The Great Tunnel Motor Dilemma

[James Costello]

Well, it's come time for this Espee modeller to start preparations for the daunting task of working on fleet of grungy grey and scarlet SD40T-2's and SD45T-2's.... starting with the Intermountain model.

[As an aside, why do we start thinking of the next project before the current one(s) are off the workbench?   ??? ;D :]

We've all seen the models (or the photos of them) and we've all got our opinions on them.

My question is - where do you start if you want to model specific units?

Do you start with factory painted units and detail them to suit?
(Either matching road numbers to photos, or changing numbers to suit - if thats achievable?)
I have seen some excellent work done with the decorated units.

Do you start with undec's and start from scratch? Undec's are available direct from IMRC, at I assume full retail - $119 (Note: I've contacted IMRC about details on availablilty of undecs, but haven't enquired about price yet).

Do you start with decorated units and strip the paint - which is apparently another challenge. Decorated units seem to go $80-90 through e-tailers and some NIB units went for $50-60 on ebay today.

I'm wanting to model SP and SSW units and am going to want to deck these units out with the usual details parts (grabs, hoses, etc) and modify the nose lights and ditch lights to suit.... so, where do we start? How much of a price to be put on detailing ease?

[Denver Road Doug]

James,

Great question!  While not specifically dealing with the tunnel motors, I am facing a similar logistical issue right now with another loco project.

What I am doing is buying the cheap one off eBay and going as far as I can with it....worse case scenario regarding the work put into it.  That will tell you how to disassemble, what parts are a bear to take off of the assembled (glued?) model, and what might break and if it's worth breaking it.  It will tell you if lettering can be removed without affecting the paint.  And/or, if the paint can be removed without affecting the shell.  It will let you experiment with adding the additional lighting to know where to drill, if something needs reenforcement, what size drill bit to use, where LED's or fiber optics can fit, etc.  If you do go the "strip and repaint" route, it will give you a plan for painting everything and how to mask.  (As an aside, you might be able to do some "test weathering" as well before stripping it all off)  This "sacraficial lamb" will let you get your hands dirty and provide you with most or all of the answers you are looking for.

If you can make it look good, then you have your answer.  If not, then you know where to scale back on your detailing and renumbering/repainting efforts.

This was the thought process I had when trying to figure out a direction to take, and I just got my el-cheapo unit in the mail so we'll see how it goes.

[TiVoPrince]

Accumulating
the necessary Sunrise detail parts would seem a logical place to start.  Your project needs those parts and your eventual number of parts may well determine your locomotive buy quantity...

[tom mann]

James,

How tied are you to N scale?  Athearn has an amazing HO model for around $60.

[central.vermont]

James,

How tied are you to N scale?  Athearn has an amazing HO model for around $60.

Shame on ya Tom for trying to sway an N scaler from the fray. > ;D
Jon

[Chris333]

I remember when the Athearn SD40-2 first came out. Most Athearn locos were $19-21 at the time. The SD40-2 was $23.  Ah those were the days...

[James Costello]

Accumulating
the necessary Sunrise detail parts would seem a logical place to start.  Your project needs those parts and your eventual number of parts may well determine your locomotive buy quantity...

Tivo, you can assume for this exercise that Sunrise parts aren't going to be an issue, as I've got a chache of them here that I accumulated during the 'golden years' of part production.  Enough to keep me in the relm of GP20s, SD9Es, GP35E/Rs, SD45Rs and SD45T-2Rs for many models to come...or so I thought at the time - I do fear what happens when I run out, but either some enterprising soul will have stepped up to the plate or I'll be casting my own by then.

[James Costello]

James,
How tied are you to N scale?  Athearn has an amazing HO model for around $60.

Sorry Tom, already fully committed to N.

As nice as Athearns MP15AC's and SD40T-2/SD45T-2s are and as sweet as the Maxi-I's, Spines and Wabash Trailers are going to be, 100+ car trains over Tehachapi aren't going to be possible in my situation.

Besides, my earliest memories of model trains are standing on a stool trying to peer over an N-Trak skyboard, so N is in my blood 

[James Costello]

Some of the numbers IMRC has done to date won't suit units I would like to do - so has anyone got experience with:
a) removing numbers, or
b) stripping the paint
from IMRC's decorated tunnel motors?

Thanks for the responses so far too!

[tom mann]

James,

How tied are you to N scale?  Athearn has an amazing HO model for around $60.

Shame on ya Tom for trying to sway an N scaler from the fray. > ;D
Jon

Sorry... :-[

 

[nscalesteve]

Some of the numbers IMRC has done to date won't suit units I would like to do - so has anyone got experience with:
a) removing numbers, or
b) stripping the paint
from IMRC's decorated tunnel motors?

James, I can only talk from my personal experience which is based on stripping four tunnelmotors and finishing only one so far. stripping is easy and the paint comes straight off in 96% alcohol, not a problem at all. to remove only numbers and/or road names, that was not that easy, for my LTEX unit I have had to remove the Cotton Belt first and it came off but don't try alcohol, the gray paint will come off first. so I did soak the letters with MicroSol first and did scratch the letters off with a new x-acto blade.

the whole pain with this IM TMs is the way they are built, so the cab is glued to the long hood and if you get a bad example also to the sill/battery boxes and the nose part is glued to the cab as well, all the cab windows are glued in piece by piece from the outside so be very carefully by removing the big side windows so you do not break off the edges of the glassing. you can remove them by slightly pressing them out with a toothpick (or similar) from the inside (not too sharp objects or you will scratch the glassing) and the best thing is to order new handrails from IM if you use a decorated one from eBay. if you take a deep breath too close to them they will break, same will happen if you try to remove them from the sill as they are glued in as well.

for my LTEX engine I did strip the whole cab because of all the new detail parts I did put on and I did repaint the roof because of the lift rings and the red rear for the BLMA grab irons.

not a lot of information but I hope it will help you anyway...

[James Costello]

Thanks for the tips Steve!