CN ES44DC

[artur]

Hi guys, I recently got a intermountain ES44DC which is a great engine but they got one thing wrong that I just spotted. the front and rear pilots and and steps are wrong on the tear drop cabs. If cab has the straight windows then the pilots and steps are correct. I decided to replace the pilots on my model.

[spike]

Did you cast the new pilots, or does somebody make them? Someday I hope to do the proper anticlimber for my Athearn SD70I.

[artur]

Nov 10, 2016 19:59:06 GMT -5 spike said:

Did you cast the new pilots, or does somebody make them? Someday I hope to do the proper anticlimber for my Athearn SD70I.

I made them, I couldn't find anyone that makes the proper ones.

[artur]

finished the paint, just have to add all the details. I'm hoping i can find the air hose I dropped into the bermuda triangle aka my carpet

[artur]

new ditch lights, the factory ditch lights have clear plastic light rods that I couldin't use with the new pilots.

 

[ironstef70]

I feel your pain about lost parts. Happens to me all the time too...

I too am also a bit disappointed by the lights. Replacing all lights with LEDs (and add some frame and pilot lights) would make mine look so much better. But I just don't feel like going into that venture ... now.

Stephane

[ironstef70]

It also makes me wonder if they will pay better attention to such details with their upcoming ET44ACs...

[artur]

Nov 11, 2016 18:06:11 GMT -5 ironstef70 said:

It also makes me wonder if they will pay better attention to such details with their upcoming ET44ACs...

I hope so, I'm planning on getting one of them. have they realesed photos of the pre production samples yet?

[ironstef70]

I have no idea. I cannot even recall where I saw it first. Must be in ModelRR or another mag.

I wouldn't expect it before late next year at best ...

S

[artur]

the front and rear pilots are done, I decided to try Sergent couplers. I'm still working on a new fuel tank.

[artur]

here are some more pictures. The front and rear pilots have been replaced as well as the fuel tank and ditch lights. still need to instal front and rear hand rails.

[spike]

I asked before about your pilot and anticlimber. It looks really good. How did you get the shapes right to make the master, in order to make the molds? Did you make a master from styrene, then make a mold?

[artur]

Nov 25, 2016 23:38:26 GMT -5 spike said:

I asked before about your pilot and anticlimber. It looks really good. How did you get the shapes right to make the master, in order to make the molds? Did you make a master from styrene, then make a mold?

Hi, yes I used styrene. It was very difficult to make both sides of the triangular shape perfectly the same so I only made one side and then made a mold of that. Once I had two perfectly the same shapes I glued it together and made the final angles and added details to the master.

[ironstef70]

Man, you did a great job on this loco Artur.
But when I think about it, isn't it a bit disappointing to figure out we still paid over 300 bucks for what we though is a decent loco, but it is not even yet accurate to the prototype?

I too like customization (in my case I mostly work on bras locos) but I like to pay for cheaper DC ones, then do it all may way, with all bells and whistles. Henceforth, I am expecting to do that work as I also believe there's added value of having a unique piece which may attract a potential collector if I ever sell it.
But I hate to know now that I have just purchased a loco that I thought was accurate and isn't.
Maybe Intermountain was a wrong pick and I should be patient and go for a Rapido the next time....

Stephane

[nsc39d8]

Artur,

I would like to see more on what you did to the fuel tank. I keep hearing that the Intermountain tank is wrong but have not seen a corrected tank for comparison.

[artur]

Nov 26, 2016 12:21:15 GMT -5 ironstef70 said:

Man, you did a great job on this loco Artur.
But when I think about it, isn't it a bit disappointing to figure out we still paid over 300 bucks for what we though is a decent loco, but it is not even yet accurate to the prototype?

I too like customization (in my case I mostly work on bras locos) but I like to pay for cheaper DC ones, then do it all may way, with all bells and whistles. Henceforth, I am expecting to do that work as I also believe there's added value of having a unique piece which may attract a potential collector if I ever sell it.
But I hate to know now that I have just purchased a loco that I thought was accurate and isn't.
Maybe Intermountain was a wrong pick and I should be patient and go for a Rapido the next time....

Stephane

At first I didn't notice the pilots and steps were wrong, looks like intermountain didn't do the reaserch or they didn't want to spend money on new tooling to make the correct pilots and steps for the teardrop window versions. However they are correct for the straight window ES44DC's that CN owns. I'm curious if the Genesis ES's are correct I might buy an undecorated straight window version.
as for the fuel tank it's looks to have the correct dimensions but the dip between the air tanks is to shallow. I changed the tank on my model because it wasn't corect for the road number, it should not have fuel sight glass and the details on top are in the wrong spots and not correct for the teardrop version.

[ironstef70]

Hmmm, I'm with you on this; I like my locos to be accurate in all details. I won't buy a loco if I cannot be sure that I can customize it the way it shall be.

I made one mistake on CP 4524 as I did not notice the PAF box. There was no way I would have left it without, then it became a major modification. But I am finally pleased with it and it has became my favorite switcher now.

But now it pisses me off knowing CN2237 is not accurate. I'll have to live with it as I am not huge fan of plastic reworks, and I am far from being as talented as you are in this material. But it will still be a great Club layout workhorse for DPU setups.

Again, great job you did here. Did you replace the standard light bulbs with LEDs? I do this to my locos all the time. I have just ordered 200 warm white pico (1.5mm) ones, so I can add stair and underframe lights and whatever without recounting my inventory.... Those are my favorites:

LEDs

Stephane

[artur]

Nov 27, 2016 9:16:38 GMT -5 ironstef70 said:

Hmmm, I'm with you on this; I like my locos to be accurate in all details. I won't buy a loco if I cannot be sure that I can customize it the way it shall be.

I made one mistake on CP 4524 as I did not notice the PAF box. There was no way I would have left it without, then it became a major modification. But I am finally pleased with it and it has became my favorite switcher now.

But now it pisses me off knowing CN2237 is not accurate. I'll have to live with it as I am not huge fan of plastic reworks, and I am far from being as talented as you are in this material. But it will still be a great Club layout workhorse for DPU setups.

Again, great job you did here. Did you replace the standard light bulbs with LEDs? I do this to my locos all the time. I have just ordered 200 warm white pico (1.5mm) ones, so I can add stair and underframe lights and whatever without recounting my inventory.... Those are my favorites:

LEDs

Stephane

Thanks, ya I was disappointed as well. This unit has the LED's but they are mounted inside on a circuit board and the light travels trough fiber optics. But because I changed the pilots I couldn't use them anymore so I used the 1.5mm led's. I like the idea of underframe lights, I will be installing them in my fleet of Dash 9's.
I did some research last night and found that the Intermountain and Walthers ES44AC units are very accurate for the CN versions, I couldn't find anything out of place. you can pre order them now or you can get the CITIRAIL model which is identical to the CN version and repaint it. I found one on ebay I might get it.

[spike]

Thank you for explaining the process for the ends. I appreciate your taking the time to explain.

[ironstef70]

Artur, here is what mines* looks with the LEDs. I now always add the stair and underframe lights and sometimes also to the the cab when I detailed it fine:

LED JOB

Good luck with yours. It's worth the time spent.

Stephane