Conrail's OCS - Full Train Thread

[daniel_leavitt2000]

As mentioned in a previous post, I am starting to work on some previously shelved projects while I'm too poor to afford new toys.

First up will be Conrail's OCS E8s. Conrail inherited a small mountain of E8s from predecessor railroads. Most of these were sold off to Amtrak, but three were sold back to Conrail in the early days. They were numbered 4020-4022. 4020 was a former PRR unit and featured an HEP generator in place of a steam generator. This engine featured a freight pilot. 4021 was also from PRR and similarly equipped but featured a passenger pilot. 4022 was originally from Erie and was the only one to keep the steam generator in place of HEP.

All three units received extensive modifications over the years. 4020 and 4021 were resided with continuous panels rather than riveted plates. They received roof mufflers over the HEP compartment as well as a circular disk that I think housed an air filter. All three had class lights, reverse lights, ditch lights added as well as HEP electrical connections and pilot modifications. These units also had their porthole windows and skirting removed.

4020:
This will be the first engine I will work on simply because I have all the major parts for it. I started with a NYC E8 because it featured a single headlight, freight pilot and Farr grills. After removing the etched grills and windows, I stripped the shell with 91% isopropyl alcohol. After fully stripped, I chiseled the vertical rivet lines, steam generator and porthole detail. I glued the porthole windows back in and puttied the steam generator area, air horns and portholes. I also removed the skirting. The .005" styrene strips you see will be access doors for the HEP area.





4021:
Like 4020, this will be based on a BLI NYC E8. I was able to obtain several shells from BLI and have started work on this even though I do not have a mechanism. If the project goes well, I will just get a overstock E7/8 on eBay.

4022:
I am doing something a little different with this. I had a spare Kato E8 shell and will use this as the base. DB fan has been removed and the hole covered with a blank roof panel from an IM F series detail sprue. The single stack steam generator was removed and filled in as well as the porthole windows. 4022 featured dual steam generator stacks like the ancient Atlas E8. Again I will be using parts from IM F unit detail sprues.

Stuff I need to figure out:
Grabs will be from BLMA. Backup lights, lift rings, ditch lights will be Sunrise parts I have been hoarding. The dual 36" fan hump on 4020 and 4021 will be from the IM F unit detail sprue. Parts I will need to fabricate will be the mufflers, roof disk, and that thin anti-climber/stepway area above the pilots. I also need to figure out how to make such a tiny horn bracket for the horns.

Sound:
I took a long look at sound decoders last night. Nothing seems to have an EMD 567/HEP sound combination. I am thinking of changing the RPM sound of the engine to go from idle to notch 6 when it starts moving. It may not be correct, but that's how the F40's did it.

[u18b]

Looking forward to watching this since CSX inherited two of the three.

[Wutter]

I took a long look at sound decoders last night. Nothing seems to have an EMD 567/HEP sound combination. I am thinking of changing the RPM sound of the engine to go from idle to notch 6 when it starts moving. It may not be correct, but that's how the F40's did it.

You can get a Dual 567 prime mover sound loaded in a LokSound Select Micro from SBS4DCC. I'm not sure but you might be able to toggle one of the two prime mover sounds to notch up because LokSound has a manual notching feature allowing run 8 sounds while the locomotive is not moving. I know you can do it for just one prime mover for sure but I don't know about controlling two individually.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Sound is an issue. I'm not willing to toss the BLI decoder since that is the reason I bought these engines over Kato. And of course the Kato model is the only one which I need a sound decoder for but does not have an HEP generator. I noticed that you can program the BLI decoder to act like one from ESU, soundtraxx etc. That is a pretty neat feature. I think I may go with the ESU decoder for the Kato unit just for the experience.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Not real happy with the way the panels came out. It is damn near impossible to get them perfectly aligned and true.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Have you tried making a jig?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

That was with a jig. I had to cut strips of .005" styrene. Then cut those down with a Chopper using a block cut to the correct length. There is just too much play in the Chopper/razor, wedge.

This looks awful. I am hoping that it will look better when painted in Brunswick green.

[peteski]

Why do you use the Chopper?  I would use a caliper to scribe a line in styrene, then using stainless steel ruler and a single edge razor blade cut a strip as wide as the panel needs ot be tall. Then again using a caliper scribe a line for how wide the panel needs to be, then slice it with the blade again.  When I do this type of precision cutting I use my Optivisor so I can clearly see the scored lines. I also run my finger back and forth across the score (before cutting). That picks up some dirt from the fingertip darkening the scored line so it is easily visible.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I'll try that next.

[central.vermont]

Dan,
Make sure your fingers are dirty like Pete's. 

Also Dan, it's good to see you still active in the hobby.

Jon

[mmagliaro]

No!  Don't paint it.  It will show. 
And +1 on not using the Chopper.  That thing is way too sloppy for work like this.

Rectangular panels on surfaces are tough.  Our eye very readily perceives any differences between shapes like that and anything that is out of square, so I feel your pain.

I'm with Peteski here.  Use a very precise steel square, make all your measured marks with scribes from a SHARP #11 Xacto blade (or the single edge razor).   No markers, no pencils.  They are far too sloppy.
And once you cut a strip, and start cutting rectangles off it, you can cut about 20 of them and keep only the best of the best to put on your model.  I do that all the time.  My trash can is littered with the "not-good-enough" parts.

[randgust]

Agree with Max and Pete on this one.   And even on thin stuff, score & snap is better than cut, you'll always get some distortion.

You'll still get a hair of distortion where you scored that you may want to sand/file the scored edge.

The best tool I ever got was a tiny machinist square.   For really, really small parts I've found that an MT steel .010 coupler height gauge is rather handy to score and check perfectly square smaller parts like these panels.

Back in 1977 I made my very first trip to Harrisburg, and in driving around the town where I didn't even know where I was I  'just happened' upon an eastbound Amtrak "Broadway Limited" parked at the Harrisburg station with the power outside the shed and clearly accessible.   It was the 4022 on the point, freshly painted in Blue Conrail.   Got a couple fair shots of it, actually didn't think much of it.    I've since found out that 4022 pinch-hit on the Broadway only a couple times, and shots of that blue unit leading are darn rare.   I've got one.  On my lifetime lucky shot list. Here's what appears to be another:  http://www.railpictures.net/photo/299148/

[davefoxx]

That was with a jig. I had to cut strips of .005" styrene. Then cut those down with a Chopper using a block cut to the correct length. There is just too much play in the Chopper/razor, wedge.

This looks awful. I am hoping that it will look better when painted in Brunswick green.

Daniel,

I'm confused by your statement "too much play in the Chopper/razor, wedge."  When cutting thick material, I've seen the Chopper lose accuracy, but you're cutting 0.005" material.  Are you trying to cut several pieces at once?  Did "using a block" mean you used a stop block?  A stop block should give you very accurate pieces.

DFF

Oh, and @peteski, wash your hands. 

[learmoia]

Daniel,

I'm confused by your statement "too much play in the Chopper/razor, wedge."  When cutting thick material, I've seen the Chopper lose accuracy, but you're cutting 0.005" material.  Are you trying to cut several pieces at once?  Did "using a block" mean you used a stop block?  A stop block should give you very accurate pieces.

DFF

Oh, and @peteski, wash your hands. 

I noticed the issue too but I don't think it is the chopper itself, I think working with small pieces and long cuts, they tend to drift with the force of the blade as your cutting.. when your cutting 90 degree cuts of strip no problem.. but longer cuts or compound angles, it's a struggle to keep things steady without cutting your finger..

Peteski's solution would fix the problem as long as you can keep the straight edge from sliding..

-Ian

[peteski]

Oh, and @peteski, wash your hands. 

I realize that you guys are just bustin' my cookies, but on serious note, I wash my hands more often that an average person (just ask my GF). My hands aren't visibly dirty when I rub my fingers across the score line leaving faint coloring in it.  Alternately, lightly run a pencil over the scoring, then use your finger to push the graphite into it making it more visible.

For precision cuts like that I use single edge razor blade instead of hobby knife because it is much thinner. so it doesn't distort the plastic as much as a hobby knife blade. Once the cut is made, I use the same blade to lightly run it perpendicular to the edge to shave off any raised plastic.