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Project Builds, Detailing, Painting, Weathering

Athearn SD50 Clinic NS 5424


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Hi Guys,

 

I broke down and used this lovely OVL ex CR control box. Needed some mods and additions, as usual.

 

6984_OVL_control_box.jpg

 

This image I used in my original online clinic, so it lists some stuff I had yet to do and stuff already done, but I had it, so its posted here too.

 

7008_cablownosechanges.jpg

 

The cab and low nose done as far as I wanted prior to fitting it together with the longhood.

 

8859_NS5424_cab_incomplete.jpg

 

Cheers, Tony

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Hi Guys,

 

Back under the sill now. Looking at the Details West Air reservoirs they are fair representations of the prototype. As always they need the

pipes coming out the ends, one of which presented a difficulty in terms of how to build it accurately. The image below shows the first stage

in how I made my soldering jig affair to solder another pipe to the long horizontal pipe coming out of the end of the A/R. Using some scrap

styrene I bent a length of brass rod and stuck it into the styrene as shown.

 

PW_AR_1.jpg

 

Then I bent a compound bend at the end of the longer horizontal pipe and glued it down onto a piece of wood. Note the rectangle of styrene.

I used this to align horizontally the right angle bend.

 

AR_2.jpg

 

An alternative pic showing how I have supported and maintained the horizontal position of the right angled compound bend.

 

AR-5.jpg

 

Now onto the wood I glue the first bit of scrap styrene I put together complete with the small bend. Gluing this into position after the bend

has been aligned into its proper location.

 

AR_3.jpg

 

Then soldering the two together does the trick.

 

PW_AR_05.jpg

 

Cheers, Tony

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Tony.

 

What fascinating read so far. Very inspirational; full of excellent tips and a real insight into some top class modelling.

 

I'm looking orward to seeing how this progresses.

 

Christian.

 

Hi Christian, Pleased you are enjoying my build and thank you for your kind comments. It'll be a while yet before I get to the 'wedding photos'. :) Welcome to my little bit of RMWeb too.

 

Cheers, Tony

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Hi Tony,

 

Cracking stuff and very nicely explained.

Thank you for sharing.

 

John

 

Thank you John, appreciate you taking a look in here. Hope that from my explanations you can apply some of the techniques I have developed to your own model builds.

 

Cheers, Tony

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Hi Guys,

 

The next thing I decided to do with the Details West Air Reservoirs was remove the small valve. The D/W rendition was just a blob of white

metal, so I decided to scratch a couple of them. The prototype valve.

 

5413_valve.jpg

 

Cutting outta here as the server seems to be incredibly slow this Saturday morning, perhaps its the snow here in freezing North Carolina.

 

Cheers, Tony

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Hi Guys,

 

I made the valve from my usual source, the scrap styrene box. I put a couple of pieces together as close to the shape of the prototype as

I possibly could with additional length to the bits so I could handle them.

 

6681_valve_stage1.jpg

 

I then drilled a hole in the end of the air reservoirs and fitted a length of brass wire, on that I glued a piece of rectangular styrene section.

 

PW_AR_8.jpg

 

A closer look. Brass wire snipped to length.

 

PW_AR_7.jpg

 

After the adhesive had cured nicely I cut to length the small detail part and fitted each to the ends onto the last bit of bare brass wire.

Pinning details this way will ensure that they do not break off in the future.

 

6748_ARTanks_complete.jpg

 

Cheers, Tony

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Tony

 

Where do these tanks fit on the loco?

 

Pete

 

Hi Pete, Sorry, there's me working away not realising that you are not as familiar with US outline engines as US modellers. My error.

All EMD machines have their A/R's mounted above the fuel tanks as per this image. This is the specific machine I'm replicating in

this build. But same applies to all EMD's (Electric Motor Division) applicable to GP7's through current SD's. There's probably an odd

exception over the past 50 plus years since diesel manufacturing started in the mid 40's.

 

Cheers Tony

 

post-6847-12663250802395_thumb.jpg

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very impressive stuff Tony, I'd be interested to see what you could do with a similar approach to a UK outline model...

 

Matt.

 

Hi Matt, Thanks for your appreciation of my SD50. Yes, I can show you a couple or three images of some work I have done on British outline locos. My preference is not to add anything here that distracts, as it were, form the SD50 build. I'll copy/paste your message here into "Tony Sissons Modelling Chaos" and go from there. Hope you're OK with that..?

 

Cheers, Tony

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Guys,

 

Continuing with all the bits under the sill. Because I remove the original plastic steps and replace them with A-Line etched steps I like to do

exactly what the EMD designers required, a pilot support, there's two, one either side. This prototype image shows where they are fitted.

 

RMWeb_pilot_support_bar_1183.jpg

 

I start by cutting four styrene rod lengths.

 

PW_0092_pilot_support_leg.jpg

 

Then after removing the steps I glue these in pretty well much like the prototype. Not only do a very nice job of providing the support the

pilots need after cutting the steps away but they look correct from the model point of view.

 

PW_0094_pilot_supports_fitted.jpg

 

Another view.

 

PW_0095_pilot_support_leg_fitted.jpg

 

Once the etched steps are fitted the support bar really looks right.

 

PW_6711_pilot_support_leg_steps.jpg

 

Cheers, Tony

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Hi Guys,

 

Continuing with the mess of pipework under the sill. This is one of the prototype images

I used for my sand lines.

 

PW_1122_Prototype_Sandline_Hanger.jpg

 

This image shows a modelling compromise change I did to the brackets. There was some interference issues with the Athearn chassis

so I fitted two brackets instead of the three.

 

PW_Sandline_brkts_1122.jpg

 

The sand line brackets, there are three of them per pipe but I fitted only two due to an obstruction a the Athearn chassis.

 

PW_9475_sandpipe_hanging_brkt.jpg

 

Nothing special here, but I did model it with the correct two pipe sizes rather than just one piece of wire. The image shows just one

pipe hanger bracket but two were eventually fitted. :rolleyes:

 

PW_9472_SD50_Sand_pipes.jpg

 

Close up of the sand pipe and bracket installed.

 

PW_0276_Sandpipe_bracket_NS5424.jpg

 

This image I hope gives you some idea of the compromise changes to the prototype layout I had to make so that I could easily fit the

hanger brackets.

 

Cheers, Tony

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Hi Guys,

 

The jack pads for reasons unknown had some additional steel welded to them. If anyone reading

this post knows what they are for, please say so, be nice to know. Anyhow this is what they look like.

 

PW_1189_Lifting_lug_mod_1.jpg

 

To make these I used the Cannon & Co part for the brake chain and cut it in half and together with the additional styrene parts I made, glued them altogether.

 

6717_Lifting_lug_mod_parts_1.jpg

 

Stuck under the sill looking like this.

 

PW_6815_chain_tensioner_brkt_mod_2.jpg

 

There's more stuff under the sill to go. Later... :rolleyes:

 

Cheers, Tony

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Just a guess Tony 'cos I don't know the thickness of material involved but could they be guides to make sure the jacks are placed properly?

 

Cheers,

 

David

 

David, I do believe I have the answer. After digging into my archives I found an image of ex CR NS 5411. This shows the chain tensioned and connected to the

right air cyl. Now everything has fallen into place. The bracket fitted to NS 5424 is just a universal double handed bracket and happens to be connected to the

left cyl, as we view it. So this permits connection to either the left or right air cyl. I think I've learned something. Thanks for your push.

 

Cheers, Tony

 

post-6847-126816040824_thumb.jpg

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Hi Guys,

 

Still crawling under the sill and following on from the brake chain tensioning brackets, the actual chain spring and the parts I made for it.

 

PW_0313_Mt_brkts_cut__prepped.jpg

 

Again, nothing that special here. A piece of brass wire and a hole through the Cannon & Co plastic parts.

 

PW_0317_Brake_Mt_brkt_detail.jpg

 

The assembly complete. I didn't connect the final few links from the vertical bracket/spring to the brake cylinder. My reason for this was

that I didn't want the rotation of the trucks to be compromised. Connected would be perfect for a static display but this engine runs and

my requirement for an operating locomotive is flawless running performance and reliability, so the chain to the air cyl was left off.

 

PW_0414_brake_chain.jpg

 

Cheers, Tony

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Looks very good Tony though the chain does look a bit heavy scale wise compared to the picture on the previous page.

 

Pete

 

Yep, that freakin' chain, I agree Pete, but its the smallest chain available - 42 links/inch or 42 links/25mm in new money. You'd be hard pressed to

find from the modelling suppliers anything less than 40/inch (25mm). Is there an emoticon that sez *shrugs*...? I still have to run a 0.25mm diameter

drill into the last links to hook it up. Haven't found anything smaller and I actually came to the end of the internet as well during my search. :rolleyes:

Compromise city I'm afraid. These images are pretty big, on the layout you'd never notice, well you might, and I know they are there AND too large. :icon_frustrated:

 

How about you putting you thinking cap on and etching a chain. Prototype at 1:87 scale will make the diameter of each link .25mm with the links set

at .5mm pitch. Be larger and easier in 4mm of course. Its a tough problem and every piece of rolling stock has a chain fitted to it as one of the elements

of the brake gear.

 

Thanks Pete for your critique, its appreciated, and it shows me what you see and its the only way to keep me thinking how I can improve what I do.

Cheers, Tony

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