Improving the Life-Like C-424

[fredmoehrle]

Nice job Ed.  The I beam looks better up close than what I used.

Red Alco's, my favourite colour.  Nice photo Mike.  Looks like the GBW didn't have a wash bay.

Looks like the I beam for future projects then.  Like your sentiment Tim, Alco's forever.
Cheers
Steve

Well, red C424 & C430's.
My favorite is the Green & Gold D&M C425s!
Fred

[lock4244]

There is a noticeable space between the front truck and the pilot:
http://www.locophotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=106842


Ed's I-beam bears a lot of resemblance to the prototype (MLW) units... looks good:
http://www.cnrphotos.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=61950&g2_imageViewsIndex=2

[mandealco]

Here are some photos that I hope help explain what I did round the cab and short hood.
Firstly the Atlas cab fits well in the slot where the Life-Like one came out.

The short hood fits into the same slot on the front of the cab as it would on the C-628.  Also shows the area removed from the LL frame below the cab.  A small amount of metal was removed to make way for the hand brake on the short hood.

This shows the underframe work with the 90 degree angle styrene.
.
Here is the comparison of the C-628 cab on the C-424 and the Atlas C-630 cab on the C-430.  Not only is the C-630 cab longer at the sides, but the door hinges from the opposite side.

Back together in front of the Morristown engine house.

I would have taken more photos but the batteries went flat and no more AAs in the house!!
I will take a couple more when I pull it apart for painting.  I didn't get the frame off the chassis as I didn't want to take the "Z" couplers off this time.
Cheers
Steve
Me and my Alco

[Wardie]

Would you mind a brief overview of how you did a C-430?

[coosvalley]

I think you need to think about fixing your airbrush problems.......seriously........it's time!

Your models inspire me to push myself......Please give them some paint!!!!

[mandealco]

I'll have a look to see what photos I have of the C-430.  It's been on the work bench a long time with a design problem.  I'll start aother thread later and show where it's at.

As for painting, I have 2 options.  One of my sons paints model aircraft, so if I want something painted in cammo, I'll ask him, afterall, I used to paint his planes.  A better option is a friend, better known as "Steve4Painting", he has recently moved to a small town close by,so he's a better option,his work is amazing.
Cheers
Steve

[Puddington]

I beam trick x 2.....and CPR snow shields and/or car filters...it appears the LL/Hobbycraft C424 gets a lot of "tender love and care" around here.....

[Wardie]

Here is my treatment of the Life-Like C-424/425, granted they were in Guilford grey when they actually hit the MEC roster but this is what I decided to do with a pair of them;

[Wutter]

I really like that all weather window Steve, who makes that part?

[mandealco]

Love your Alco/MLWs Puddington.  It was CP Rail's big alcos that got me started on my Alco obsession in the 70s.

We're seeing some wonderful C-424s here.  The MEC scheme may not be prototypical, but that's a nice job Wardie.

Wutter, the winter windows are, or were, made by Detail Associates.  Hard to get now, but I won 2 sets on E-Bay recently in a mix of detail parts.  They were the only ones available back then, and are still my favourites.

I found a couple of photos of my attempt at a C-430.  I'll post that soon in a new topic.

Fred, D&M C-425M 1280 is on my to do list.  Had a ride in her a couple of days before GBW 321 in August 1985.

Thank you all for sharing all your fabulous C-424s.

Cheers
Steve

[Wardie]

Love your Alco/MLWs Puddington.  It was CP Rail's big alcos that got me started on my Alco obsession in the 70s.

We're seeing some wonderful C-424s here.  The MEC scheme may not be prototypical, but that's a nice job Wardie.

Wutter, the winter windows are, or were, made by Detail Associates.  Hard to get now, but I won 2 sets on E-Bay recently in a mix of detail parts.  They were the only ones available back then, and are still my favourites.

I found a couple of photos of my attempt at a C-430.  I'll post that soon in a new topic.

Fred, D&M C-425M 1280 is on my to do list.  Had a ride in her a couple of days before GBW 321 in August 1985.

Thank you all for sharing all your fabulous C-424s.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks, it started out decorated as a Norfolk and Western unit and I chose to keep the factory printed number boards as opposed to numbering them into the same series Guilford did. And the 42x series was availale in the real MEC roster at the time of Guilford acquiring them,  I did a second unit numbered as 425 and have a pair of undecorateds whose future is still undecided, though I am leaning towards doing them in CP Rail multimark. 

[rdg5308]

Your C-424 looks great so far.   What did you do to modify the radiator shutters when you got rid of the molded on walkway? 

As an aside, I have a soft spot for GBW sister #322, a.k.a. Reading #5204.  As a member of the Reading Tech. group, I negotiated the price with the leasing company that owned it and arranged the shipping when we purchased it. 

Charlie

[BCR 570]

Yes, nice to see other people's C-424s.

Steve:

Thanks for posting the additional pics.  You have convinced me - I will order my C-628 cabs and window glass on Tuesday.  Its also got me thinking about my 4th C-425 and my CN C-424, but I am dtermined to finish the main line before taking on new projects.

This thread motivated me to consist all three C-425s for a run this afternoon.  Here are 812/810/804 cresting the grade at the top of the helix:




Tim

[mandealco]

Rdg5308, real nice work on the 1:1 C-424.  Has yours been repained yet?

Tim, there's only one thing better than 3 Alcos together, and that's more than 3 Alcos together.

The radiator was made from 2 Atlas C-628/630 radiators.  I simply cut them into sections along the edge of the molded on walkway.  I then glued 3 sections together, minus walkways, to make the correct width radiator.  The new walkway was a left over piece of etched freightcar walkway, possibly Plano, or a left over from a Briggs set.  I used very thin styrene strips along the edges of the walkway to give it a little more thickess and rigidity.

The Alco shutters on century radiators are quite a feature when viewed from above.  I have in the past used Con-Cor U-50 radiators to simulate Alco shutters in the open position.  I've also considered using appropriately sized weatherboard styrene sheets to simulate semi-closed shutters.

Cheers
Steve

[craigolio1]

Hey guys.  I'm just catching up on this thread.  Awesome work everybody.

Tim, you mention that you will do the cab/short hood modification on your CN and EL locos.  I have a couple of the Briggs kits which will eventually be BCR units.  I know the Briggs shells use the Life Like cab.  Would these upgrades be usefull on those models as well or are they not needed?  Perhaps just the cab?  I guess I'm wondering if you didn't mention it since yours are built and look stunning.  Perhaps it would hurt to much to send tham back to the body shop?

Thanks, and keep posting all of those inspiring photos!

Craig