Post by analogbeatmaker on Jul 27, 2015 11:49:55 GMT -5
Hi everyone! I just finished my latest weathering project and wanted to share. For many years I've had a 3 piece Athearn RTR set of these tankers. Although I couldn't get them (once again) close to proto due to the model just being too off dimensionally, I got as close as I could. Therefore I did a few mods to the model detail-wise to bring it up a notch. This included of course the obligatory cut levers and airhoses but I also filed off the cast "clip" in the center of the end caps that the end hand railings sat in. I replaced those with a thin piece of brass bent to proto shape and epoxied them over the hand rails. The next thing I did I almost overlooked. 
However, I caught it in time, I replaced the "airlines" between the brake rigging with brass wire. The factory ones were a horrendous webbed piece of plastic that looked hideous! Finally, I did a mod I haven't done yet but knew it had to be done for these cans...semi-scale wheels. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get Sergent shelf couplers for these but I will be replacing the Kadee's in the not so distant future.
I'll start by showing a sample of the model from the factory:
Here is a sample of the protos I worked from:
Here are the models:
However, I caught it in time, I replaced the "airlines" between the brake rigging with brass wire. The factory ones were a horrendous webbed piece of plastic that looked hideous! Finally, I did a mod I haven't done yet but knew it had to be done for these cans...semi-scale wheels. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get Sergent shelf couplers for these but I will be replacing the Kadee's in the not so distant future. I'll start by showing a sample of the model from the factory:
Here is a sample of the protos I worked from:
Here are the models:
