# MPC's The General



## epaulk (Jun 7, 2010)

Hi Guys!

I’m not a Railroading modeler; I regularly build cars, figures and Sci-Fi kits. 

Trying to make a long story short, when I temporally left the hobby in 85/86 (school and university) the last model I build was MPC’s “The General”. Then I return to the hobby in 96. By then, I just build car models. Early this year, I saw a program about The General and the memories flew.

This is when my “obsession” with this kit began. I tried unsuccessfully to buy it on ebay a few times. I practically lost my hopes to get it.

Then this Friday, I friend of mine came to visit and for my surprise, he bring me the general as a gift.

So I need your help.

Anyone knows where to get reference pictures of The General? I already try google it, but I only can find a few pictures.

If you are going to build this model, did you build it as new (all shiny and beautiful) or you do it as the work horse he was, all weathered and no so shinny?

Any other suggestion is welcome!

Thanks!

Edgar.


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

Hello,

The general lives down the road from me. Being a transplanted yankee, I could steal it for you! :hat:

Good pictures seem hard to come by. The actual museum where it lives has few pictures, but this guy has some more.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The problem you may have is that while the real engine survives today, she does not look as she did during the Civil War. The kit is based on a modern reconstruction, so it does match the train as she looks now, but not 140 years ago. 

The General is parked just north of Atlanta at the site where she was train-jacked. Nice little museum.


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## scottnkat (May 11, 2006)

I built that kit years ago. Back then I had built it so it was all shiny and new-looking. I figured that would be how it must look in a museum (this was way back in the days before the internet, mind you). It's a pretty decent kit, but the only really clear pictures I could find of it are newer ones, so I think it may be rather hard to build it as it was way back in the day.


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## 440 dakota (Feb 23, 2006)

I have always been fascinated with this kit since I was a kid and bought one a couple years ago off Ebay but have yet to build it for the same reason no great referance


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## btbrush (Sep 20, 2010)

Dirty her up, man. The 4-4-0 spanned many manufacturers and any book on American trains will have photos of her at work. Check with local railroading clubs.


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## ViperRecon (Aug 3, 2010)

I have one of these, destined to someday become the Wanderer from the Wild Wild West movie (terrible film, but the green, black and brass color scheme on the 4-4-0 looks very nice, I think).

Mark in Okinawa


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## btbrush (Sep 20, 2010)

Other films like The Great Train Robbery (Sean Connery, I think), How the West was won, Was even an old movie with a 4-4-0 with antlers over the headlight, don't remember the name. And there's a Western mini-series starting on the History Channel or Starz, I think, with a great 4-4-0.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

you could also do her up as the Jupiter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_(locomotive)


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## epaulk (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback guys, it was very helpful.

I just found about the Disney Movie, and I’m going to use it as main reference. Maybe isn’t the most accurate, but looks good.

Also, I will weather it.

I will try to post the progress here…


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

When they made Buster Keaton's silent movie "The General" they had planned to use the real engine, and , of course, destroy it at the end. It was decided to preserve the real engine and a stand in was used in the movie.

http://www.kino.com/press/thegeneral/index.html


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## Ductapeforever (Mar 6, 2008)

Steve244 said:


> Hello,
> 
> The general lives down the road from me. Being a transplanted yankee, I could steal it for you! :hat:
> 
> Good pictures seem hard to come by. The actual museum where it lives has few pictures, but this guy has some more.


Someone who is a modeler and lives nearby should take a bazillion pictures and post 'em on flicker....I vote Steve 244 !


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Ductapeforever said:


> Someone who is a modeler and lives nearby should take a bazillion pictures and post 'em on flicker....I vote Steve 244 !


Its hard to take photos of her... I saw the engine a few years back and, unless something has changed, she is parked along a wall in a somewhat dim room. You can only see the right side and shes roped off so you can just walk along from a few feet away to see her. The kit probably resembles the engine as she looks today but the way she is now is not the way she looked during the Civil War. Nice museum though. Its just north of Atlanta off I-75 in Big Shanty.


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

I thought about it (living in Kennesaw and all) and it is quite a nice little museum, but this guy already has detail shots that are pretty good. I don't think I could do better. Check out the "high resolution" picture links.

Here's one:


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Thats super thank you very much... looks like they have a new facility since I was there in the 1990s


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## JamesInNC (Sep 17, 2011)

I believe John Reid was building this kit for one of his dioramas. Check his thread in the Diorama forum. If it's the same train, he always does a remarkable job.


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## epaulk (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks Guys!

Anyone see AMC's Hell on Wheels? It`s a very good show and they have a locomotive that is very similar to the General. They have it in "Working" condition and it's look amazing! all weather out..


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## btbrush (Sep 20, 2010)

Yea, but it's a mogul, 2-6-0. Close, but no Segal. Does work for dirtyin' her up, though.


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