Howdy all - I've been working on an SD70acu kit over the last several weeks and wanted to share my progress with our community. The idea was to create a kit that utilizes the Kato SD90mac locomotive, would require minimal skill to build while maintaining a price point that appeals to us common folk. I enjoy designing these kits, as I learn a lot of little details that I would otherwise not notice (learned a ton from my Boxcabs and Little Joes!) Here's the basics of the conversion: You can see the conversion parts: inverter box section, blower cover, some railing, utility boxes and cab as well as brake wheel. Not pictured here is an additional roof hatch piece as well as PTC array to top the cab. I don't feel I'm very good at modelling so I use that inability to gauge how hard it is for others to do a kit Once I'm satisfied, I let more capable folks do the actual final assembly, paint and decal work. Right now I'm having the kit be evaluated for needed tweaks and adjustments - but it's almost there! Mike
Today I received some photos of the first "beta" kit, an SD70acu work-in-progress by Jeff King who is helping me evaluate the components. There are some details to add like glass, windshield wipers, additional grabs and a couple of other touches, but you can clearly see where this is going. Jeff hopes to have this guy finished up by the weekend. He's provided some good suggestions for me to help improve the kit, so once it's in a place where we both are in agreement I'll make it available for anyone interested. Still have to work on an instruction sheet but that's small-time compared to the design of the parts. Cheers -Mike
Thanks for the compliments. I'm excited to see this one get finished... hopefully soon! I definitely have the parts for the NS version. It uses the same base components with subtle variations, so once this one is dialed in it will translate over to the NS kit. Mike
SLSF Cant wait to see one in one of the military schemes!!!! Between NS and CP, there's at least 8 paint schemes!! Awesome!!
Yes Mike, that is looking good! Please, let me know when available as I have a "special" project in mind. I have already received the Tworx SD70ACe detail set. I am an SP'er so I think this would look real cool in an SP fantasy Black Widow scheme to go with this....................... Carl
Looks great! I've tried like heck to get a photo of one of those CP heritage units, military or maroon alike, to no avail.
I emailed micro-scale and asked if they were gonna do decals for the military units. I was first asked if I saw them in that other scale. Then I was told she hadn't heard of anything being done. I tried!!
Aw man that's too bad. I've seen decals for stuff that doesn't exist before, they need to get on it! Maybe some of the custom shops will do them. I have an ALPS that I haven't used in over a decade (when Win XP died, so did the ability to use the ALPS) but I do have an XP machine in the garage I might be able to dust off. I've been messing with the print orientations on the cab trying to get this finalized. The design is essentially done, just need to get the printer ready to crank them out.
I sent one more email yesterday with pics of the maroon and grey and the military units and got a response that she would forward to the decision maker!! Let's Hope!
Hi Lowell - I've just wrapped up one update to the CP version and shipped off two kits. In the original design, the headlamps were more proportional to the prototype however this prevents you from using the stock Kato light pipe. So - I've made the necessary adjustments so the original light pipe can be used. I don't have a version of the high-mounted units so I'm not able to do the same for NS unless someone would be willing to lend me one for a kit. Otherwise for CP I'm starting to sell them at an introductory rate until a few more of these get out there in the wild. Feel free to PM me for details. -Mike
Mike: It looks like you almost have the NS unit. All I see that has to be done to the cab is mold the headlight between the number boards and patch the nose headlight opening. When the Kato C44-9W models came out and were the only game in town, if you wanted a NS unit with a high headlight, you had to move the headlight from the nose. Yes there were other minor differences, but moving the headlight was a must for it to be NS to me. I can't speak for others, but I would be very satisfied with that being the only difference between the CP cab and the NS cab. Anyone can feel free to correct me if there are other differences they want to have but moving the headlight would be good for me. I have looked at several pictures of the CP units and the NS units and the only other difference I found was the same modification to the rear number board area on the rear of the long hood . I am going to presume you made that modification. Bob
Yep, I do have an NS version ready as well. Headlight is the biggest difference however there are several subtle differences throughout (somewhere around 7 diff spotting features that I found). I've got them modeled so both roads can be represented. With the NS though I think we're stuck with using fiber optics for now since the SD90s we're starting with don't have high headlights from which to steal a light pipe. Cheers -Mike
