Detailed & Weathered SD40-2 Snoot - BNSF 6864

[MrKLUKE]

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[ednadolski]

Did you repaint the thing or just weather and detail it?

Hi Jeff, thanks for your comments.  Actually I didn't repaint it, except for just the walkways which as you can see in Gary's pic were originally an incorrect yellow instead of blue.  To change the colors I used Tom's approach of airbrushing with a thinned PolyScale Aged White (tho I probably thin it more than Tom -- about 4:1 distilled water to paint).  The rest of the color change was basically the grime coat - a mix of Raw Umber water-mix oils with some Black and White gouache to create an overall greyish/grimy color, and applied in thinned washes with a brush.  I also airbrushed some very thinned Flat Black on the roof for exhaust stains, then a final coat of Dullcote (rattle can) to seal everything.

Detailing-wise, I agree with the others that the new handrails are the key improvement!

What I like about doing the scale handrails is that to my eye they add a sense of mass and scale that is hard to achieve in any other way.   Here's another before/after comparison:



The only 'problem' with handrails is that they're addictive. I've got a 'ready line' of at least half a dozen more engines that are waiting their turn, and I have no idea how long it's going to take me to get to them all (esp. with the FVM ES44DCs on the way, and I won't be too surprised if Kato releases an updated C44-9W in BNSF H2 with hi-mount ditch lights and correct cab windows)  

Ed

[ednadolski]

Hi Ed,

First, very very nice work on this unit! The handrails are very cleanly done with sharp, crisp, even bends. Next, what are you using to glue the walkway/handrail insert to the sill? I know that these are two dissimilar plastics, and solvent has no effect on the insert.

Donnell

Hi Donnell, thanks for the kind words.  To do the bends, I hold the wire against a flat surface in the tip of a Xuron Tweezernose pliers (non-serrated jaws).  Then I use a fine-tipped tweezers to push the wire into a bend, say 90 or 45 degrees most typically.  The flat surface really helps keep everything in the same plane.  One other thing is I first lay down a small sheet of 10x10 quad ruled paper, which makes it easy to see when the bend reaches the 90 or 45 degrees.  I use the factory handrails as a guide, but often enough it is not necessary to follow them with great precision in order to get pleasing results.

For gluing the walkways to the sills I just use regular CA glue, just being careful not to apply so much that it squeezes out in an undesirable location.  A microbrush helps spread the glue evenly.  Then I 'clamp' the pieces together with a few small, flat jawed alligator clips (maybe from Radio Shack IIRC) until the glue sets.  Just make sure not to leave any areas where the parts might separate and leave an undesirable gap.

(BTW some folks rough up the undersides of the walkway piece with a sanding stick to help the glue bond a bit better, since the plastic is a kind of Delrin or Celcon that doesn't always like to be glued. I haven't really found this to be all that necessary, at least on the newer models that I've worked on).

Ed

[ednadolski]

Got the chance this morning to take a few outdoor pix (after the early clouds went away):

[jsoflo]

WOW. Awesome.

[GaryHinshaw]

Splendiferous!  Looks like it could be leading a coal train on the Joint Line.   

The fade really shows up well in that light.

[Hyperion]

Every time I see upgraded handrails, I think that I just can't accept a model without them while also thinking "there's no way in hell I can do that".  I even got all the supplies to do it (I think).  One of these days I've just gotta man-up and try it.

If I can do it, I think most folks could.  One way to get started is with an old/scrap shell, then you can dive in without fear of 'ruining' an expensive model, and if you suffer a few failures while learning, you can just toss 'em and start over.   Really it's just a matter of patience more than anything else (note, good work lighting and magnification really help a lot too). 


Ed

Alright, so I was finally convinced to give it a shot on a couple Kato ACes I'm working on...

And it was a heck of a lot easier than I thought.   In fact, bending the rails themselves, what I always thought would be hard, was actually quite easy and kinda fun really.  Getting the stanchions on there though, what I always thought would be the easy part, was anything but.

I've got one side of one done.  It looks better and is stronger than I thought it'd be.  But the real problem is getting all the holes straight which in turn keeps the tops straight which keeps the rail itself straight.  I've got a slight arc in mine.  Nothing too detracting, but I can't even imagine a really good way of keeping those 12 or so holes straight.

[ednadolski]

Alright, so I was finally convinced to give it a shot on a couple Kato ACes I'm working on...

And it was a heck of a lot easier than I thought.   In fact, bending the rails themselves, what I always thought would be hard, was actually quite easy and kinda fun really.  Getting the stanchions on there though, what I always thought would be the easy part, was anything but.

I've got one side of one done.  It looks better and is stronger than I thought it'd be.  But the real problem is getting all the holes straight which in turn keeps the tops straight which keeps the rail itself straight.  I've got a slight arc in mine.  Nothing too detracting, but I can't even imagine a really good way of keeping those 12 or so holes straight.

Say Mark, any update?  I'd love to see some pics -- in-progress or finished, whenever you have 'em.  

BTW, I try to avoid the problem of aligned holes by using the longer stanchions from the fret, and then trimming them after everything is soldered in place.

Ed

[mdeberg]

Ed,

In looking at the last outside photos, it's impossible to tell the scale of the model.  Incredible detail.  You make me want to change out the handrails on all my locos... Doh! 

[noblerot]

Fantastic work, the result is amazing. I'll have to try this as I've had some GMM stanchions in my parts box for years without getting the nerve to try. The payoff appears to be worth the effort. You have set the bar very high with that model for sure. Grats

[Heath]

Where did you get the pb wire from ?I'm having truoble finding a supply of it.

[wazzou]

Where did you get the pb wire from ?I'm having truoble finding a supply of it.

Tichy is usually the easiest source.  Available direct or from well stocked online shops or certainly from Walthers.

[GaryHinshaw]

One option:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=tichy+wire&Search.x=0&Search.y=0

[Heath]

Thanks guys I must be blind.

[Mark5]

Stunning.