BN exCBQ SD45

[pumuckl81]

Good evening everybody

Right now on my bench (besides some resin freight car kits) is my homemade Kato chassis and a bunch of parts. It will hopefully turn in a new SD45 for my layout. I want to model one of BN's ex CBQ SD45. On this build, I'll use many Cannon parts. Not because I think the Kato shell is bad, but I want to get some experience for future builds.
I had a Cannon cab and nose here. Sub base and fans and some other parts will be oreder soon.

Sam

[lyled1117]

I concur, an interesting locomotive. I'm in the midst of modifying two of the Lifelike (now Walthers) SD45s they did in Q paint to be more correct for the Q. That includes the triple cylinder/double clasp trucks that Vince describes. You *may* have a relatively easy way to do this. Past versions of the Kato SD40 truck and the Lifelike Flexicoil 1 (SD7/9) had interchangeable parts (one is a clone of the other, I don't know who did it first). The brake assembly piece from the LL trucks fit the Kato trucks directly which convert the Kato to a double clasp times three. Then add a brake cylinder in the middle position and you have the majority of the correct truck.

Lyle



Edited to add this image. This shows the brake rigging I refer to adjacent to an assembled truck. This is a Kato FC2 sideframe on a LL gearcase with the LL brakes:

[MitchGDRMCo]

For those in N scale, the Atlas SD7/9/24/26 Flexicoil sideframes fit onto the Kato SD45 bogies (direct swap). Not sure of earlier runs tho as I only have the latest run models.

[pumuckl81]

I'm not sure which paint scheme I'll choose. Hockey stick looks nice but my masking and painting skills are somewhat limited.
I know about the triple clasp trucks. I don't have the right trucks. Mine have low brake cylinders. So if anybody has the right trucks I'll be glad to buy or trade them. Thanks for the hint with the proto2000 trucks.
Has anybody ever installed Plano's SD45 radiator grilles on a Kato shell?
Thanks
Sam

[lyled1117]

If you want to be historically accurate, by '76 nearly all the locos were in cascade green paint. BN was quite aggressive about getting their locos repainted. And ... a subtle thing if you decide to do the Q version paint, the green is NOT BN cascade green even tho' it resembles it. The Q's version was an experiment and the green is very close to John Deere green. I've seen photos of patched locos where the cascade green patch is distinctly different than the Q green its applied to. Sun fade, aging, etc., could be a factor but the Q locos were delivered only two years before the merger. I have a U23C in progress that will also have the hockey stick scheme and will be painted the proper green, that may make me mask off and re-shoot the green on the 45s (ugghh). Lifelike's version of cascade green is a bit too dark in my opinion for BN.
Lyle

[liengineerbob]

Nice tip on the triple clasp brakes for the P2K/Kato trucks.

[EMDX6043]

Post some pics when you can. Here's the BN 6467 (nee-CBQ 526) on her third life as CNW 6586. If you go the ATHEARN route, they include extra sideframes in the box-all I had to do was plumb the 12 cylinders.

[hurricanefec]

Mar 27, 2013 8:06:43 GMT -5 EMDX6043 said:

Post some pics when you can. Here's the BN 6467 (nee-CBQ 526) on her third life as CNW 6586. If you go the ATHEARN route, they include extra sideframes in the box-all I had to do was plumb the 12 cylinders.

Wow damm good work

[deez]

The flexicoil I trucks that Athearn has are a good stand in. I think Brian Banna has a "how to" in changing Athearn Flexicoil I's to Flexicoil II style with realative ease on his website. Trimming the two nipples between the axle housings is a good start for Flexicoil II representation.

[pumuckl81]

Dave,
Your SD45 looks awesome.
I'll focus on the body now. The trucks can be changed later (when I find them cheap on evilbay). Most people wont recognize their wrong.

Sam

[Arved]

EMD changed the Flexicoil truck casting slightly in 1967. Unless the 'Q SD45s were built in 1966, the SD7/9/18/24/35 trucks aren't going to be correct.

www.hosam.com/emd/emd6a.html

There are two tabs on the bottom of the sideframe, in between the two holes on the early version. In addition, there's some difference in the frame around the middle axle. On the one hand, it's subtle, but on the other hand, it's just different enough that the early Flexicoil doesn't look right to me when a late Flexicoil is needed.

Might be a moot point in N-scale, but then and again, N-scale is rapidly coming up to the same standards as HO.

The difference, to me, is similar to the difference between a GSC and an Adarondack truck on a U-boat C. If you don't know the difference, it's not important, but once you know the difference, it wants to slap you upside the head and call you "dummy" the way Fred Sanford did to his son, Lamont.

[pumuckl81]

I have since started to paint this thing... It's coming along nicely. It will be painted in the hockey stick scheme. I still haven't got the right trucks, but I don't mind. Once I get them it's an easy swap.

[Deleted]

Mar 25, 2013 23:42:59 GMT -5 MitchGDRMCo said:

For those in N scale, the Atlas SD7/9/24/26 Flexicoil sideframes fit onto the Kato SD45 bogies (direct swap). Not sure of earlier runs tho as I only have the latest run models.

They work for the earlier runs also.

[pumuckl81]

I have made some progress. Still waiting for the decals...

[pumuckl81]

[antlorch]

This is looking good, though I dont like this paint scheme you have done a great job. Are you going to weather it to match the proto picture above?

[tjmfishing]

How did you get the curve in the white stripe so precise? Thankfully, CN doesn't have any thing like that, but I did a 1/350th model of the Bismark that did and it was a tough go with Micromask.

[lyled1117]

It may be too late for this, but if you want to be more accurate with the paint scheme if you're doing the Q version, the white 'hockey stick' crosses straight across the walkway both sides and then down walkway side on the left side. Looking at the left side straight on, the walkway part of the paint looks to continue the 'hockey-stick". The walkways are green. They got painted black anti-skid when BN worked them over, but were green in the Q days. I don't have a good image of it, but the cover of the Morning Sun Book "BN in Color, Vol. 2" shows this clearly. I seem to recall one of the BN annuals show this appearance as well in an article on the SD45.

edited to add images:

[pumuckl81]

Jun 17, 2013 20:35:22 GMT -5 tjmfishing said:

How did you get the curve in the white stripe so precise? Thankfully, CN doesn't have any thing like that, but I did a 1/350th model of the Bismark that did and it was a tough go with Micromask.

It only looks like I've done it precise because the picture is not so good :-)
I used ordinary Tamiya tape and cut a radius in it which I thought would be ok.

[pumuckl81]

Jun 17, 2013 22:32:11 GMT -5 lyled1117 said:

It may be too late for this, but if you want to be more accurate with the paint scheme if you're doing the Q version, the white 'hockey stick' crosses straight across the walkway both sides and then down walkway side on the left side. Looking at the left side straight on, the walkway part of the paint looks to continue the 'hockey-stick". The walkways are green. They got painted black anti-skid when BN worked them over, but were green in the Q days. I don't have a good image of it, but the cover of the Morning Sun Book "BN in Color, Vol. 2" shows this clearly. I seem to recall one of the BN annuals show this appearance as well in an article on the SD45.

edited to add images:

I saw that too. But I chose to do the white on the side sill with decals. It's easier than masking it.