Need help to build a Hi Nose SD45 (N Scale)

[GP38-2freak]

Hi,
I begun building a NW Hi Nose SD45 from a Kato SD45 and a Atlas SD35 Hi Nose shell.
The cut in the Kato shell was made very careful and worked well, the same for the SD35 shell but now after test fitting there is a 0.5 millimeter between the SD45 shell and the SD35 cab...what to do now?

Tim

[Philip H]

Is this a vertical gap or a horizontal gap?  Any pics to help us out?

[GP38-2freak]

Pics will follow soon, just have to make some...

[Philip H]

fair enough.  If it's a horizontal gap - as in there is an opening between shell parts when properly set on their frames - you can probably fill it with some strip styrene, sand it, and call it good.  If its a vertical gap between the shells where they meet, then you have to get some shims under the too low part.  That will be more effort, but again not likely to be noticed if you take your time and sand carefully.

[GP38-2freak]

I took some pictures with my cell phone, sorry for the poor quality...

http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss286/GP38-2freak/?action=view&current=DSC01152.jpg

http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss286/GP38-2freak/DSC01150.jpg

Tim

[Philip H]

Ok, it looks like your nose/cab won't sit right on your frame.  Honestly, you should be able to close most of that with some strip styrene, and once sanded and painted, only you and me will know the difference (since we seem to be the only ones here).

[davefoxx]

Oh, I'll know, too.     Seriously, the cab, likely sitting just loose on the model and not secured yet, is not sitting level.  It's leaning forward, which means that the gap is not actually as bad as it initially appears.  I agree with Philip: glue some strip to the shell to fill the gap.  You can probably get it smooth enough that putty will hardly be needed.  Keep us posted on your progress.

DFF

[GP38-2freak]

Philip, Dave...I'll buy some styrene stripwork tomorrow and hope to get some Tenax7R (it works very good on Kato's plastic) to do more on it...

[ednadolski]

Nice build, this looks like it'll be an awesome model when done.

You may want to do a really close inspection to see why the cab is leaning forward like that.  Just make sure there are no tabs or anything underneath that's preventing a proper fit.

One other thing, it seems to my eye that perhaps the cab may want to sit just a bit further back.   I'm not sure if there is enough there to take up the entire gap, tho it may reduce it some.

Ed

[GP38-2freak]

I found out that the SD45 frame has two small noses which hold the original SD45 body, after sanding them away the SD35 cab fit better than before and was underfilled with a small styrene shim and glued to the SD45 body with Tenax7R.
When it bond together I'll strip the paint  and install the details needed, including BLMA Grab Irons (the 15" Drop Style seem to be the right one?), Leslie S5T-R Horns (N&W's universal horn was the Leslie RS-5T-F but it seems that it isn't available) plus a bell on the short hood and a allweather-cab.

If someone knows more about detailing this unit I will be glad to hear.