BNSF AC4400CW 5651

[blasterman]

This is one of my latest finished projects. I renumber the unit to 5651 and added a digitrax sound decoder. I also made the lettering light reflective. The hardest part is trying to get a picture that shows the reflectiveness, you can see it a little on the last picture. Under low light conditions the BNSF logo and striping reflect like the prototypes. I will post a video so you can hear this unit.

Thanks for looking,

[antlorch]

I am not a GE fan but that looks pretty nice for sure. OK tell us about the reflective decals and how you got them that way?

[blasterman]

antlorch,

I used reflective glass bead that I mixed with clear coat, then I carefully painted over the areas I wanted to be reflective. I am still perfecting the process, the hardest part is keeping the glass beads in suspension in the paint.

[antlorch]

Thats pretty smart if I say myself. Try taking a picture in dim light with a flash and see if that lights the reflective beads up better on the model.

Please keep working at it and let us know how it turns out as I am very interested in this process..

Thanks

[diesel]

blasterman, nice job on the burn mark. looks pretty cool, but is this an Athearn? If so, you did a nice job on the details as well. I see what looks like the pipe bracket under the sill & fuel tank details 4 window cab ect.

[sd45longhoodfoward]

Ecellent job Blaster! very nice indeed!

[blasterman]

hey diesel,

It's a Kato unit. All the detail is stock from Kato, except the grab Irons which I replaced with brass wire.

[blasterman]

Here is the video, sound really adds another of level detail. Sorry the video quality is not the best.

Enjoy

[Raeder]

That looks nice, I can see you put some time into it. I tried to figure out if it was an Athearn or a Kato before I read your answer and I pegged it for an Athearn because of the wire grabs, nice to see those replacing the plastic ones. They are better than something molded on the shell, but not by much. I also like the four-window cab, those are very rare in the modeling world, but all over the place on the rails. Do you plan to paint the radiator section intakes black in the future? Looks good to me otherwise!

[blasterman]

I totally agree with your comment on the original Kato grabs, I feel the same way about their handrails but I felt it to be too much of an undertaking at the time to core out all the stanchions and use a smaller diameter wire for the rails.

this a photo after I darkened the rad grills, it's light but enough to give the grills some depth.

Thanks for your comments.