My BQ23-7 bash

[catt]

My BQ23-7 bash started yesterday with this.



Today I have this ,shell is mounted on Athearn bluebox U28-B chassis.It has Jay-Bee nickle silver wheel sets runs very well and will get a Digitrax DH123AT decoder installed shortly.I have Smokey Valley handrails coming for it (Walthers has quite a few of the SV handrail sets but not all of them)



This is the third Bachmann /Athearn crossbreed I have done (the other two were regular B23-7s.These locos are definitely different units it took over two hours of grinding and fitting for this conversion but only about 15 minutes to do each of the regular B23s.

Further mods will be freestanding grabs,wipers,and flush windows .I'm not sure how much detail I will put on the pilots yet.This loco is destined for a club layout so it will not get to fancy.

[brian]

Lookin good I am currently building mine the same way.

[catt]

Ok, quick progress report.I got the paint stripped.These older Bachmann units usually strip pretty easy but this one had spots that required some extra work to remove.Removing the headlight lens went rather easy ,but there was so much glue holding the windows in I did some collateral damage getting them out.I have repairs to do on the roof (have a sink hole to fix anyway) and both rear cab doors need to be replaced.

As for body work I got the front coupler box roughed in ,a little sanding and it will be good to go.I just bought my first two packages of Smokey Valley handrail kits.They weren't exactly what I expected but they should make quite a difference in the looks of the loco.



One thing I did not know but now do is that Bachmann got the fireman's(conductor?) side cab handrail wrong but since they are included in the handrail kit it will be an easy fix.I still have to figure out what to make the brake stand out of,and am considering a anti-climber so I will have a place to mount ditch lites.

[dale]

Neat, but did any of those units ever get ditch lights?

[catt]

Neat, but did any of those units ever get ditch lights?

Not that I know of,but this is destined for my freelance railroad which is set in the present day and ditch lights are a requirement on today's railroads

[catt]

For the last two days I've been trying to fit Smokey Valley handrails to this little beast with absolutely no luck what so ever. So until I can score some ATLAS B23 handrails this project is on hold.I'm calling ATLAS on Monday to see if they have them or a date when they will.

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

Cool looking project. Any updated pics?

[catt]

Kind of got sidetracked on other projects.I need to get new railings for it and have been considering using the ATLAS units.I bought Smokey Valley railings but the railings themselves were a joke they were so misbent they were beyond hopeless.

When I get a few other projects completed I will get back to this one.

[iomalley]

Why not use the SV stanchions and bend your own handrails? I think the problem you're having is that the bachmann B is too short overall.

Bending your own .015" handrails is not that hard, just buy a pack of wire and some duckbill pliers and give'r a try.

[santafemikie]

This is a pretty cool build! I wish I could squeeze one in on my RR. I use phosphor bronze .015 wire for my handrails. It handles much better than regular brass wire. Use the original handrails as a pattern and you will wind up with a much more uniform handrail set. The Smokey Valley stanchions are relatively strong when they are soldered. I have had better luck with Athearn stanchions on club or operating models. The more handrails you bend, the easier it will be to do more. There are several ways to get where you want to go.

Mike