Last look before the Fade n' Weather shop! Here's my CN SD60F based on an Atlas SD60 frame, with a Kaslo resin & etched kit shell and details, about as ready as can be before the inevitable: it's kind of shiny and new, but since the proto was built in 1989, the model version is going to get aged in the shop. I plan to go relatively easy on the fade and grime, because I like way it looks already, and even though some of the attractive features like the plow stripe are no longer visible on the prototype, I don't want to weather them to nonexistence. I have equipped this engine with working high-stand porch ditchlights and an MRC 1828 sound decoder using a 10x18 mm 8 ohm Digitrax speaker milled into the tank and sealed with a silicone bead. It's actually quite loud and sounds much better than the decoder with the stock on-board speaker MRC provided. There's an open cab with two crew figures, seats and control stand, the interior of the cowl body is visible as I have cut openings for all the etched grills, including the sides and roof fans. The "engine room" is painted a utility grey-green, the cab is a light tan as per prototype, the rubber gaskets were added with an ultrafine marker pen. I used a lot of BLMA and Miniatures by Eric detail parts besides the etched fret parts from the kit, plus a fair bit of handmade wire pieces like the cab roof drip edge, ladder and corner handrails. The real 5532 has an unpainted left hand sunshade too. I added pieces of Code 40 rail under the sill since Atlas engines still lack the undersill detail piece that Kato has been using since about 1485 AD. The close to scale-sized fine details help disguise that this is an N scale engine, although I think macrophotography still gives it away. But --helping to keep things not obvious are the prescence of Z scale Full Throttle couplers replacing the MT 1015s the kit was designed for (the FT and 1015 are shown on the last photo). The knuckles are almost to scale, and work quite well. Installing them took a fair bit of thought and effort though. This is my second SD60F, I find that if you want to take the kit beyond the level of detail designed into it, it's a long haul, and not that easy. Obviously not for everyone, but it's something I like doing, and if it looks good on these macro shots, you can bet it looks very good indeed from a foot or two away. Runs and sounds good too, but trying to make separately controlled headlights and ditchlights in a two function sound decoder, esp. an MRC decoder ain't easy. It's going to look quite different even with mild paint fading and light weathering, so I wanted to show it first in a newish state. The windows, wipers and various lenses will go on after this next step. There's more detail I could add like sand lines and chains, but I've about run out of energy on this project and want to move on. Hmm, my pictures show that the front and back of the tank casting needs paint. But that will be it! [/IMG] [/IMG] [/IMG] [/IMG]
Wow, great looking engine! Amazing what some of you can do with N-scale, I have a hard enough time just putting grab irons on!
Happy Birthday to me! Untitled by BGTwinDad, on Flickr Atlas SD-35 Courtesy of Mrs. TwinDad and some good timing on an auction...
A pair of NS High Hood SD40-2s I finished up last week. They'll be off to a new layout right after new years!
seeing all these high nose engines has me wondering why i never really liked them. thats all out the window now after i bought a couple of Q gp 7's. what was i thinking? nice engines everyone:thumbs_up:
My latest acquisition.... Bachmann 4-8-4. I know it doesn't fit my CSX plans.. but I think I should have at least one steam and this fit the budget It's quite a smooth runner and very quiet... what sort of rolling stock would go with a loco like this?
Are those passenger cars available anywhere in n scale these days? I did some searching and found only a full con-cor set (loco & cars) in a long gone ebay auction...
They surface every now and then. It would almost be easier to paint up your own. That is what I did. I believe you can still get the decals.