Kitbashing a Pennsy ND class cabin

[timwatson]

This looks great. This looks nothing like the Bachmann. Which is a complement in and of itself. Keep up the good work and take pics of the train when it's complete.

[chicken45]

If that's super glue on brass, acetone will take that off for you.

[pjm20]

The bash is lookin' good so far!

[mmagliaro]

I like it. 
I do have some suggestions (and you may have already thought of some of these).

First, I realize that this is not actually a Quality Craft kit.   I think it was my mistake calling it a "QC" kit
earlier in this thread.  The N6b was a Gloor Craft wooden kit.
That body is wood, right?

I suggest getting rid of the thick handrails.  You could probably make some MT caboose handrails work and they would look
a lot better (they sell them separately).   

Since the caboose is small, I'd go with Z scale couplers.

That glue blob in the upper left will not be hidden by a marker light.   You could take an Xacto or a sharp pointy
jewelers file and scrape that glue out from between the board lines.  What will really show is the way it fills in the lines.

[VonRyan]

I like it. 
I do have some suggestions (and you may have already thought of some of these).

First, I realize that this is not actually a Quality Craft kit.   I think it was my mistake calling it a "QC" kit
earlier in this thread.  The N6b was a Gloor Craft wooden kit.
That body is wood, right?

I suggest getting rid of the thick handrails.  You could probably make some MT caboose handrails work and they would look
a lot better (they sell them separately).   

Since the caboose is small, I'd go with Z scale couplers.

That glue blob in the upper left will not be hidden by a marker light.   You could take an Xacto or a sharp pointy
jewelers file and scrape that glue out from between the board lines.  What will really show is the way it fills in the lines.

It is a Quality Craft N6b kit. Wood with white-metal parts. I also have an unbuilt one. Gold-colored box with black lettering on top (I've also seen the box lettering printed in red).

The thick handrails will go at some point. Probably after Chantilly. I have phosphor-bronze wire that I can use to make new ones.
Z-scale couplers will also come after Chantilly as I don't have any on hand at the moment. For now it will just get an MT on the non-marker end.

The marker lights that this cabin will be getting are the GATR works ones. Just red SMD LEDs with some wires attached plus a switch and battery. The hole for the wires is going right where that glue is since that is where the white-metal marker light casting was. None the less, I will try and scribe out some of the wood lines.
I would use smaller LEDs, but that would mean I have to solder the leads on myself so I probably would end up ruining the LEDs.


The only real issue is decals. I was thinking of stealing the decals from the unbuilt kit, but those are so old that they might not even work, not to mention they probably aren't correct for bobber cabooses.
Plus, I have never decaled anything before.

[mmagliaro]

I can help with the decals.  I have a Microscale set 60-1210 and it does appear to have the correct ones
 in it, including the little "EASTERN REGION" and the "ND" car class lettering.
Shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I'll send it over.  It's probably 10 years old, but
Microscale decals hold up well.  If you are nervous, overspray it with some glosscote before you dip them in water.

[chicken45]

I'd also recommend decaling something else first.

[mmagliaro]

I'd also recommend decaling something else first.

LOL!
Yes, +1.  Apply decals on a plain sheet of styrene spray painted black if you have to, but
do it with a sheet of decals you don't care about before you waste any that matter!

[VonRyan]

So the cabin is basically set and ready for Chantilly.
There are still a few more details that need to be added before it is considered finished, but it'll at least look the part for some early 20th century trains.

So, for those of you going to Chantilly, you'll know my trains by either the NC cabin on the end, or a custom-painted brass N5c in shadow-keystone with working marker lights.

[towl1996]

Here's the one I did, followed the article in TKM



Sorry for the crappy pic.

[mmagliaro]

So the cabin is basically set and ready for Chantilly.
There are still a few more details that need to be added before it is considered finished, but it'll at least look the part for some early 20th century trains.

So, for those of you going to Chantilly, you'll know my trains by either the NC cabin on the end, or a custom-painted brass N5c in shadow-keystone with working marker lights.

We don't get to see it?   

[VonRyan]

I don't think I took a picture of it in its "completed" state for Chantilly. The only difference was that I out back on the original curved handrails and painted them black, and added the roof walk which also got painted black (but I think I should have painted it maroon like the body).

Now that I have decals (Thanks Max!) I will be adding those sooner or later as well as adding the last final details.

I'm holding off on marker lights right now, because Richmond Controls is doing two-color marker lights, and I would love to have the correct red-green-red lamps on here. They look a bit bulkier than I would like, but I would probably never be able to make my own.

[VonRyan]

Ok, so I did even more digging and I determined that my kitbash is closer to an NE class bobber.

The only major detail my model is lacking is the short doors in the cupola.
I also still need to add the smoke-jack, and some more handrails and such. Plus I may replace the originals.
I also have yet to add the decals.

Anyhow, I'll try and get this wrapped up sometime soon.