Santa Fe RSD-5 #2135

[geepfan]

Hi there.

This will be my first major detailing and painting project, so we'll see how this goes.

The base model is a 70's atlas/roco RSD-4/5. I got it for a decent price on ebay, but when it showed up in the mail, it was rather disappointing, yeah it ran well. However the paint and lettering was terrible and I couldn't find anything that matched the exhaust stack. I was planning on leaving it as is until I got around to repainting it, but another club member repainted his atlas RSD4/5 so I decided not to let him one-up me.


here's the original, second unit is mine, lead unit is the repainted model made by another club member. That light blue isn't even close remotely to the blue on the lead unit.


heres the engine taken apart on my workbench. I carved off both the stack and the molded on grabs.





As I type this, the engine is sitting in the stripper and I have my detail parts on order from caboose hobbies.

I plan of priming the engine sometime in the next few days, At least it will keep me busy.

[marknycfan]

Quick note, that's an Atlas/Kato piece circa 1984- good luck with your build!

[geepfan]

yay Progress!

Took me a while but I finally got off my butt, primed, and painted the durn thing.


The shell came out of the shops last night with some fine mask lines if I don't say so myself. The stack still needs to be painted silver.


The other side.


And here's the final base product. Lookin' handsome. Handrails will come off again to receive proper paint and I will install the detail parts.


As of right now the details I have/ or will need are.
-Details West Antenna Mounting Stand 235-223
-Details West Can Radio Antenna 235-276
-Details West Wabco E-style air horn 235-174
-Cal Scale Marker Lights 190-280
-Details West MU hose cluster 235-294
-Custom Finishing Tall turbo stack 247-269
-Custom Finishing RS-2/3 Curved Grab irons 247-205

That will get me as close to a Santa Fe RSD as I feel like getting. The exhaust stack I installed would require an intercooler pipe running up to it, and thats a little beyond what I want to do.

[icghogger]

Excellent Progress, keep 'em comin'!!

[lajmdlr]

Here's a link to a couple of pix of your loco. The stack is rectangular w/ no base like the Santa Fe's S-2 & S-4:
www.rrpicturearchives.net/locopicture.aspx?id=142143
But on the RSD 4/5 they go across the hood vs along the hood like on the S-2 & S-4. Here's a roster showing the Santa Fe RSD 4 & 5:
www.qstation.org/atsf/atsfrsd45.html
Please let us know how you make & what you used for the stack.

[geepfan]

lajmdlr; ironic, that series of photos of 2135 in Colorado Springs were the exact same ones I used when I started on this.

I used a Custom Finishing Tall stack (walthers 247-269) for the new exhaust. Its not exact, but its fairly close to what the Santa Fe had. I'm only lacking the intercooler piping, which would need to be handbend. Not that great at bending pipes.

[geepfan]

some more progress.


Now has all the details for a RSD5. Need to install the billboard lettering and stripe, which should arrive in the mail tomorrow.


Some of the details installed.

[lajmdlr]

Don't think any of the Santa Fe ALCOs had stacks w/ an "extension" like the Custom Finishing Tall stack. At least not in any pix I've seen which has been WAY more than a few. LOL

[geepfan]

in theory I would need to cut off the top portion (custom finishing advertises it as two stacks). But I find I prefer the tall stack. Maybe when I get around to installing the pipe I'll cut the top off.

[lajmdlr]

Did some measurements of some Santa Fe S-2/4 stacks and they look to be about 3.5' tall. The stack on the RSD-5 looks a little shorter. Now to find something that's the right rectangular shape.

[geepfan]

and...... we have lettering!


I think the "Santa Fe" is a little high, but I'm not going to worry about it. The spot under the cab has been covered with a little burnt umber for rust, will get a little better with a full weathering in a few months.





not bad so far as my first diesel detailing project.

[icghogger]

Lookin' Good!!