Post by kpack on Aug 20, 2011 22:39:13 GMT -5
This project has been a couple years in the making and now I'm finally done (pretty much).
This loco started life as an Athearn Blue Box about 20 years ago and was my second loco as a kid. It saw a lot of use and abuse, then was packed up with the rest of my stuff and sat for about 12 years collecting dust and rusting. The shell was gouged and scratched, the fans were melted from me putting a flame to them to make soot (I was a kid, give me a break), and it was pretty much a complete basket case. I pulled everything back out and wanted to see if I could fix this one up.
I started with the internals, removed everything, polished it, hardwired it, and removed all the rust. Then I went to the body and tried my hand at detailing. I'd never done this before so it was a lot of trial and error. I repainted everything, did some scrathbuilding, decaled, built handrails, and weathered. These were all firsts for me and it shows. I also installed a TCS T6X decoder (also a first)....it really helps make this old engine run well, and the flashing ditchlights are nice!
Everything on here has been redone...the only thing I didn't do was add tread plate. And although it's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I believe it's a decent representation of the prototype.
This is what it started as soon after I pulled it out of storage (I had glued on a couple of details...which were all later removed):
These are a few of the prototype pics I worked from (I used a ton):
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2500836
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1784561
Here is the end result:
A list of some things that were done:
-all pilot details added and scratchbuilt lift bars, filled in pilot notches
-rooftop details and scratchbuilt piping according to proto
-canon dynamic brake fan
-DA radiator fans
-relocated headlight to nose, wired 1.5V bulbs to ditchlights and headlights
-grabs added
-Repainted and decaled according to proto
-DW air tanks, Canon fuel tank detail
-Smokey Valley handrails/stanchions (not fun)
-Laser Kit windows
-heavily modified truck sideframes to closely resemble proto
-lots of weathering!!
This loco started life as an Athearn Blue Box about 20 years ago and was my second loco as a kid. It saw a lot of use and abuse, then was packed up with the rest of my stuff and sat for about 12 years collecting dust and rusting. The shell was gouged and scratched, the fans were melted from me putting a flame to them to make soot (I was a kid, give me a break), and it was pretty much a complete basket case. I pulled everything back out and wanted to see if I could fix this one up.
I started with the internals, removed everything, polished it, hardwired it, and removed all the rust. Then I went to the body and tried my hand at detailing. I'd never done this before so it was a lot of trial and error. I repainted everything, did some scrathbuilding, decaled, built handrails, and weathered. These were all firsts for me and it shows. I also installed a TCS T6X decoder (also a first)....it really helps make this old engine run well, and the flashing ditchlights are nice!
Everything on here has been redone...the only thing I didn't do was add tread plate. And although it's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I believe it's a decent representation of the prototype.
This is what it started as soon after I pulled it out of storage (I had glued on a couple of details...which were all later removed):
These are a few of the prototype pics I worked from (I used a ton):
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2500836
www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1784561
Here is the end result:
A list of some things that were done:
-all pilot details added and scratchbuilt lift bars, filled in pilot notches
-rooftop details and scratchbuilt piping according to proto
-canon dynamic brake fan
-DA radiator fans
-relocated headlight to nose, wired 1.5V bulbs to ditchlights and headlights
-grabs added
-Repainted and decaled according to proto
-DW air tanks, Canon fuel tank detail
-Smokey Valley handrails/stanchions (not fun)
-Laser Kit windows
-heavily modified truck sideframes to closely resemble proto
-lots of weathering!!