GE MATE HO Scale 3D Printable 3D print model

cgtrader

Included are printable STL files as well as a Sketchup file that can be easily edited and rescaled to meet your needs. Note that the scaling in the Sketchup files has been exaggerated ten times larger than normal due to the limitations of the Sketchup software at tiny scales. Included is a three-part shell suitable for resin printers or small printing technology. Once printed, you'll need to add couplers, old Athearn blue box dummy Blomberg trucks (if you want an unpowered model), and handrails with pre-drilled holes designed for Utah Pacific 87 GE stanchions. You may also need to raise the ride height slightly by using styrene shims between the trucks and bolsters if you're pairing this model with an Athearn or Atlas U36B. These MATEs, formerly used by Seaboard Coast Line, were paired with a GE U36B and primarily operated in Bone Valley (near Tampa, Florida) until the early 1990s. MATEs differ from regular slugs in three ways: they have a higher tractive effort due to added weight (65,413 to 67,588 pounds), were designed for road speeds with Blomberg trucks equipped with GE 752 traction motors, and served as fuel tenders carrying up to 3,250 gallons of fuel. The modified U36B can draw on this fuel while in motion. The first batch of MATEs, originally numbered SCL #3200-3209 (later SBD #5200-5209), were single-ended, able to take power from only one end. The second batch, SCL #3210-3224 (SBD #5210-5224), were double-ended and could draw power from either end or between two mothers with the third operating mode. This model is a representation of the double-ended MATEs featuring headlights and numberboards at both ends, in contrast to single-ended models that have only one headlight and numberboard.