Those are very nice units Dave! I have to admit though that my favorite heritage schemes in order are the Katy, WP, and MoPac. Then the Rio Grand, and finally the SP. My favorite scheme for an ACe is the MRL though.
i'm glad you said that rob. (uh oh -- now he's done it) ... because ... if i had the "proud heritage" lettering and shield in white, a WP could be in the future: in yours, in mine, in ours ("the more we get together, together, together; the more we get together the happier we'll be")! heh heh heh. dave f.
SD70ACe Anti-Burn Out Mode! Well, after clearing an important item off my workbench, tonight I decided to assemble the first SD70ACe shell with the professionally etched brass handrails I had made. Well, took some time with the fine touch filing, drilling of holes and precision bending of some of the handrail pieces, but I eventually came up with what you see below! I am very pleased with the results. This model could use some of BLMA's details to be an even better shell. This shell is from the first batch of castings I made. It may be more than a year old but it is still in tip-top shape as if I cast it earlier today. I have a small handfull of these shells. With the assembly of the shell tonight I noticed a few areas where the master can be improved upon before I make a new mold to finish casting shells. With that said, I know you guys have been waiting for a very long time for me to finish these shells. If you don't want to wait any longer, tell me and I will (first come-first serve) dish out the shells I have with the new etched brass. The remaining guyZ will have to wait till I can get the new shells cast. Also, I will be making the correct air horn for this shell tomorrow and include it in the casting. The horn has 5 horns, 4 forward and 1 back. For those wanting the first run shells I'll send you an airhorn later on when they are ready. Let me know in an email; sgt_tim1@yahoo.com IMPORTANT; Put "SD70ACe Shell" in the email heading. This is only for the guyZ who have prepaid for these shells in the past. I might take a few new orders when all the pre-paid Z scalers have their shells. We are looking at about 45 shells. Ugh!!! Such a large number! More eye candy! Hobo Tim p.s. Remember, I am only supplying the shells, clear plastic (for windows), 2" fiber optic (for headlights), door panels and the handrails. You will need to assemble it yourself. I am not painting shells or making decals. The handrails will not be attached due to difficulty in airbrushing/decaling. You will need your own hobby tools and drill bit to finish assembly. I suggest you test fit, and test fit again, and final test fit each piece before you GLUE it in place. Use CA liquid carefully. Use your AZL SD70 shell as a guide. No instructions included! This is Kit Bashing/Scratchbuilding at its Extreme!
More Photos A few more close-ups! This one shows the ACe beside the AZL SD70's. Missing one BNSF SD70i H2 but this is pretty much my massive motive power till AZL comes out with the GE's. Notice the 5 extra chassis' in the back awaiting their shells!!! Gonna be alot of Pumpkins runnin' 'round here!!! Hobo Tim
SD70ACe windows John, Pardon the forgotten item. I will include some clear plastic sheeting to be used as windows. Forgot to mention it in the above message. You will need to cut the plastic to fit, similar to the way the first AZL Dash-9's windows were. This is the only thing I can come up with. I don't have the machinery to cast them in clear resin where all the bubbles are eliminated. Need an expensive de-gasser for that. Would make one but the vacuum pump would not be cost effective. Pressure casting does not eliminate bubbles, it shrinks them. They are still there, unfortunately, or I would go this route. Would need to make a custom window master of the front cab window, and that would take time. Not what I signed on for. I never agreed to make a custom air horn either. Since modelers will need to dis-assemble their SD70 shell of it's front snow plow, they were also to use the SD70 air horn too. I can say, it is a delicate item, and AZL is selling them for $15 each. Whew!!!! Think they are sold out also. So, let us re-cap the items that will be included in this kit. Cast resin; Cab, Walkway, Main Body Etched Brass; Front/Rear Handrails, Front Cab Handrails, R&L Side Handrails, Door Panels Extras; 2" Fiber Optic (for Headlights), Clear Plastic (for Windows) I will make a custom air horn as an extra for those eventually wanting one!! Maybe even cast it in white metal if I am successful! Hobo Tim
Tim, they look great. Nice difference. Let me see what I can do to get you a vacuum pump, since I work in that industry .
More Photos The first photos show a white shell against a white background with only shadows to differentiate the detail. Here is a colored background with the white/brass shell! Hobo Tim
