Great Northern F45 kit buildup!

Here's the official site:

http://www.athearn.com/Newsletter/011508/N_F_FP45_b_011508.jpg

Boxcab E50

 

My Challenger runs quite well, if not for the second-rate decoder.

But you have a great point!
I just got my couplers, 3/32" lead sheet (the pack weighs over a pound!), and some other stuff in; I should be headed downstairs this afternoon to do some work!
These F45's will be weighted quite heavily!

 

Thanks, Mark--I managed to FINALLY get all the drop grab irons instaled, and the end handrails instlled on one unit. After a break, I'll try to finish the handrails. I also got bells and jacking pads installed.
Pics later!

 

It's been a couple weeks since I posted any pics on the progress--but tonight I got a bunch done.

I got my BLMA order in while I was in Minot, ND last week; my bells, grab irons, MU hoses, plows and trainline air hoses all came in.

To get the grabs painted, I first laid a section of masking tape upside down, laid my grabs so a portion of the "prong" would stick to the tape, and then added another piece of tape on top; sticky side to sticky side.

If that didn't make a lick of sense, the grabs are nicely secured so I can pre-paint them:



Installing them is easy--I used Xuron Tweezernose pliers, but tweezers work, too.

Install them in the predrilled holes, and use a strip of .020" styrene to align them:

 

The paint chips on them after fiddling them into the holes, but a little touchup is all it takes to make them look nice again.

I installed the on the nose first, aligned them, added CA to secure them (from inside the shell) before I did the rear. Whent he glue was cured, I cut the handrail ends from the fret (I also prepainted them), and installed them, again with the Tweezernose pliers. A 90-degree bend must be made in the handrail ends on both sides, and 45-degree bands must be made on both ends of both sides of the shell handrails. The fret is etched flat, so you can see why.

Here they are installed:





Next up were the jack pads; I used a fine sanding stick to remove the burr from the fret. Install in the predrilled holes, and paint. Mine are painted gray to match the underbody:



BLMA bells were installed next,a nd painted gray to match the underbody as well.

 

After touching everything up, I moved to the pilots. The new BLMA plows seemed close enough, so on they went. The etched cut levers included in the F45 kit again were etched flat, and needed to be bent to a realistic 3-D shape. After some fiddling with tweezers and pliers, all 4 pieces were rady to install. A puddle of CA on a piece of paper was my source. I dipped the tiy corner of the part in the puddle, and installed it on the model. The jack pads and lift rings all used the puddle method. Much less mess that way.
Once the plow were painted, I installed them with gap-filling CA, and allowed it to cure. My impatience dislodged one, so I had to reglue it, and used a drop of accelerator to finish the job. BLMA trainline air hoses went on next, with a drop of CA from the puddle.
BLMA MU hoses were used, burrs filed smooth, installed, glued and bent to the plow's contours. Touchup-paint, and a bit of silver to highlight the gladhands were all that was needed.

Here's the project's current state of completion:





I took the liberty to use a Sharpie marker to black-out the copper pieces on the Kato light board, so it wouldn't show thru the DB grilles:



The next items up for installation are:

1. Fuel tank fillers, gauges, sight glasses
2. Sand filler hatch covers
3. Dullcoat the whole works
4. glazing the shell windows, adding the windshield wipers
5. wind deflectors, cab window frames
6. class lights
7. couplers
8. add some weight

I think that's it!

 

I'm running out of details to add! And that's a GOOD THING!

Today's progress, no photos yet...

1. Decoders installed in both units
2. Sand hatch covers, fuel fillers, gauges installed, touch-up painted
3. Dullcoated everything
4. Installed the phosphor-bronze wipers in both mechs
5. Drilled for windshield wipers, wind deflectors

Tomorrow will bring coupler installation, adding glazing to the windows, window frames, wind deflectors and adding some lead sheet inside the shell for extra weight.
I think that will complete them! Completion?!?! What's that?!?:tb-cool:

 

These are looking fantastic!

 

Ohboy--where Cheyenne Mountain when I need it?

The popcorn is my sandbag for holding the camera steady during those longer shutter speed shots. I last time used a bag of brown sugar (and it worked really well), but the sugar was needed for some recipe.....