I did some more test.

I weathered a side of the locomotive to see how it would look. First, I applied a wash of titanium white to fade the color. A second wash of titanium white and raw sienna was brushed. Then, two layer of black and burnt umber were generously applied. The result is surprisingly good. The faded yellow Bachmann used turned golden because of burnt sienna pigment. Overall, it's more realistic and nearer to the real thing.

Without weathering:


With weathering:





All in all, there's hope. Correctly weathered, the stock model should be very nice.

Mine will end up in a bottle of 95% alcohol!

Matt

I discovered the paint used on 1701 isn't the same as 1725. On 1701, "Canadian National" is a decal as are the CNR roundel and yellow wings (not the roof yellow patches). Also, 95% alcohol don't attack the paint but the decals. It means one could carefully remove the decals, including the number boards, using 95% alcohol without altering the paint.

JWB, that means you can easily renumber your engine as a Central Vermont one. However, I suggest one wishing to do so test it in an invisible place to not ruin the model. It only applies to 1701, the first batch issues by Bachmann.

Matt

Let me give this some thought, not least to find out where I put my Bachmann loco!

Hi,

I'm running into some problem. Should I install the spark arrestors on top of the smoke stacks or should I remove completely the stacks and replace them by the spark arrestors?

Thank you.

Matt

I removed them from mine.

Thanks for the fast answet JWB... It makes sense!

I started working again on the locos. I expect the rebuilding will be a fast-paced process.

Matt

I'm curious, how most of you paint black diesel locomotives? When painting steam locomotive, none of us use straight black but instead variation of warmer and lighter tones. Is it recommendable to do the same for diesel locomotives? I ask because I'll have a few diesel to paint in the early CN wet noodle scheme. Almost all black. From my experience building resin garage kit, I always found out it was wiser to not use pure black because it kills the details and weather badly.

It is also important to say I will represent locomotives that would have between 10 and 15 years in service without repaint.

@jwb: I followed your advice and the spark arrestors looks quite good sitting on the body.

Thanks!

Matt

Did some work on the GP9 today. Mainly installed winter hatch, bell, spark arrestors and MU hose. I also started to modify the pilot a little bit to be more prototypical. I'm planning to add air lines too. So far so good, only minor works left and waiting to get my brass sunshades and eyelets to complete the model. Some putty job too. A very straigthforward rebuilt. My only complain is how some Miniatures by Eric parts I got were deformed... one bell was cracked and will need to be repaired.

BTW, I had a lot of "fun" yesterday wet sanding the yellow paint on the skirt of one of the loco. Paint is minimally affected by 91% alcohol... On the noses, I just sanded down what I could and feathered the paint to make sure no ghost line will show up when repainting.



Officially, locomotives will be #4463 (ex-Bachmann 1701) and #4455 (ex-Bachmann 1725). I have spare parts to build another one if I want too (well, I'll work on MANY project before redoing a GP9). The project total cost will be a little bit under 100$ including the locos isn't that bad at all.

Matt

I sanded down the pilot bulges tonight. Next step is preping and installing the rerailers. Also adding the handbrake and their stand. Then, I'll be stalled, waiting after a few detailing parts.

BTW, I lost a cab window during the process. Any idea for an easy replacement?

Matt

Hi,

Another question, this time about CN Wet Noodle scheme (the original 1961 one).

Looking at many CN GP9, I've found out some variations. On the red noses, grabirons seems to be sometime white, sometimes red. Also, the brake wheel looks white on some locomotive and others are plain black.

What's is this all about? I'm quite confused.

Matt

On the very few photos I have of geeps in that paint scheme , the grabirons are the same red/orange colour as the loco's ends. The brake stand and brakewheel are black, but the only black grabirons I saw were on the nose of one SD40. All of the other photos are mostly SD40s, but they all have orange grabs, too.




The black or white grabs may have been a later change or perhaps peculiar to one or two CN shops - in most cases, locos were shopped at the nearest location, but it was not unknown to transfer locos from one region to another.

Wayne

Great photo Wayne! Nothing beats, except steam, a pair of GP9 back to back! High hood bells and large pyle headlight are pure relics from the steam age! I suspect some folks at CNR in the 50s were nostalgic as can be!.

I'll follow your advice and go "standard" practice! I only saw a few pictures showing white grabirons and wheel.

Matt

I forgot to post this picture earlier. I made a template to make sure grabirons would be correctly located on each unit. I used a real life picture to estimate, in HO, where grabirons where exactly located.



Matt

It's been a while since I worked on this project. Since Hedley-Junction layout theme is now better known (Murray Bay subdivision side of the junction instead of Lairet), I can confidently complete them. I recently received by mail the missing parts and decals and thus stared to paint the model.



Big revolution, I got rid of my old Badger airbrush and bought a new gravity-fed one from Iwata. It's night and day. I wasted a decade on that Badger which was a second-hand buy. With the time, I became clear it was damaged and I finally understood it wasn't me the problem (I was starting to be convinced I was too dummy to use an airbrush!).



CN Orange was done with True Line Paint... I'm not that greatly impressed with this paint which works like Polyscale. I'm probably bad at thinning it. Balck is flat Tamiya, which I had on hand. Sprayed like a charm and, for the first time, I used Tamiya masking tape instead of regular masking tape... OK... never going back again to my old ways! Results are far to be perfect, but clearly, far better than what I was used to do.

Matt

Just to let you know this project is back on the rail. Jérôme is always complaining Murray Bay sub needs more sound-equipped power and it's time to answer this call.

Jeff Boudreau did a nice job installing them and I only need to decal them, reinstall handrails and grab iron and weather them.

After them, I'll restart the RS18 project again. Probably during winter time, particularly Christmas vacation (my prefered locomotive bashing season).

Matt