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Post by steve4 on Mar 25, 2011 16:07:11 GMT -5
I just started a new proJect. I have to build 6 EJ&E SD38-2 in N scale. there are no SD38-2 available in N scale so I will start with some Kato SD40-2 and Mark 4 Design long hood shells. the numbers I will build are #656, #660, #662, #664 and #666 plus the #668 in the bicentennial livery. #668 will be built on an 'old' Kato drive while the other models will have ditch lights and be built on the 'new' Kato drive.
I will have to cut and modify all the drives so I can fit a shorter, SD38-2 like fuel tank.
At the moment I have all the necessary parts ready and will start to detail the cabs first (fotos will be posted shortly)
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Post by steve4 on Mar 25, 2011 19:15:45 GMT -5
first cab is done - five more to go... ...I tried to copy the roof details from prototype pictures, can antenna, firecracker, strobe and the roof fan left original cab with holes for the horn, right modified and detailled cab  close up  |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 25, 2011 20:14:48 GMT -5
there are no strobes available in N scale which look close to the ones on the EJ&E engines - that means to build my own...  I have a lot of these Kato roof vents from Kato Passenger car sets which I do not use anymore. I cut the round top piece off - drill a hole into the 'strobe' with a #83 drill - glue a piece of .010 phosphor bronze wire into it - drill a hole into the little, square styrene stand which I glued before on the cab roof - glue the 'strobe' on the roof (with the wire in it it makes a more solid bond and wont easy break off in future - the can antenna has a wire connection as well)  |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 25, 2011 22:01:04 GMT -5
I wasn't happy with the first ones (after all six were done) so I changed them all and made them smaller. after I've had another close look to a prototype picture I saw there was just the square foot and the strobe light with the same diameter from top to bottom. so I cut the the whole thing shorter...  I know there are many H0 scale modeller in this forum but not many N scale, here is a size comparison with a H0 cab...  all (re)done... (the yellow cab is for #668 bicentennial)  next step - all weather windows... |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 26, 2011 3:48:48 GMT -5
...well, the all weather windows have to wait  next step is the nose. the 'mid production' Kato shells I am using for this proJect have a brake wheel and a 88-inch nose. the EJ&E SD38-2 are fittet with a brake ratchet and a 81-inch nose. the 'early production' Kato shells have the right lenght and have brake ratchets - 'cut and paste' - I have enough 'noses' here from earlier projects so I don't have to sacrifice any new shell... ;D  |
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Post by icghogger on Mar 26, 2011 6:59:26 GMT -5
Nice Job, Steve, keep us posted. Your work on those cab roof details is exceptional!
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Post by ranchwagon on Mar 26, 2011 9:55:59 GMT -5
Excellent! Looking forward to seeing more progress!
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Post by diesel on Mar 26, 2011 17:40:32 GMT -5
wow, these EJ&Es are popular now eh? And 5 at a time! whew! this is gonna be some project.
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WC 7499
Engineer
Lake Michigan & Crandon Railroad
Posts: 49
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Post by WC 7499 on Mar 26, 2011 21:52:21 GMT -5
Must be a Steve thing.  Looking forward to watching yours progress!!! |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 28, 2011 6:38:43 GMT -5
not a lot of progress but I have decided to use Kato GP38-2 noses for this proJect. I have to modify them but they look closer than the SD40 ones...   this is one of the Mark4Design shells I am using for this proJect (these are RP shells made by M4D, etched fan grills and wire grab irons are included)  |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 28, 2011 15:14:43 GMT -5
#668 is assembled (well, sort of...)   |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 28, 2011 16:32:36 GMT -5
in order to mount the shorter fuel tank I have to modify the SD40-2 drive. the 'older' Kato srive is simple to modify, the 'new' Kato drive is more of a challenge because the whole drive is hold together by the fuel tank and the underframe. (as you can see, the older drive has no underframe...)  overall look of #668  ...next step, modify the new drives, five of them ! |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 28, 2011 18:24:15 GMT -5
a Kato GP38-2 nose and a M4D SD38-2 shell on a Kato mid production SD40-2 frame...  on this picture you can see the new Kato drive, there are no screws anymore to hold the drive together so it will be a bit trickier to modify the fuel tank section...  ...one more shell done, another four to go ! (that's all for now - I have to finish the H0 HLCX #6206 now...) |
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Post by steve4 on Mar 30, 2011 20:33:29 GMT -5
not much done, just drilled all the needed #83 holes for the lift rings, the fan grab iron and all the drop grab irons on the rear...  ...and modified the decals for this proJect, just figured out that #664 has the sill stripes mirrored compared to all the other ones I am building |
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Post by RunningExtra on Apr 3, 2011 20:05:42 GMT -5
Steve, as I model in HO scale I have been skipping over this thread (Nothing personal) but my curiosity got the best of me so I had to take a look, impressive to say the least, great job in such a small scale!
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Post by jpwisc on Apr 3, 2011 20:08:05 GMT -5
I love the 38-2s, I can't wait to see more progress.
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Post by steve4 on Apr 6, 2011 19:39:10 GMT -5
that whole proJect starts to turn into hard labour...  the drives are all ready now for the shorter fuel tank (and while I was at it I did also modify a drive for a future project) ready to go...  ...done !  |
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Post by steve4 on Jan 12, 2012 3:19:20 GMT -5
wow, April 2011 ey ? a lot of water must have run down the Waikato since my last post, or better long time since I've done something with The J models. as the EJ&E SD38-2 pilots look the same on the front as on the back and the Kato mid production shells have rear pilots which look like perfect for this project (and front pilots which are very, very wrong) I decided to sacrifice some SD40-2 sills I've had laying around.  on the right the original front, on the left the modified one (missing all the detail parts like anticlimber, ditchlights, debris kicker and so on...) but you can see what I've done...  (the parts are just put loose together and the wrong cab can be seen on these pictures) I also got the right all-weather-windows with 3 windows...  I got bitten by the bug again and I am keen to finish that project...  |
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Post by tamaman on Jan 12, 2012 10:21:15 GMT -5
Nice work!
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Post by Ridgeline on Jan 12, 2012 13:11:04 GMT -5
Steve, let me congratulate you on dusting off some old projects! Your work has forced me to stop my home renovation and pull out my box of half-finished n scale stuff.... fantastic work, yours!
Two questions I wonder if you might answer for me: How/where did you acquire the m4d parts? Directly? My usual shops don't carry his stuff... Also, if you don't mind, what's your solution for sand-filler hatches? I realize that's both non-sequitor and potentially invasive so forgive my asking.
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Looking forward to watching yours progress!!!
