05-13-2019, 10:37 AM
Removing just the rungs would be my first choice, too, Jim.
However (here we go, onto that slippery slope) if you really want to lift that car above its roots, how about sanding/scraping all or most of the detail off the cars' ends, and replacing it with free-standing details?
The rivets can be easily re-done with decals, and the door hardware with brass wire and strip. Hinges can be replicated either with short bits of wire or styrene rod, although they might also work as-is if you leave them - stripping the paint from the ends should sharpen the detail somewhat, as many of these cheaper cars, as was the case with Tyco and LifeLike, had some decent detail, but it was often obscured by a too-heavy application of paint. Tichy and Cal-Scale both offer the brake gear for the "B"-end.
I can't tell for certain, but if those horizontal lumps on the "B"-end doors are meant to represent louvres, you might want to leave them in place, too, although Archer does offer them in decal form.
It is, of course, your choice on how far you want to carry this - one car could be a project in itself, but four cars might be overload....although I've found that mass producing on a limited scale can go surprisingly well once you develop your method on the first victim.
While most of the stuff I do doesn't approach what I'm suggesting, there is a strange satisfaction in discovering how far you're willing to push yourself.
Whatever you choose to do to the ends, I'll also stick my neck out just a little further, and suggest that if you dive into the deep waters of completely re-doing the ends, it would also be worthwhile to represent the visible (from trackside - not necessary to detail for major rollovers, in my opinion) underbody brake gear - triple valve, reservoir, and brake cylinder, along with the basic brake rodding is usually enough to look convincing, unless you're entering a contest. I think that most of us do these things strictly for our own satisfaction, and not to impress anyone else.
Please understand that I'm not trying to push you into something beyond your interests, but only suggesting possibilities, and would in no way be critical of your choice, whatever it may be.
Wayne
However (here we go, onto that slippery slope) if you really want to lift that car above its roots, how about sanding/scraping all or most of the detail off the cars' ends, and replacing it with free-standing details?
The rivets can be easily re-done with decals, and the door hardware with brass wire and strip. Hinges can be replicated either with short bits of wire or styrene rod, although they might also work as-is if you leave them - stripping the paint from the ends should sharpen the detail somewhat, as many of these cheaper cars, as was the case with Tyco and LifeLike, had some decent detail, but it was often obscured by a too-heavy application of paint. Tichy and Cal-Scale both offer the brake gear for the "B"-end.
I can't tell for certain, but if those horizontal lumps on the "B"-end doors are meant to represent louvres, you might want to leave them in place, too, although Archer does offer them in decal form.
It is, of course, your choice on how far you want to carry this - one car could be a project in itself, but four cars might be overload....although I've found that mass producing on a limited scale can go surprisingly well once you develop your method on the first victim.
While most of the stuff I do doesn't approach what I'm suggesting, there is a strange satisfaction in discovering how far you're willing to push yourself.
Whatever you choose to do to the ends, I'll also stick my neck out just a little further, and suggest that if you dive into the deep waters of completely re-doing the ends, it would also be worthwhile to represent the visible (from trackside - not necessary to detail for major rollovers, in my opinion) underbody brake gear - triple valve, reservoir, and brake cylinder, along with the basic brake rodding is usually enough to look convincing, unless you're entering a contest. I think that most of us do these things strictly for our own satisfaction, and not to impress anyone else.
Please understand that I'm not trying to push you into something beyond your interests, but only suggesting possibilities, and would in no way be critical of your choice, whatever it may be.
Wayne