Conrail's OCS - Full Train Thread

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I am thinking Archer weld seams for the hinges and square black decals for the latches (it worked for Walthers missing sight glass on their GP38-2).

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.

Also, nothing else to add, other than to cheer you on on this project.

Oh, maybe to ask that you do a write up of the project (or the parts of it) for The Conrail Quarterly. I'm sure Rudy would bigly appreciate it.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I know,I know. The problem is that I would need to etch custom doors of I wanted latches. That's just not going to happen. Every photo I have seen of these engines - even extreme closeups if the HEP doors, shows the latches in deep shadow. I think it will look ok (especially if I hit the black dots with a dab of flat to contrast the gloss coat). I think the result in the Walthers shell was decent.

Both the BLI and Kato E8s arrived today. Man, that Kato weighs a ton! But that fuel tank is integrated with the side skirt.  I don't see this as an easy fix. First option is to hack the fuel tank and try to remove the skirts, while keeping the latch to the chassis, or I could just square it off, keep that area flat black (the trucks and fuel tank are green) and call it a day. Right now option 2 looks more practical.

On to the new BLI E8... I ended up getting a bright orange Frisco unit. This thing is down right day glow. And the paint is as hard to get off as the Kato. Luckily I don't need this shell... But I would like to use it to build a second 4022. I really would like a matched trio, and the slight detail differences between BLI and Kato irk me.

But, the Frisco unit has double headlights (this I knew) and Farr grills... I was sure the photo had horizontal grills. I hope the Plano parts I have on hand will fit. I have already swapped the nose door with a non-headlight part.

Onto the Frisco chassis, which goes under 4021. It has two headlight LEDs. I imagine these can be controlled individually (for mars function). I am considering using that second LED to light either the ditch lights, or class lights. Class lights would really pop, but would they ever be used in an engine ALWAYS in point and never in a light engine move?

I really wish there was a good diagram with all the plug connectors mapped out on the decoder. The has to be dozens of potential functions to add.

[peteski]

I know,I know. The problem is that I would need to etch custom doors of I wanted latches. That's just not going to happen. Every photo I have seen of these engines - even extreme closeups if the HEP doors, shows the latches in deep shadow.

Really? How about the photo I posted in the other thread?  Barely visible door outlines, somewhat more prominent hinges, but the latches seem to pop right out!

Too bad these units aren't painted lighter color - the doors outlines and all the hardware could have been simply done as a decal.

Conrail 4020, 4021 by barry9c1, on Flickr

[OldEastRR]

Painting black squares will probably work, but nothing looks as good and precise as 3D texture. I cut out and inset any doors on the brass car sides I mount on carbodies, and even that slight depth looks really different from flat etched door outlines. Somewhere in the threads is pic of a Bachmann-body GN Superdome I made with sandwiches of multiple identical brass sides. 3D detail really pops out.

[Bobster]

Greetings

Sorry, I'm late to this party.   If I may go back to page 4.   Do I understand this correctly?  There have been sides cut for NYC 10?  If so is there a left side for Queen Mary and the Wabash heavyweight Parlors?    This is where I'm at with a modified Model Power observation car conversion to a Wabash heavy parlor.   Professionally done sides would look better than my current chopping and gluing.   After taking the summer off I'm ready to dig out this project again.  Particularly since I acquired some Bestine and am ready to start on the vents and fans.  I suspected if I took long enough someone would come out with sides.   I like where you're going with this so keep up the good work.
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Best regards,
Bobster

[jmlaboda - RIP]

There have been sides cut for NYC 10?  If so is there a left side for Queen Mary and the Wabash heavyweight Parlors?

Bobster, hate to say it but NYC 10 sides would be of no use to you given the heavy modifications done by NYC when modernizing the car... many of the windows were altered, making using such inappropriate.  Sure wish a parlor observation was available... would be a nice addition to some roads trains.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Time for an update.

4022:
Kato model. I removed the molded on handrails, dynamic brake fan, steam generator equipment and filled in the portholes. New grabs were formed from .008" bronze. The dual steam generator detail was taken from and Intermountain F unit detail sprue. Lots of goodies on that sprue by the way.



The fuel tank is a major problem. The skirting is molded with the part and not very easy to remove. The best I can do is square off the skirts and keep the part above the tank black. Not really happy with this solution...

That brings me back to BLI. I really like how these shells are made. Since the Frisco shell is now surplus (the chassis and pilot are now under 4021), I decided to strip the paint and make a second 4022 in case the Kato model didn't work out. After 48 hours in isopropyl alcohol and  an electric toothbrush:

I had already replaced the dual headlight door with a blank one from a spare shell.

here you can see the side skirts are part of the shell:


They are very easy to remove:




4020, 4021:

Primed, and final adjustments to the porthole patches. The Archer weld lines went on very nicely. They also allowed me to model the X brace on the air HEP air cleaner of 4021:






Side note: I really wish I bought more BLMA grabs and F unit detail sets. These things are pure gold.

[chessie system fan]

In case you haven't already bookmarked it yet...

https://issuu.com/mr-hobbyist/docs/mrh-2010-sep-oct-ol

https://issuu.com/mr-hobbyist/docs/mrh-2010-nov-dec-ol

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I wasn't aware of that article. Thanks for linking it!

Still up for making those car sides?

[chessie system fan]

Sure!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I got the first coat of paint on the units:

4020:




4021:




And they are OK I guess. I can see the patches over the portholes where I used putty if reflecting light along the surface. After all the time I spent on those patches, I am not happy.

And you can see some gouging around the HEP doors do to me hacking them off several times. Even milliput couldn't help it much.

I added .03" styrene strip to build up the fuel tank to  prototype height. HEP batteries come from LL F40PH fuel tanks. I still need to paint the trucks.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Here is a better view of what I am talking about. No matter what I did, the ghosts of those portholes are visible.

And it looks like the trip on the fuel tank popped loose. I'll have to figure out why that happened.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

More putty, more sanding.

It sucks, but sometimes you have to get paint on something to see where it needs more attention.

[davefoxx]

Probably too late for Daniel, unless he was to start over, but didn't Puddy have a technique where he applied Scotch Tape over the window on the outside, poured epoxy in the window from the inside, and let it set up?  Peel off the tape once dry, and, "Voila!"  Little to no further prep work to disguise the window opening.

DFF

[wazzou]

One word...Bondo.