Conrail NW2 9253

[coosvalley]

I psyched you posted this, because I need some of that style headlight to model B&Ms later style SW-1s!...

Oh great, another project, just what I needed..

I think it looks pretty good for no airbrush, but nothing beats an airbrush finish, when it comes out right that is..

[wazzou]

You could probably use a lint remover of some kind too.   

[chessie system fan]

It's not just the louvers.   You'd need to modify the "notched " hood with an sw1200-style angled hood.

@u18b did a late nw2 mod thread a while back. 

Or you could try to find an early type in CR paint.  There's bound to be one.

Edit: found the thread.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=27142.0

[nscaleSPF2]

Ugh, I know. I thought about going Tru-scale on it, but didn't want to make it incompatible with the rest of my fleet.

Understand.  But you could go True Scale on the locomotive, and do a "conversion" car behind it.  True Scale on one end, conventional coupler on the other.  Just an option.

[wcfn100]

You'd need to modify the "notched " hood with an sw1200-style angled hood.

The stepped hood correct for Ed's model.
Jason

[cbroughton67]

Strip it. Louvre it. Airbrush it. Let this be your test in to airbrushdom. It's easy.

Do it! Airbrush is the only way to fly, Ed. Grab a scrap shell out of your parts box and airbrush it first, if that makes you feel more comfortable for a first time out. The worst thing that can happen is that it spends some unplanned time in stripper, if you don't like how it turns out. The model will be eye-catching with the custom headlight, added louvers, and smooth, airbrush-applied custom paint. It'll be worth every minute you spend adding these touches.


Chris

[chicken45]

Do it! Airbrush is the only way to fly, Ed. Grab a scrap shell out of your parts box and airbrush it first, if that makes you feel more comfortable for a first time out. The worst thing that can happen is that it spends some unplanned time in stripper, if you don't like how it turns out. The model will be eye-catching with the custom headlight, added louvers, and smooth, airbrush-applied custom paint. It'll be worth every minute you spend adding these touches.


Chris

Yeah, Ed! What he said!

[peteski]

Understand.  But you could go True Scale on the locomotive, and do a "conversion" car behind it.  True Scale on one end, conventional coupler on the other.  Just an option.

As a switcher engine (probably operating in a yard) it will frequently couple and uncouple to cars on both ends. That means a conversion car on each end. It would be a strange lash-up of a switcher and two "entourage" cars around it moving about in the yard.    Plus the extra length would be a hindrance of the yard is short of space.

[Dave V]

As a switcher engine (probably operating in a yard) it will frequently couple and uncouple to cars on both ends. That means a conversion car on each end. It would be a strange lash-up of a switcher and two "entourage" cars around it moving about in the yard.    Plus the extra length would be a hindrance of the yard is short of space.

+1.  Ed's a yard guy (loaf?) anyway, and he'll be operating the hell out of this engine.

[Bob Bufkin]

If I known you needed a headlight I could have provided you one. 

[mu26aeh]

Would these headlight prints work for a Lifelike SWwhatever you want it to be ?  I was looking for some a while back for engines for @Blazeman

[Lemosteam]

Well now that the ginuea ( @Ed Kapuscinski ) pig has tested them, I'll make them available tomorrow.  No guarantee they will work on the LL engines.  Standard, dual sealed beam horizontal and dual sealed beam vertical will be available. Announcement will follow tomorrow.

Thanks Ed, I'm glad they worked out.

[mark.hinds]

Ed:

I opened the images (2) of your initial attempt in a separate window, enlarged them, and I don't see that brush strokes are an issue in general.  A few places where you can see them could be touched up, and in any case would be hidden by weathering.  Also, many of the airbrushed paint jobs you see in the modeling magazines are no better, due to out-of-scale bumpiness of the surface, and over-thick paint. 

Given that perspective, I would try putting some Archer louvers on over the current paint, and then touch it up with the brush.  People do similar things all the time in the modeling magazines.  Of course if you *want* to practice airbrushing, that's a different matter.  Note that the model already has louvers at the cab end, so you would presumably want the new ones to match ITO relief (?). 

Mark H. 

[randgust]

I've looked at that photo more than a few times and I'm still not seeing anything that is objectionable on paint finish.   My own experience is that as long as you trust the ability of the final spray coat of Dullcote/finish/whatever, that really levels it out as long as the color is consistent.  I've done just as well brush-painting Badger as airbrushing, but it looks a little ragged until the final overspray of finish.    The other thing I've learned is never to confess using a brush around here, the purists come out of the woodwork.

You didn't say what the paint was, which has a lot to do with whether you could strip it if you wanted to.   I had one truly botched airbrush job on a CF7 custom, tried to strip it, and ruined the whole build and had to start over.  Even if stripper doesn't react with the plastic, the reaction with other materials is simply unknown.  Resin can turn to rubber, and no idea what FUD will do. 

A lot depends on what your intent is for the finished model as well as level of weathering.   I looked through a bunch of NW2 shots and never realized about the louvers either, I'll admit to totally missing them as well until this was pointed out.     Looks like later builds had them.   On a well-used CR unit they are very noticeable.
http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/files/images/83-0517-1%20CR%209158%20-%20NW2m%20-%20Roaring%20Spring%20PA.thumbnail.jpg

Ed, if you are going to weather it, I think I'd look at the Archer louvers, and see how it works out to add them now.  If you wanted a 'factory fresh' job that's another issue, far less noticeable.

As far as for the couplers, I rather hate Katos anyway.   I'm not sure if you can get a Z 903 or 905 box in there but I think you can; those will couple and delay reliably with regular MT's and have a nice short shank.   I can't imagine a less-useful model for a yard than a unit with unreliable couplers, no matter how good it might look in pictures.   I scrapped out my LL SW8 and put in a Kato mech just to improve performance at low speed, and yeah, it was worth it. 

One thing I'm not a fan of on the Kato is the headlights.  The LED light pipes are iffy at best.   I'm planning on putting in micro golden-white LED's in the nose and cab of mine and hard-wiring them to the original board.  On an 'operating' unit that's the kind of thing that jumps out at me instantly.

[chicken45]

I'm not sure how some folks don't see brush strokes. Maybe it's my Retina Display!
I think if something is hand brushed, it LOOKS hand brushed. This shell looks like it was hand brushed. Maybe after weathering it will look less so, but in general, weathering shouldn't be used to hide mistakes. It could coincidentally hide them. Hand brushing isn't evil, it just doesn't work for everything.

I can clearly see brush strokes, uneven paint, and light spots in these pictures.
Sure, it'll pass the three foot rule, but you aren't always photographing them from three feet away.

As for other bumpy airbrushed paint jobs... I wouldn't let the bad technique of other modelers influence my own decisions. A bad airbrush job is just as bad as a bad hand (brushed) job. In short, "get good".
I see it all the time in bad HO Weathering where you can see scale dime sized dust granules.
Ed just got his airbrush setup. He's on the cusp of changing his game.