C-424 Kitbash

[mta224]

Hi everyone;hope all is well.My latest project is the one-of-a kind Penn central C424 2415.Been kickin it around for a few years and decided to take the plunge.Anyway,I need to know 2 things:

What is the best way to correct the pilot so it's prototypical

Any suggestions for making the large equipment door on the engineers side of the cab

Thanking you in advance,
Anthony

[dtinut]

Below are some photos of the C-425 I built, and if you number yours 2415, it's a C-425, not a C-424.
I think PRR only had one of those, and I don't think NYC had any, and not too sure if NH had any either.

Anyways, scrap off the door detail on the side, and use some .005 or .010" thick styrene to make a new equipment door. I used a couple pieces brass wire to make hinges, and some small bits of styrene to make latch details. The rear of the unit needs to have a couple access doors added, and of course you'll need to get a details west air horn (I don't recall the number off hand) but I think it's the same one as what the EL used on SD45's to mount the horn on the cab face.

The most work will be re-doing the couplers so the pilots looks better. I made my own couplers using KD boxes with added details to them. I also made it so the couplers mounted to the frame by building some aluminum mounting pads that I screwed to the frame. Note: the newer Atlas C-425 already has this feature, the older yellow box ones don't, and I think you can buy a new frame pretty cheap (10 bucks)

Look at photos and study the pilots, not sure how exactly to describe these, except that there is a collar around the coupler that sticks out from the pilot face.

Regards,
Brian

[c415rock]

Hi Guys,

Built as Pennsylvania Railroad #2415 in 1963 (Alco b/n #84558).
This was the first production C-424 built (using some parts from from Alco RS-27 demonstrator #640-1), and was the only C-424 on the PRR. After the PRR bankruptcy it was Penn Central #2415 and Conrail #2474.The unit was rebuilt by GE-Hornell and sold to the GBW #319 1980 as .

Erik

[mta224]

Erik and Brian;thank you.On your 425 Brian,what rear access doors are you referring to?

Anthony

[chessie77]

Just a Quick note, the first C424 built was CP 8300 built 4/63. The first American C424s built were for EL 2401-2415 built 5.6/63. The PRR C424 2415 was built 10/63. Very nice C425 there Brian.

David

[dtinut]

Oct 16, 2013 10:40:34 GMT -5 mta224 said:

Erik and Brian;thank you.On your 425 Brian,what rear access doors are you referring to?

Anthony

Hi Anthony, sorry about the 2415, I forgot it's crazy heritage....

Anyways, if you check the photos I posted, look at the photo which shows the front/rear (coupler pocket)
in the rear photo, you can see the access doors just below the number boards - I added those using the .005 or .010" styrene line I did on the side door under the cab.

Good luck, and thanks, I did a lot of work, and it turned out to be a nice model.
Looks even better weathered... guess I should take  picture of it again.

[mta224]

David-nice pickup on the first 424.I think CP renumbered it to 4200.What do I know;I come from an era where diesel hoods were sooty from exhaust,computers were found on an Apollo spacecraft and marker lights were found on products built in Schenctady.

Brian,thanks again.I figured those rear doors were what you meant.I believe they are for the class lights.When I go to build LIRR C420 224 one of these days.I need to make a set for the lower part of the long hood.In that case I think they were access doors. The Atlas 420 hood ends already have the doors up where you did yours. 

Anthony