deez
Chairman
Midland Belt Railway
Posts: 949
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Post by deez on Aug 1, 2010 2:24:44 GMT -5
What you have to know Randy, is to do an accurate SD18, you have to use the rear radiator doors from the SD24. They are taller than the SD9's. But also the SD24 has a longer raditor section on top where the grills are. So you need the SD24 radiator door section with the SD9 radiator top. Thats why the rear dynamic bulge is the challenge. It has to angle up higher rather than center like SD7's and 9's. (naturally because the radiator doors & top are taller.) Now, if you are lucky or have enough money to just scrap Proto GP18's or 20's for their removable inertial and radiator grills. You can truely produce the correct late phase radiator grills of most SD18's and the SD24 demonstrators. Here is a pic below of my SD18 with Proto GP18 grills cut up to fit the SD9's radiator opening. They're an exact match to the prototype.
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CIOR
Chairman
Posts: 2,046
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Post by CIOR on Aug 1, 2010 9:45:27 GMT -5
Hopefully we will have a "cut" diagram to put in the "semi-article" when we get it finished.
That will explain each segment cut. Really stinks having all the cuts, but there isn't any way around it.
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Post by minicooper on Aug 1, 2010 10:29:35 GMT -5
I do plan on having that covered in my semi-article. The Cannon grilles that I used are a bit oversize (about one segment to tall and about 2 segments to wide). We had talked about using the GP18 grilles, but in order to keep the cost down, we decided not to. I'm getting closer to having the "semi-article" done by the way. Thanks for your patience by the way.
Brian
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Post by Randy Earle on Aug 1, 2010 12:08:32 GMT -5
So you cut the SD-9 radiator section off and glued it to the SD-24 rear door and nose section?
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deez
Chairman
Midland Belt Railway
Posts: 949
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Post by deez on Aug 1, 2010 15:18:40 GMT -5
Yes, thats how I did it Randy. I suppose if you are doing the late phase grills like most of us, you can cut down the SD24's top radiator section. It just didnt seem that logical to me as far as the cutting of shells go. The Proto SD9 radiator top is perfect. You only need the the nose and about 8' to 10' scale feet or so behind the Atlas SD24 cab. The SD24 radiator doors and the SD24 sub base is used as well. You will use the SD9 radiator top, the SD9 engine compartment door section and the modified SD9 dynmic brake section. This is by no means a run of the mill conversion as it's literally half SD9 and half SD24 with a bunch of unique SD18 only features too. Just buying the locomotives involved to do this conversion could cost well over $100 to do just one. What Matt and Brian have made is an amazing locomotive for sure. I cant wait to see the article!!
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CIOR
Chairman
Posts: 2,046
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Post by CIOR on Aug 1, 2010 16:54:33 GMT -5
Mark nailed it. Myself and Brian just got back from running on a buddies layout (he is probably still driving home). But we discussed this on the way there, we plan on making the cut diagram for both the SD9 and SD24 shell, that will show how to make the cut. Brian learned many things over the course of the first couple shells that will make it easier (his pain, your gain, LOL). Hopefully we can get that stuff photographed this week and get it online as well.
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Post by minicooper on Aug 1, 2010 17:26:11 GMT -5
I just got home myself. Mark, Matt is right, you have figured it out. For me, the DBH teardrops on the rear was the hardest feature to figure out and do. You are actually using three different engines when you do the build. Atlas, Athearn, and LL P2K. I have the parts and shells all ready to go over to Matt's to be photographed except the radiator housing. I have to finish the the completed version. I hope to get it done tonight.
Brian
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deez
Chairman
Midland Belt Railway
Posts: 949
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Post by deez on Aug 2, 2010 0:09:21 GMT -5
Ya know whats nice is the fact that the Atlas and P2K locomotives have really nice detail and are very similar when it comes to even the little details. The shells are almost the same thickness too. They work well together.
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dtinut
Chairman
Modeling the DT&I of the 60's & 70's
Posts: 661
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Post by dtinut on Aug 2, 2010 12:47:03 GMT -5
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Post by Randy Earle on Aug 2, 2010 13:39:48 GMT -5
I said that.
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CIOR
Chairman
Posts: 2,046
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Post by CIOR on Aug 21, 2010 15:55:21 GMT -5
Well, as of today I'm setting on the C&O version shells. Its been too hot and humid to paint anything here. I paint in my garage. So hopefully as soon as it cools down, I'll be shooting the primer on them to apply the first coats of paint!!!!
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CIOR
Chairman
Posts: 2,046
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Post by CIOR on Dec 28, 2010 20:58:07 GMT -5
UPDATE------
We decided to do the frame as a custom item. We had it machined and the first "aluminum" version for testing came back and today we got to see how it would work out. After about 30 minutes we found all the trouble spots and the changes are currently being worked on by Brian.
I'll get some pictures when we get further along. The design of the chassis, waiting for machine time and a few other issues have caused delays. But we are getting back to it again and hope to have a completed, painted, running model by the end of spring!
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deez
Chairman
Midland Belt Railway
Posts: 949
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Post by deez on Dec 28, 2010 21:23:30 GMT -5
Hey Matt, that's great news! Are you still going to try to make a complete dynamic brake mold? I'd like to get crack-a-lackin on some myself but I dont need the RSD trucked frame stuff, (even though they're very cool!)
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CIOR
Chairman
Posts: 2,046
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Post by CIOR on Dec 29, 2010 20:58:13 GMT -5
Hey Matt, that's great news! Are you still going to try to make a complete dynamic brake mold? I'd like to get crack-a-lackin on some myself but I dont need the RSD trucked frame stuff, (even though they're very cool!) As of now? Not sure. We can't find anyone that is good enough to make a 1 piece mold of it. That means each one is built custom still. We talked about doing just the sides, but backed off on that idea as well. We have the technology to do the CAD and mill work for the panels, but we don't want to spend that type of money. Hell, at that cost, we might as well have Overland build it in Brass!
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dtinut
Chairman
Modeling the DT&I of the 60's & 70's
Posts: 661
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Post by dtinut on May 16, 2011 23:31:16 GMT -5
Someone brought up a question about building the SD18 for Missabe on a Yahoo group, and I noticed no one has made any progress on these in awhile. Anyone still working on these?
I know my layout jumped to the front line, so I haven't done a whole lot of modeling lately (since last August)
Brian
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CIOR
Chairman
Posts: 2,046
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Post by CIOR on May 17, 2011 22:52:40 GMT -5
Yes, work is still being done, right now the major hang up is the frame. We had to redesign the ENTIRE frame from the GROUND up. The initial frame was cut in aluminum for testing and we had to tweak things on it, sad part was the tweak was in the thousandths and that we had to tweak it in such a manner a new frame has to be done from the ground up again! I guess they call that the bad part of design. All the other things are done pretty much. I know Brian is finishing up a few things and we shall have atleast the C&O version in full paint as soon as the weather gets nice again. All this rain stinks to paint in.
But yes we are working.
We have talked about doing a Missabe version as well. So if you know of this person wanting one, send them our way.
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dmirble
Probationary Member
Posts: 2
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Post by dmirble on Sept 20, 2011 12:05:44 GMT -5
Brian, Any chance of getting a parts list for your SD18 project? Mark deez, I will be working on an article to explain how things were done in building the shell. These two are the first runs that I did. The other three are much better and the Chessie versions actually have the mail box slots in them as well. I did see one minor mistake that I need to correct. oops... Brian
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