Glen's diesel rebuild thread

[cnrglen]

I seem to be rebuilding a number of diesel models lately so instead of separate threads for each I thought I'd just consolidate them in one.
First a bit of a photo album of what I've built.

This is a Mantua (yes that's right) F-7 with a detail associates F-unit detail kit, Miniatures by Eric winter hatch and icicle breakers. It runs on a Bachmann Plus chassis.

And the matching Mantua B with most of the same parts. I still have to touch up some of the details with Tuscan paint and add some weathering .


A Proto2000 SD-7 in a fantasy Canadian National Scheme. CN never had them or any other 6 axle first gen diesel for that matter.


My wreck damaged F-7.


Proto2000 SW1200rs that I added some details to and painted. This started as a basket case at a swap meet that I paid 5$ for.


Bachmann spectrum GE 44tonner. I modelled it after the same engine that was used as a yard switcher in my hometown in the 50's-60's


Proto1000 F-3a. I added some details to it, weathered it and it's one of my best runners.


Bachmann Plus F-7 a&b I used the detail associates F-unit detail kits on them, as well as some other parts, painted and weathered them. I'm not entirely happy with how the paint came out as I misplaced the yellow stipe too high. I recently painted another B unit with the proper placement and I'm looking for another Bachmann plus A unit shell to paint properly.

With the exception of a Proto1000 C-liner, all my B units are dummys, mostly running on a modified Athearn F-unit chassis.


Cary F-3b. Detail associates F-unit detail set. Drilling through the cast metal is a challenge! I'm on the lookout for the matching A unit


Of course I can't forget my Doodlebug. Not a diesel per se but why not include it here. It's a highly kitbashed Rivarossi combine with 1/2 of an Athearn F-7 drive. The link to the build:
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Finally my two Cary S-2 models.

[Charlie B]

Great looking diesels Glen. Lots of work shown. Nice looking layout too.
Charlie

[twilight]

All those diesels are pretty sweet . Really like those green F units, though. How did you do that green strip through the yellow nose?

Mark

[cnrglen]

Do you mean the chevron on the yellow nose? That's a decal included in the microscale set. Not the easiest decal to apply mind you.

[Tyson Rayles]

[tankertoad70]

Great work!! I always enjoy seeing what folks have taken and improved upon without resorting to today's high detail offerings. Keep it up!!

[cnrglen]

Thanks everyone.

I started on another engine project recently.

Another modeller gave me a Proto1000 RS-10 chassis. I started looking around to see if I could get the body for it but pretty much came up empty. However I suspected that the drive components were the same as a Proto2000 FA-2 . A quick search on Ebay netted me:

for about 20$ I got a dummy FA-2. Unfortunately, it was missing the large radiator fan screen

Not only were the drives the same, but the engines had the same wheelbase.

I also had a spare body that I started work on some time ago, cutting the engineer's door open as well as some other mods. It was also missing the fan screen but I managed to find the detail associates photo-etched screen and the Miniatures by Eric Canadian Pacific winter hatches for the engine. My plan is to build the matching 'A' unit for a 'B' that I built up and painted awhile ago

[cn nutbar]

Glen---I always enjoy seeing your outstanding collection---you certainly are a talented modeller.I really like your "fantasy" CNR SD-7,those locomotives have always been one of my favourites and they would have been classics on the CNR roster.Actually the CNR did have a first generation six axle diesel but only one---CLC H24-66 Trainmaster #2900 (later renumbered to 3000).This locomotive was used in a variety of service including passenger trains and ended it's career in Thunder Bay on the ore docks.Here she is in service on the Leetown Division.

[cnrglen]

That's right, I had forgotten the lone Trainmaster. Some fans get confused with the two numbers and thought that CN had two engines. CP had quite a number of them. As I recall they were used for a time on the Kettle valley Sub but were banned from there due to their tendency to spread rails on tight radius curves.

[cnrglen]

I stripped down the two drives

The engines pretty much came apart like an Athearn, no screws holding anything together except the fan mount and light/cab interior parts. The dummy FA-2 had a weight glued in where the motor would be with some kind of rubber cement but I was able to pry it out quite easily.

I took the powered trucks apart to inspect and re-lube them. 3 out of the 4 axle gears were split, a common occurrence in these older Proto models. I figured I could get the parts out of the Dummy trucks but all 4 of those were split as well. Off to the hobby shop to get replacements. The Athearn gears are a direct replacement.

However they are a very tight fit. I ended up using my drill press as an arbour press to put them on.

Now the trucks are all back together, and I cleaned the glue from the motor area so the motor will fit. I'll have to isolate the motor from the frame yet since I'm adding a dcc decoder.
Now that the frame and drive are good to go, I can start work on the body.

[cnrglen]

I repaired and added some Canadian Pacific details to the body.

I had to replace the missing radiator fan and it's round bezel. The body that I used was originally a CP unit molded in action red.
I had to sand the primer off so I could start making the new bezel.


I fashioned the new bezel using 1X6 styrene strip from evergreen. I layered them 3 strips thick on each side. I tried to keep the joints on the front and back as that's where the winter hatch parts go.

then I glued the etched fan screen in with some CA and the Miniatures by Eric winter hatch in with some epoxy.

I had also noticed that I broke some of the steps off the bottom of the shell. The spare CP shell contributed those. It will also be contributing it's grab Irons and windshield wipers. For some reason this shells part went missing some time ago.

And the shell primered and ready for it's first paint color, CPR gray.

[cnrglen]

I masked and painted the shell with Tuscan today

It took about and hour to mask off the gray, and 10 minutes to paint. It's a pretty complicated paint scheme, typical of the 50's I suppose.

Then I held my breath and peeled the tape back. Minimal bleed under that can be covered by the decal job and that's next.

[doctorwayne]

Nice progress, Glen.

Wayne

[Schraddel]

Glen,
you are doing an ambitious recycling project

A notation, i own myself a couple of those P2K ALCO FA-2's, purchased 1992. One of the additional ballast weights now was affected by zinc pest. The main frames and the other unit were not effected, so have a look.

[e-paw]

Nice modifications sir...