Warbonnet

After previewing the two locomotives I'm working on in my last blog, I thought it would be a good idea to take you on the journey on one of the rebuilds from start to finish. I have been into trains for a long time, but it's only recently I have looked at detailing and rebuilds. It's also coincided in me developing an interest in American railroads, and thankfully it's a match made in heaven. I've sung enough about the detail and quality of American models in the past, but another area in which they excell is the after-market detail parts business. Companies like Details West, Detail Associates, BLMA and Cannon and Co. (to name but a few) offer great products to improve older and less detailed locos, as well as making the newest stuff even better. Another advantage is the brilliant spares department offered by the likes of Athearn and Kato, making getting parts for locos so easy. As I stated in my previous entry (giggidy) I bought three relatively modern but badly treated locos from Dave who took them as part ex at a show. He stuck up pics on the 1st yuku site (seems so long ago now) and how we all laughed at them. However, I fancied my chances as doing them up, or at least acquiring them for spares. They were nice and cheap and I decided that once the horrific paint came off them there was plenty of potential. On top of that if I made a mess of them in my novice ways I wont be down too much money, far cheaper than trying similar detailing on a brand new model! The third loco I ended up with was an Athearn RTR GP40X high-hood. Out of the three I bought this was in the worst condition. It was orignally an 'undecorated' loco, which is basically a kit form which comes with lots of additional parts for you to fit. All additional parts were missing, the paint was dreadful, it was missing a bogie sideframe and the additional bogie parts, and it was a bit of a lumpy runner. I then got to work researching parts and listing out what I need before ordering from online retailers and Athearn's parts department. One nice and easy job was to install the grab irons front and rear as none were ever attached. I got a big back from BLMA and got to work. [attachment=:name] Also added were brass horns, MU hoses and couplier cut bars (which I'm not sure about being correct, despite someone telling me they were the right ones to use. I may well replace them.) Next to go on will be the ploughs and other small detail parts.

You saw me coming Dave, for info the two locos I'm working on are the second and fourth pics. I especially love the irony on the box under the last pic - "As close to real as it gets." Indeed!

Should be a nice runner, the Blueline is a very smooth runner. I have a very cheap Athearn SD9 waiting. Sounds like a belt sander but have a replacement kato motor to dropin, going to be a big project this one, looking forward to it.

Hornby railroad class 55 deltic, Athearn blue box SD9

Like the National Power 59, I wish someone would hurry up and do an up to date model of the 59s! Good work!

Nice one Des, will it come with the central tanks (or are they battery boxes?) for between the bogies too? Looks a great starting point for one of these locos.

Probably get it for 50p now the Olympics is over.

Welcome Horsetan, enjoy your postings on RMWeb, you must have enough kits stored away to see you through to your 90s!

Top notch young man, she does look good in blue. You shouls show that to PM!

cool, cant wait to see those!

Very nice, looks like a 450 to me, especially the cab front. Gangway at the other end?

I'm not volunteering to remove the carpet from anyone's floorboards if that's what you're talking about.

I believe you get them when you make a certain amount of posts.

I'm sure he'll be along himself to tell you the thinking behind it, but I think Peak Forest in the UK was mentioned at one stage. Of course, there are five or six levels underneath this one, and a train takes well over 20 minutes to one complete circle.

And...

Your wish is my command! More to follow...

Brendan asked me to post these pics up for him as he's having a bit of trouble re-sizing them. Progress so far...

Madness, at least it shows that the hobby is alive and well! Probably best I didn't get one as I have enough interests as it is, but I like the look of the Marklin 3 rail stuff and thought this would be a great place to start, picking up a piece here and there over the years. I blame Steventrain and the pics he's putting up!

Check it out http://www.locomotives-for-sale.com/rolling-stock/dmu-for-sale-lease/ DART: http://www.locomotives-for-sale.com/rolling-stock/commuter-emu-for-sale-lease/ Finance available, apparently.

'You can never polish a poo', was the sage advice given to me one night by a mate as we discussed the important topic 'Does make-up on women really make much of a difference?' Anyway, I shoud've listened as now I have got myself caught up with some Athearn basket cases. These came from a consignment of horrors liberated Bracken's castle in Raheny. Some clown decided to paint up some US locos in CIE colours with a yard brush and some white tape. A right state they were. I have already given a Kato SD40-2 the kiss of life and brought it back as a Conrail unit as you will have seen on the old site. However, these other two needed a bit more work. The GP40X was a real dog; it was an undercorated kit which basically had none of its additional parts added. Has had a good bit of detailing done to it. I'm currently working the chassis where I have ripped out the old Athearn motor and replaced it with a much smoother and quieter Kato unit. I have taken plenty of pics along the way so I might do a blow-by-blow account on what I did to try to improve it. Although American stuff is not of interest to most on here it might give you ideas and tips to try out. You could give me pointers too as it's all about learning! On top of that, these EMD locos have a lot of similar detail features to our own locos, so you may want to have a closer look at some of that. Before Still a long way to go, updates as soon as I have them. I also have about 7 or 8 locos ready to hit the bench too to be dismemebered and rebuilt, so those long winter nights should be filled pretty easy!

There was killings for them apparently, them and the sewing machines! Be interesting if a rake of them turn up at the Bray Wheelers event tomorrow

They're all gone, as I just found out!

Cheers, need to invest in some more to keep me busy during those long winter evenings. Mind you I have about 30 unmade Roundhouse ones to get through too as well as half dozen loco rebuilds.

Does it have the dreaded traction tyres? I know some people hate them but they really do help traction. I believe some early Hornby Railroad locos were sold without them. As a result they couldn't pull a hooker.

Another day, another pretty straightforward American boxcar kit! I was keen to give the new range of Atlas Trainman kits a go to see what the quality is like. Atlas make some of the nicest stuff on the market, American or otherwise and I certainly wouldn't hesitate in buying any of their products. The 'Trainman' line is their budget range, a bit like Hornby Railroad, only erm, better! Locos get proper all wheel drive, rolling stock is as free running as anything this side of an 1980s Lima Mark 1 coach. The only real difference is that compared to their premium range the additional detail is a bit limited. The kits are a very recent development, with Atlas taking over the Branchline range and re-releasing them under their own banner. I was keen to pick one up and see what they were like, so plumped for a late 1930s Santa Fe 40ft AAR Boxcar from model junction. Nice and cheap at £8.99. Here's what you get. I started off by attaching the nicely detailed underframe to the floor of the car. Must say the detail was very nice, but took a bit of fettling to get it to all fit right. Unlike the Accurail kit (and nearly all the others I've nailed together over the past couple of years) the Trainman kit comes with metal wheels, and they are lovely free runners too. Happy days! I attached the bogies (or trucks as they're known in Yankee Doodle land) to the car as it began to take shape Then the ends went on, to stop you getting them the wrong way around, one end has four lugs, the other has five. Fitted lovely, then glued into place to make sure they stay there. After that the doors were put in place, there was a mechanism that allows you to have opening sliding doors if you wish