What a kick to the head !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RRP SD7/9

[blues90]

 I got this thing years ago and always wanted to do a Milwaukee road using it.

 I usually never give up but this shell just plain sucks.

 First off they didn't add number boards and at one time after adding the better detail associates rad fans and the winterizing hatch I added the DA SD7 number marker lights and the proper headlamps . I knew there was an issue with the way RRP did the round over of the roof so I placed the class lights just a tiny bit high . Then I decided to drill two holes at each end where the number boards should be , again an attempt to come close , I then filed out the shape of the number boards but had to make them a bit shorter in length and not as tall as they should be . They should be like GP7's or GP9's .

 Then I thought I had the problem solved because I found two old wide body SD40-2 shells some place made to fit athearn trucks and drive , well the number boards were dead on . So like a fool I cut one out so all I had was the number board and the raised gasket plus a tiny bit of room around the gasket with square corners so I could cut out the shell and fit them in place  . Then I just checked the front . Once I checked the rear then I realized RPP did the rad housing all wrong . It's not even close to right. The grills are centered on the sides rather than lower with more of a drop from the roof , on top of this if I did use correct size number boards the bottom of the boards would be even with the bottom of the rad housing where it sticks out rather than having some space below them.

 I see that the rear of the rad housing is perhaps .015" higher from the walkway than the sides so I could add styrene strips and get a bit more space . Even then it may work barely and still look like crap . Best shot is make boards not as tall and look away or put the entire thing back in the box and walk away .

 I have other loco's I will finish that are RPP shells like the GP35 and SD40 which are correct and doable . I had the RRP think U23B if I recall that fit the athearn frame and had good detail and I made it a high hood from a smokey Valley kit that used to be out and it was also the correct hood width . But this SD7/9 shell and I got it with the RPP frame is just garbage .

 I really like SD7's or SD9's . I used to have two PK2 units that looked nice other than the ladders and the break when you look at them handrails.

[Randy Earle]

I used ATLAS ends on mine.

[blues90]

Apr 14, 2014 10:19:35 GMT -5 Randy Earle said:

I used ATLAS ends on mine.

 I did a search on RPP finished models and yours came up.

 What is confusing to me is on yours you used the RPP shell and the same radiator  grills and the rear top of the atlas shell lines up with the RPP grills and everything fits . Your number boards are correct as are the headlamp and marker lights and somehow it all fits with the RPP stock radiator . what am I missing here?

[CP_8530]

The SD7/9 was probably one of RPP's earlier, rougher offerings. Let's hope Athearn doesn't decide to spiff up any leftover RPP tooling of it they have and release it as a Genesis unit.

I donno. One can make lemonade from lemons, but sometimes it's best just to throw the lemons out and buy new fruit. Lots of people have done excellent work using older models as a base, but if you want a higher level of accuracy, one needs to weight the effort and time required to update some of the older shells versus just buying a better starting point, like a P2K or BLI SD7/9 cheap off eBay.

[Randy Earle]

Apr 15, 2014 12:37:28 GMT -5 blues90 said:

Apr 14, 2014 10:19:35 GMT -5 Randy Earle said:

I used ATLAS ends on mine.

 I did a search on RPP finished models and yours came up.

 What is confusing to me is on yours you used the RPP shell and the same radiator  grills and the rear top of the atlas shell lines up with the RPP grills and everything fits . Your number boards are correct as are the headlamp and marker lights and somehow it all fits with the RPP stock radiator . what am I missing here?

I don't know, but it worked for me. I also used Keystone Locomotive Works pilot fillers.

[blues90]

Apr 15, 2014 21:32:23 GMT -5 Randy Earle said:

Apr 15, 2014 12:37:28 GMT -5 blues90 said:

 I did a search on RPP finished models and yours came up.

 What is confusing to me is on yours you used the RPP shell and the same radiator  grills and the rear top of the atlas shell lines up with the RPP grills and everything fits . Your number boards are correct as are the headlamp and marker lights and somehow it all fits with the RPP stock radiator . what am I missing here?

I don't know, but it worked for me. I also used Keystone Locomotive Works pilot fillers.

 I see the atlas hood ends worked for you . What I was curious about is with the stock RPP shell and their radiator grills that looking at the photo of your build somehow the atlas hood ends you used placed the number boards where they should be and there is still space below the number boards and slight over hang of the radiator housing . I used SD7 marker lights and the same sized number boards used on a PK2 GP18 , line it all up and mine does not have that space left below the number boards . Plus your number boards seem to be the correct size . Your headlight is the same distance below the roof as mine . The only thing I can think of that is different is the number boards I am using are a bit taller . The only thing I can think of is moving the class lights a bit higher and the headlamp then perhaps I'll have that same space you achieved . I think RPP made a rough casting since there should be mare space above the rad grills and the roof , either RPP long hood doors are too tall simply because the rood is level with the top of the radiator housing.