this has excellent photos
of most of the non-display cars for modeling. The display
case was custom made for me by a friend who does woodworking."
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"The
Preamble Express # 2312 is an Athearn U-28-B that I painted
and used D&H bicentennial diesel decals on. Preamble E-8
#951 is a Life Like Proto 2000 model that I painted. I am
still looking for alphabet decals for it. Lettering on the
Preamble Express cars is dulux gold railroad roman alphabet.
"AFT
# 4449 is a Bachmann Plus model, AFT #1 is the new Precision
Craft Models T-1, the tool car PNWC 76 is a standard R.P.O.,
flat cars #30-32 are Walthers Trailer Train flats."
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The
Bicentennial diesels on top (L to R) are B&M #200, SCL #1776,
SSW #9389, CONRAIL #7776.
"I
am trying to model Bicentennial diesels that were used as
helpers on the train or that were displayed with the train.
"Cars
#40, 41, #101-110 are the original Lionel HO cars with your
panel/shadowbox stickers used."
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American
Freedom Train concessions car #20. Based on an AHM/RIVAROSSI
smooth side baggage car.
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American
Freedom Train concessions car #20.
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American
Freedom Train concessions car #33. Based on an Athearn round
roof coach with the windows and vestibules blocked out with
styrene and 4-wheel trucks added.
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American
Freedom Train entrance car #100.
The
'Security Car'.
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American
Freedom Train entrance car #100. Based on an AHM/RIVAROSSI
smooth side baggage car.
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American
Freedom Train power car #111.
The
'Exit Car'.
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American
Freedom Train power car #111. Based on an AHM/RIVAROSSI smooth
side baggage car.
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American
Freedom Train power car #200.
The
'Bunk Car'.
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American
Freedom Train power car #200.
Based on an AHM/RIVAROSSI smooth side baggage car.
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American
Freedom Train sleeping car #201.
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American
Freedom Train sleeping car #201. Based
on an Eastern Car Works 4-4-2 Pullman kit # 1206.
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American
Freedom Train combo car #202.
The
'Pie Car'.
The
Preamble cars are made from Bethlehem
Car Works kits. Kit # 220 is for the my Preamble Empress
#1 (the combine), and is also used for AFT combine # 202.
Kit # 210 is for the Preamble coaches # 2, 3,& 4 and also
for AFT # 203, 204, 205. Modifications were made to the kit
to make the observation cars for both the Preamble Express
and the AFT. (The real observation car was, similarly, a modified
coach!)
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American
Freedom Train combo car #202.
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American
Freedom Train lounge car #203.
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American
Freedom Train hospitality car #204.
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American
Freedom Train hospitality car #204.
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American
Freedom Train observation car #205.
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American
Freedom Train observation car #205.
"The
red and blue stripes are Champ decals HO Amtrak passenger
stripes # PH-142S. Car numbers and 'AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN'
lettering are custom decals that John Finnin had made for
his model -- and he gave some extras to me."
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