Post by rock on Aug 26, 2013 21:35:44 GMT -5
So this project started out as a simple repowering and turned into a detailing and repainting project!
Back in March 2008, I purchased an old IHC C415 to detail and paint into a Rock Island prototype. Here's how that turned out:
After that project, I test ran it on a friend's layout and the drive really sucked (lots of weird stops and starts, no real pulling power), plus it would be hard to convert to DCC. So I set it on my shelf to repower at some point. That time came last fall, when I decided to repower it with an Atlas/Kato RS3! I bought a nice runner off the HO Interchange that was already converted to DCC with a Digitrax DH165 decoder. Once I had the new motor, I stalled some more.
In the mean time, I was developing a fictional concept for a short line railroad to operate the local traffic on my layout, the Omaha Terminal. As I was developing the locomotive roster, I wanted to add a switcher, which comes back to the C415. In reality, the five C415s that the Rock Island leased from Union Pacific, 420-424, were picked up by the Brandon Railroad, which operated out of South Omaha, where my Omaha Terminal transfer yard would be. Out of those, the one that lasted the longest was the ex-Rock Island 424, so I decided that would be the remaining switcher in my Omaha Terminal fleet (besides one or two that would be out of service for parts salvage).
Here is what the repowering looked like at first:
To accomplish this, first cut out the bottom of the plastic sill so the drive could sit in there and also cut out a lot of plastic in the shell to smooth that out. Then I cut the metal frame with my Dremel tool on both ends so that the truck centers/center bolster was down from 30 feet to 28 feet. I also had to file off some sides of the frame so that it would fit snug into the sill. Then I glued it to the plastic sill with CA glue. I had to cut down the metal drive shaft that goes through the worm gear so that the drive would fit in the shortened chassis. So the plastic sill and metal frame would be one piece with the shell being removable for maintenance.
After this, I test ran it and it worked real well. Then I started to prep the shell to receive an Omaha Terminal patch job. While doing this, I realized that some things I let go the first time around were not very prototypical and did not meet my new standards of modeling. I filed off the extra grille/fan on the long hood and replaced the air horn with a brass part and then I changed the fuel tank by adding a part from a Bowser Alco on one side. While I was at it, I got to thinking that the paint job was not up to my standards (neither was the weathering) and the handrails should really be replaced (they are too fat and too brittle). So I stripped the locomotive and started over!
Other details I added included cutting out the old windows and replacing them with some from an Atlas B23-7, adding a new bell on the long hood, re-doing the all-weather window, using pilots from an Atlas RS3, adding curved grab irons, and using plastic handrails from an Atlas C424. The plastic handrails are not 100% prototypical Alco C415 style, but they are way better looking than the IHC handrails that were on the model before. I decided to overlook the minor details in handrails along the steps and on the pilot as that could have been changed when this model was repainted by the Rock Island.
Here are some photos of that process:
Here's the new paint job:
And decals (I really like how the Rock Island blue/white paint scheme logos work on the short and long hoods):
After weathering:
So the next step is to add the OTRR patch for the Omaha Terminal, which I just did, and then assemble the shell - basically adding the window glazing. Then it will be ready to run and serve the transfer job on the layout! I will add some more photos of the repowering and how it looks under the chassis.
Back in March 2008, I purchased an old IHC C415 to detail and paint into a Rock Island prototype. Here's how that turned out:
After that project, I test ran it on a friend's layout and the drive really sucked (lots of weird stops and starts, no real pulling power), plus it would be hard to convert to DCC. So I set it on my shelf to repower at some point. That time came last fall, when I decided to repower it with an Atlas/Kato RS3! I bought a nice runner off the HO Interchange that was already converted to DCC with a Digitrax DH165 decoder. Once I had the new motor, I stalled some more.
In the mean time, I was developing a fictional concept for a short line railroad to operate the local traffic on my layout, the Omaha Terminal. As I was developing the locomotive roster, I wanted to add a switcher, which comes back to the C415. In reality, the five C415s that the Rock Island leased from Union Pacific, 420-424, were picked up by the Brandon Railroad, which operated out of South Omaha, where my Omaha Terminal transfer yard would be. Out of those, the one that lasted the longest was the ex-Rock Island 424, so I decided that would be the remaining switcher in my Omaha Terminal fleet (besides one or two that would be out of service for parts salvage).
Here is what the repowering looked like at first:
To accomplish this, first cut out the bottom of the plastic sill so the drive could sit in there and also cut out a lot of plastic in the shell to smooth that out. Then I cut the metal frame with my Dremel tool on both ends so that the truck centers/center bolster was down from 30 feet to 28 feet. I also had to file off some sides of the frame so that it would fit snug into the sill. Then I glued it to the plastic sill with CA glue. I had to cut down the metal drive shaft that goes through the worm gear so that the drive would fit in the shortened chassis. So the plastic sill and metal frame would be one piece with the shell being removable for maintenance.
After this, I test ran it and it worked real well. Then I started to prep the shell to receive an Omaha Terminal patch job. While doing this, I realized that some things I let go the first time around were not very prototypical and did not meet my new standards of modeling. I filed off the extra grille/fan on the long hood and replaced the air horn with a brass part and then I changed the fuel tank by adding a part from a Bowser Alco on one side. While I was at it, I got to thinking that the paint job was not up to my standards (neither was the weathering) and the handrails should really be replaced (they are too fat and too brittle). So I stripped the locomotive and started over!
Other details I added included cutting out the old windows and replacing them with some from an Atlas B23-7, adding a new bell on the long hood, re-doing the all-weather window, using pilots from an Atlas RS3, adding curved grab irons, and using plastic handrails from an Atlas C424. The plastic handrails are not 100% prototypical Alco C415 style, but they are way better looking than the IHC handrails that were on the model before. I decided to overlook the minor details in handrails along the steps and on the pilot as that could have been changed when this model was repainted by the Rock Island.
Here are some photos of that process:
Here's the new paint job:
And decals (I really like how the Rock Island blue/white paint scheme logos work on the short and long hoods):
After weathering:
So the next step is to add the OTRR patch for the Omaha Terminal, which I just did, and then assemble the shell - basically adding the window glazing. Then it will be ready to run and serve the transfer job on the layout! I will add some more photos of the repowering and how it looks under the chassis.
