CPR FA2+B+A

[sailormatlac]

Hi!

I've completed my set of CPR FA2-B-A today. I didn't bash them or superdetailled them too much, just enough to get a CPR look (I mean those oversized winter hatches!). It will be a consist used on the club layout, so I don't want any fancy work to be ruined by some heavy hands! ;-) The only shortcoming is that I found too much later that MLW FA-2 had an hybrid roof design that was reminescent of FA-1... Well, they are my last FA units ever... I feel like I've done too much FA in the latest 30 days!!!



I first bought a set of Miniature by Eric FA2 winter hatches... Wasn't that much impressed about the fitting. It was probably sculpted to fit an other maker than P2K... So, with some picture sent by some gentleman, I decided to scratchbuild mine with styrene and add a little bit more details (lift rings, hatches, etc.). Painting was done using a spray can, kind of candy red by Testor... Why? My Action Red dried in the pot and this can was sitting on the shelf. I also sprayed a coat of an oranger red with my airbrush to tone down the candy look. It matched pretty well my Athearn BB CP Rail FA+B (which is probably not prototypical at all). Anyway, after some reading, I came to the conclusion that early Action Red was not something that was really consistent. Action Red seems to have been different from shop to shop. Some engines faded rather quickly into pink and other orange! However, I'll try to go on the orangish side as much as I can... Decals are by Microscale and AccuDecal. I wish AccuDecal were still in business, their decals settle better and are thinner than Microscale. Also, the stripes aren't wide enough for FA. I had to make the front part in two halves... It's a miracle every stripes aligned decently...



Now, they are waiting at Montmorency Locomotive Works with two other CPR steam engines waiting their final overhaul. I'll weather them tomorrow. Weathering will be a little bit extreme because I've seen many pictures of them around 1973 and they already looked like rust buckets. Trucks and tanks have already received a first coat of weathering.

Matt