Post by shinobi on Nov 5, 2015 4:51:36 GMT -5
I'm currently in the process of building one, but at the moment it's on hold because I'm waiting on parts. I'm using the Athearn SW1000 hood, Athearn SW1000 handrails, a modified Cannon cab, a scratch built SW1200 type frame, scratchbuilt cab sub base, modified Athearn SW1000 pilots, and I'm going to be taking a dremel to an Athearn SW1000 chassis. I'm going to use brass steps for an SW9/1200. The fuel tank components will also be scratch built unless I can find a donor air tank. Other detail components such as the bell, fuel filler, sight glass, air filter, cab vent, wire grabs, HEP cable, ditch lights, MU hoses, horn, etc. have been sourced from the major detail parts suppliers.
This is definitely not a build to be taken lightly. The hood alone took a considerable amount of work. A fairly significant amount of doors on both the top and sides of the hood had to be altered or moved, along with the handbrake being blanked off, sand boxes being scratch built, and a riser being placed below the hood. Wikipedia says the riser is 8 inches, but I've found from looking at the prototype that it's more like 5 inches, which scales out to 1.5mm.
The challenges don't stop at the hood either, as there are some significant differences in the cab's front window arrangement compared to a standard EMD SW. The most noticeable difference is that the middle two windows are approx 9 inches higher up the cab face. The slightly trickier and more subtle difference is that the engineer's front window has a squared top, and the brakeman's door window has an angled top. You're buying the Cannon cab pretty much just for the rear cab wall, side windows, and what amounts to a cab roof template!
While I was doing my research for the build, I found that there were no decent drawings online (most of the ones I found contained errors) so I drew up my own using a composite of the SW1000, SW1200, as well as some of my own linework. I figured I'd upload it and share it here.
This is definitely not a build to be taken lightly. The hood alone took a considerable amount of work. A fairly significant amount of doors on both the top and sides of the hood had to be altered or moved, along with the handbrake being blanked off, sand boxes being scratch built, and a riser being placed below the hood. Wikipedia says the riser is 8 inches, but I've found from looking at the prototype that it's more like 5 inches, which scales out to 1.5mm.
The challenges don't stop at the hood either, as there are some significant differences in the cab's front window arrangement compared to a standard EMD SW. The most noticeable difference is that the middle two windows are approx 9 inches higher up the cab face. The slightly trickier and more subtle difference is that the engineer's front window has a squared top, and the brakeman's door window has an angled top. You're buying the Cannon cab pretty much just for the rear cab wall, side windows, and what amounts to a cab roof template!
While I was doing my research for the build, I found that there were no decent drawings online (most of the ones I found contained errors) so I drew up my own using a composite of the SW1000, SW1200, as well as some of my own linework. I figured I'd upload it and share it here.