Athearn SD50 Clinic NS 5424

[Mike Turner]

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.

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.

 

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

 

Hi Tone

 

Etched chain is available from the mil modeller suppliers. Aber do a sheet with various sizes #35A16. Also Extratech do vehicle snowchains in 1/72 which may be suitable. Look at

 

http://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=238568

 

Mike

[Pete Piszczek]

Etched chain is available from the mil modeller suppliers.

 

Etched chain would work in static situations, but if you are connecting the bogies to the body, with the chain, the chain has to have individual links so as to flex when the bogie rotates. Of course it appears the chain in this case is supported by the body on both ends...

[modelmaker87]

Etched chain would work in static situations, but if you are connecting the bogies to the body, with the chain, the chain has to have individual links so as to flex when the bogie rotates. Of course it appears the chain in this case is supported by the body on both ends...

 

Yep, dead on Pete. Its the reason I never did connect to the air cylinder. I did mention that under one of the photos, btw. But at least you knew why. :icon_clap:

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Tone

 

Etched chain is available from the mil modeller suppliers. Aber do a sheet with various sizes #35A16. Also Extratech do vehicle snowchains in 1/72 which may be suitable. Look at

 

http://www.modelsforsale.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=238568

 

Mike

 

Good man, Mike. Thanks for that. I'd like to see what that etch looks like better than how it shows up on the website. You know what's coming next - Ya reckon you can get some for me please. Send it over with the new and improved WVY signal component you are electrifying for me, then see the banker for payment. Ta.

 

Cheers, Tone

[Mike Turner]

Good man, Mike. Thanks for that. I'd like to see what that etch looks like better than how it shows up on the website. You know what's coming next - Ya reckon you can get some for me please. Send it over with the new and improved WVY signal component you are electrifying for me, then see the banker for payment. Ta.

 

Cheers, Tone

 

Ordered

 

Mike

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

The bell mount on th emodel was basic. The pin on the bell straight into a hole under the sill. The prototype mount was different.

 

 

I made a couple of parts to mount the model bell closer to the prototype.

 

 

The bell assembled.

 

 

The bell fitted to the model.

 

 

I note the only thing I left out was the washers separating the bracket and bell mount. Next time they won't be...

 

Cheers, Tony

 

Mike

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

I'm not sure why the model mfgs always leave off the toilet drain pipe. Its a fairly large detail and I

think maybe its because its a really awkward item to fit plus the fact the brackets would be super

flimsy and easily knocked off. This was my real problem, how can I hang this detail on if I made it.

I designed the component to slide on a pin so that I could later adjust it. The problem was that it

had to fit to the chassis and not under the sill because its so easy to break off if I fitted it with the

small thin straps used on the prototype. Here's the prototype image and I enlarged the drain pipe area,

although doing that with a few pixelsthe enlargement doesn't do to well on the clarity scale.

 

 

This next image shows a pin that I fitted into the side of the chassis and at an angle.

 

 

The lighting was by torch light as getting the camera so close and kinda/sorta almost inside the chassis

the camera covered the available light. Its why the image has the reddish cast.

 

The scratch built component.

 

 

This image shows the same component but I shot two images, one shown as if it was slid onto the pin I

fitted into the side of the chassis, the other, (bit of P/shop trickery here) alongside sans the pin. Its the

same part btw.

 

The reason I made the drain to slide on the pin is so that I could align it perfectly with the underside edge

of the sill when the shell and chassis were assembled together. By sliding the part up and down on the pin

It was possible to align the drain exactly in the correct position with the sill edge. Then I spotted a drop of

CA and it was locked in position forever.

 

 

I chemically blackened it but just prior to that I purposely didn't clean it properly and left flux contamination

around the soldered join. This, as you can clearly see, shows up as some nasty grunge, I guess its why those

responsible for emptying the effluent tank wear those heavy rubber gloves.

 

 

Not too far off the real thing.

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

About done with under the sill so now I'm just above it. Few things to do in this area.

 

The pair of proto images shows a box behind the conductors side cab. This box is part of

the flange lubrication system fitted to this engine.

 

 

And the other angle.

 

 

There wasn't that much to do really, at least nothing that required any major thought. A styrene

block and a few details added to it and this is what it came out like.

 

 

The opposite side. I missed the front sliding door/hatch, which annoys, but too late now.

 

 

And the lube box sitting finished on the walkway.

 

 

Later, cheers, Tony

[James Hilton]

WOW Tony. I think that's all I can say - just caught up with progress and I'm totally blown away. Fantastic attention to detail and a real inspiration! Please keep these fun, interesting and well photographed posts coming!

[modelmaker87]

WOW Tony. I think that's all I can say - just caught up with progress and I'm totally blown away. Fantastic attention to detail and a real inspiration! Please keep these fun, interesting and well photographed posts coming!

 

Hi James, welcome to the SD50 thread, I had no idea that you were following this US build, good for you, and thank you for your appreciation of it. Hopefully you can find some things I do to my US models can be easily used or adapted for British outline builds. Modelling is modelling and an odd technique I have developed to overcome a modelling problem I experienced you may find is the perfect solution to a problem you have been grappling with, its what RMWeb is all about. Its all great fun.

 

Yep, I'll sure keep this and other stuff coming down the pipe, plenty more US stuff on the back burner.

 

Cheers, Tony

[James Hilton]

For sure Tony - thanks.

 

I'm not adverse to a little North American modelling... http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14061&start=0

I've lost touch with it all in the last 10 years or so but I've a fair bit of Canadian locomotives and stock. I think the Canadian Pacific AC unit was the last one I did - and was my best detailed. Just wish the detailing parts were more readily available in the UK It always was hard as for a start Canadian locomotives always had the headlight on the low hood, and the bell on the cab which meant even a shell in the right colour needed modifying from the start. I did a fair few repaints and remember going brain dead building Intermountain grain car kits fitting all the brackets for the walk ways!

[modelmaker87]

James, :icon_clap: :icon_clap: cool looking layout, I do like the backscene, did you or your Father paint it...? Its a shame that it is so difficult for you guys to obtain detail parts over in the UK, or at least the range that is available. Now there's a cottage business waiting for someone to pick up. I have a few Canadian detail parts that I'll never use, you want them, if so PM me with your mailing address and I'll get them across to you, no sweat.

 

I have the same problem as you have with the nose/cab area being an NS modeller. There is not one 6 axle AC engine out there, other than Overland, that has the correct headlight position. I might do a mini-clinic on modifying that, but reading around I think I'm one of the few modellers that actually does current stuff let alone NS specific.

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

Next up are the MU receptacles. Conrail had a type that presented a slight problem in terms of how to replicate the

double bracket affair of this design as shown in this prototype image of the receptacles that NS 5424 was fitted with.

 

 

I decided to try to give the apperance of this 'hole' between the two plates. First bringing a piece of styrene scrap

the correct rectangular size with a hole for the Details West component, then carefully filing a groove along three edges.

 

 

Then I fitted the D/W parts and filed the protruding spigot flush with the back of the receptacle bracket. Added the mounting

pins and was good to go.

 

 

The Details West parts in close up look awful, don't they.

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

Couple of images that I had in the file so I'm posting them. All a bit basic, but as I said, I had them.

The first shows the holes drilled for these MU receptacles into the walkway. Some engines have the MU

receptacles fitted under the sill, others, a la Conrail had them above.

 

 

The model MU receptacles fitted.

 

 

That's it for these baby dolls.

Cheers, Tony

[James Hilton]

Tony awesome modelling! I've found your approach to be slowly working it's way into my modelling which is great - you can make anything out of some brass and plasticard can't you - as long as you've small enough fingers to hold it with!!

 

I ended up placing an order for some DA and DW parts through MG Sharp early April - both on back order with no news as yet

I painted the backscene on the Canadian layout by the way - at least the mountain section. Dad built the bridges and carved the scenery - I think I did the tunnel and snow shelter (which never got it's roof)... I've been tempting him with the Canadian National Intermountain SD40-2 wide cabs with sound being advertised at the moment!!

[modelmaker87]

Tony awesome modelling! I've found your approach to be slowly working it's way into my modelling which is great - you can make anything out of some brass and plasticard can't you - as long as you've small enough fingers to hold it with!!

 

Thanks James. You're right of course, if one must make a part it can be done. As always there's a sequence to it all, the build of a part that is. I use D/A & D/W parts quite a bit. Better still for EMD machines is Cannon & Co and now the ultimate so far, Railflyer model products. THE very best and THE most expensive, but ya get what ya pay for.

 

Pleased you have latched onto the concept of prototype modelling, well I hope so anyway. If you need any images, detail images that is, drop me a PM, I have a bunch, albeit NS & CSX in the main.

 

Holding parts can be a right PITA, I use a variety of home made fixtures and I usually win out in the end. Right now I'm looking at soldering two pieces of brass to another piece of brass 1mm x 1mm square. Not got to the stage yet but will and I know it will give me some heartache.

 

Yeah, those IM Canadian SD40-2's....very tasty.

 

Later, cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

Handrails....!! The manufacturers do a fair decent job these days with the handrails but often, almost on every engine, there is an area or part length of the handrail somewhere that is all wavy and no matter what you do there is no way to make it straight. Seems to me that it happens more often near where the handril bends upwards toward the cab. So what I have adopted as a standard is to cut off all the handrailing so as to leave myself the plain old stanchions. I then drill out each stanchions with a .013" diameter drill and thread 0.012" brass wire through the lot. I do this to ALL my handrailing, front, rear and the sides. Period.

 

Cheers, Tony

 

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

Backing up the previous image, here's another showing one of the stanchions drilled through with the horizontal brass walkway handrail threaded through and

all tarted up ready to go out to the pub.

 

Cheers, Tony

 

[Redkiterail]

Tony awesome modelling! I've found your approach to be slowly working it's way into my modelling which is great - you can make anything out of some brass and plasticard can't you - as long as you've small enough fingers to hold it with!!

 

I ended up placing an order for some DA and DW parts through MG Sharp early April - both on back order with no news as yet

I painted the backscene on the Canadian layout by the way - at least the mountain section. Dad built the bridges and carved the scenery - I think I did the tunnel and snow shelter (which never got it's roof)... I've been tempting him with the Canadian National Intermountain SD40-2 wide cabs with sound being advertised at the moment!!

 

James have you tried model junction at burnham slough to see if there have anything you need in stock

[davknigh]

Tony,

 

Are you using any sort of a jig to make sure the drill hits the centre of the stanchion or just standard issue fingers and patience?

 

Cheers,

 

David

[modelmaker87]

Tony,

 

Are you using any sort of a jig to make sure the drill hits the centre of the stanchion or just standard issue fingers and patience?

 

Cheers,

 

David

 

 

Hi David,

 

I do use a drilling jig (s) and I make them from scrap styrene. They work pretty good but a new one has to be made for each style stanchion as the centers vary due to the OD of the stanchion end where the handrail goes thru. Atlas/Athearn/P2K are all a tad different. It only takes a couple of thou on the OD to drill off centre and the human eye will pick that error up immediately. Plus using styrene for the jig, the drill does wear out the drill location hole after a bunch of stanchions, not a big deal but its wise to build a new one each time that job comes up. My preference is to drill by hand but the jig is useful and is another tool in the kitbag when required.

 

I drilled all the stanchions for NS5424 by hand. Other models I have built have been drilled using the jig. I'm fickle and see no one best way of doing anything. I look to what I'm trying to achieve and decide on the day of the job how I'll go about it. Typically if I was to drill in the a.m. I'd use the drill jig, in the p.m. I'd go by fingers and patience. My attitude and demeanour also dictate what and how I model on the day.

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

I was reviewing where I'm up to and see that I forgot to discuss the small bracket that is fitted to the walkway just to the left of the flange lubricator box. Its specific to this engine and not available from the detail parts boys, so I made one for this engine. The prototype image.

 

 

After establishing the correct sizes of this angle bracket and its three legs, I soldered three small flat brass pieces (legs) to it.

 

 

Then bending each at right angles and subsequently cutting the long angle to length. Glue to the walkway with CA and that was it. No big deal.

 

 

Cheers,Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

The finished angle bracket waiting for paint.

 

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

You can't complain about the lack of detail that is missing off an Athearn Blue Box model, they are what they are and cheap to boot. Fact is, I like it as it opens up a whole aspect to building a model, adding parts or removing what shouldn't be there to suit a specific road. For me its Ex CR into NS.

 

The fuel tanks on any BB Athearn are as basic as all can get and because they are a fairly large part of an EMD they cry out for additional detail. Here are a handful of images showing one side of the fuel tank, both proto and model and will give some idea of my starting and ending point.

 

 

 

 

 

These and a bunch of others are what I used to build the fuel tank for NS 5424.

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Hi Guys,

 

The first item I tackled on the fuel tank was the pair of spare coupling knuckle holders. These are located one each side of the fuel tank.

To ensure that all rivets are being counted. :P This particular holder was fitted to NS 5417 and was complete with a spare fitted.

NS 5424 did not carry spares either side when I photographed her, so my model has the holders only without the actual coupler knuckle.

Here's the proto photo I used to scratch this component.

 

 

I first bent the base and rear from one piece of brass strip. Then soldered both sides. The first.....

 

 

And the second....

 

 

Thereafter I filed the brass down to size, drilled the holes and slotted them according to the prototype.

 

 

For those interested in scratch building these parts, these dimensions are good for all EMD's.

 

 

Cheers, Tony