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RE: (erielack) EL 3672 and my tonsils!
Steve:
I couldn't afford the brass SDP45's. I've been playing around with an old
Athearn SD45 shell
and a GP35 shell. I had some old scrap parts and wanted to try to kitbash
a SDP45.
I prefer Athearn, only because parts are readily available and I have a big
junk box of
usable stuff. I also know they will be around in 10 years or so if I need
more parts.
I cut the GP35 shell to add the 5 feet or so of the back end. This gave me
the back hood, the back stairs,
and the back 5 feet (or so) extension which is the difference between the
SD45 and SDP45.
I literally sand out all the door detail on the GP35 shell as well as the
roof detail.
The inside detail of the GP35 steps are slightly different than the SD45
steps,
so I need to figure out how to handle that issue. I also will take a crack
at the brake wheel detail
for the short nose.
I cut the SD45 shell right at the back steps, in fact, lining up the saw
using the steps as
a guide. This allowed me to use the taper on the SD45 shell roof sides as
is with a little filing.
I then add thick plastic pieces inside the SD45 shell over which I slide the
GP35 piece.
The thick pieces hold the GP35 piece aligned to the SD45 piece very well.
By messing with scrap pieces, I've learned I'll have to make sure the rear
truck has room to
pivot inside the GP35/SD45 shell area. Thats why I mess with the scrap
pieces first before I make
the final model with new, undecorated parts.
Interesting enough, the hoods line up and the roof lines up well. You do
have to sand the
GP35 frame rail where the handrails go to make it the same thickness as the
SD45.
Adding on doors is reasonably easy to get the door configuration close or
exactly right.
So far, with less than $10.00 of junk parts, I have a reasonable looking
unit. I'll work on the frame
using the (FP45 Athearn frame which is available via Athearn parts.)once I
feel the shell looks good enough.
If I like it, I would then upgrade the little jigs and fixtures I used to
get ready for making two or three units
with all brand new, undecorated shells.
Now, if you see it from 6 inches, you know the rivet counts are probably
wrong.
If you see it from 3 feet, it looks darn good to me.!! It'll never show up
at a EL Convention in the modeling
contest, but it'll be mine, and close enough.
I call this whole activity SMODELING. It stands for Simulated Modeling.
In other words, its not an exact model
of the real thing, its a simulated model, the best I can do.
Anyways, its a little different than the articles, but it gives me a chance
to simulate an SDP45 at a lot
lower cost than the $700 or so Brass models. Based on the 6 inches vs 36
inches, (3 feet), thats about
$25.00 or so an inch !!!!!
John
- -----Original Message-----
From: erielack-owner_@_lists.railfan.net
[mailto:erielack-owner_@_lists.railfan.net]On Behalf Of
Steve.Adair_@_rayonier.com
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2001 12:58 AM
To: Erie Lackawanna List; erielack-owner_@_lists.railfan.net
Subject: (erielack) EL 3672 and my tonsils!
Hi
I've been at home in bed for a few days after having my tonsils forcibly
removed from my throat. Reading through some old mags seemed a good idea
and I found an article on kitbashing an EL SD-45-2. Also an AT&SF
Bicentennial one. It is in the November 1982 Model Railroader. It used
the old Athearn SD-45 and SDP-40 shells but the techniques would work well
with latter models. Tom Busack was the modeller.
I also found an article on building an EL Dunsmuir(I think that's what it
was called) caboose in N-scale. Sorry, I didn't write that one down, but I
think it was in a recent issue of "N-Scale" magazine that a friend dropped
off for me in hospital.
The VCR got some use as well and I saw a clip of 2 EL PAs hauling freight
on an old Kalmbach video. "First Generation Diesels, a search for the
Survivors".
All good stuff. If I find anymore useful or interesting bits I'll pass
them on. Could be off work for 10 days or so. :-)
Cheers
o o O O O O O O O o o o.. Steve and Laura Adair,
o
_" _ _ ________
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| | /\ - |[_][_]| | |
_|____|-----------| 45 | | Rayonier |
=[ {___}---------\|______|=|_____ _____|=
/ (o)[___]( )( )( ) (o) (o)(o)---(o)(o)
==========================================================
Steve & Laura Adair
26 Crewe Street
Gore
New Zealand 9700
E-mail : steve.adair_@_rayonier.com
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