Detailing and decorating DRGW GP35 #3031 - 01

: Rio Grande 3031

Atlas/Kato GP35 is a nice looking model. The only defect for me was the color. I thought its "Aspen Gold" was too dark. So I decided to repaint it. In spare time, I tried my first experience to detailing.

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP35 #3031 - 02

: work underway
: detail of work

The model I used is an Atlas #4623, decorated as the Rio Grande 3031.
First of all, I wiped off the logo and stripes using isopropyl alcohol. Next, detail parts are installed. Details are concentrated in the front half of body, as the prototype.

The parts I used are;
Sunrise Enterprises N-611 Oscillating Dual Mars Light w/base.
Sunrise Enterprises N-550 MU Hoses
BLMA #74 Angled Cab Sunshades
BLMA #11 Early Locomotive Cut Levers
Atlas #498212 GP Snowplow
Micro-Trains #001 02 004 Couplers 1015-1-B

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP35 #3031 - 03

: painting

Without using surfacer nor primer, I sprayed Mr. COLOR #2 GLOSS BLACK. I hand-painted POLLY Scale "D&RGW YELLOW" this time. Maybe Weathering someday, when I get an airbrush.

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP35 #3031 - 04

: finished model

I was pleased with the result. Especially, the Spartan looking face of the locomotive. That made me devoted to detailing.

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP30 #3014 and 3016 - 01

: Rio Grande 3016

Rio Grande's ratio of GP30 in the fleet is comparatively large. So, I decided to detail and decorate 2 of them at once. I thought it was efficient too.

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP30 #3014 and 3016 - 02

: work underway
: work detail

The models I used are an Atlas #47500, undecorated model.
I installed the detail parts below. I tried to represent the later styling this time. So the plow was sharpened and formed in shape, assorted with the modern style cut lever.

The parts I used are;
Sunrise Enterprises N-611 Oscillating Dual Mars Light w/base.
Sunrise Enterprises N-550 MU Hoses
Sunrise Enterprises N-203 Snowplow
BLMA #74 Angled Cab Sunshades
BLMA #13 Modern EMD Cut Levers
BLMA #89 Trainline Air Hoses
Micro-Trains #001 02 004 Couplers 1015-1-B

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP30 #3014 and 3016 - 03

: painting

After spraying the surface-primer from TAMIYA, I sprayed gloss black and hand-painted the sill yellow.

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP30 #3014 and 3016 - 04

: finished model

I found that making two homogeneously is far difficult than making only one. I recognized that I must brush up my skill.

: Rio Grande 3014 and 3016

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP40 #3068 and 3076 - 01

: Rio Grande 3068

Rio Grande has a comparatively large fleet of GP40 too. So, I tried again to decorate 2 at once.

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP40 #3068 and 3076 - 02

: work underway
: work detail

The models I used are Atlas #48501, undecorated model.
I installed the detail parts below.

The parts I used are;
Sunrise Enterprises N-611 Oscillating Dual Mars Light w/base.
Sunrise Enterprises N-550 MU Hoses
BLMA #74 Angled Cab Sunshades
BLMA #11 Early Locomotive Cut Levers
Atlas #498212 GP Snowplow

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP40 #3068 and 3076 - 03

: decorating

After spraying the surface-primer from TAMIYA, I sprayed gloss black and hand-painted the sill yellow.

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating DRGW GP40 #3068 and 3076 - 04

: finished model

It's still difficult for me to making two homogeneously.
Craig Martyn of the BLMA Models uploaded my works in his page.

BLMA Models "Detailed Models" page;
uploaded my works;

: Rio Grande 3068 and 3076

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating KATO SD45 – 01

: SD45 drawings: Prototype, Kato model, both in layers (from left to right)

In 2010, KATO produced EMD SD45 long after its last production in 1996. I was in two minds about reserving the item because I was making small flying logo a rule for pre dash 2 locomotives.

Rio Grande large stacked logo scheme on locomotive was first appeared in 1968, on SD45 #5337 dedicated to run through unit coal trains to Kaiser Steel in southern California via UP. Rio Grande #5326 – 5328, 5336 – 5338 were equipped with UP’s cab Signal. Reserving #5327 announced by KATO just fits this group was my exceptional decision.

I first satisfied with the product, but soon found some sources of discontent, although I’m not a rivet-counter. Atlas forum also discusses it at "Just for general discussion. Kato's SD45" thread.

First of all, the width and height of the hood is over-scaled. That makes strange impressions to front and rear faces. See how deferent the both is in the drawings; zone painted in red is the excess.
From the top, shown in red lines at drawing below; short food, cab flat roof and long hood are all about 1 mm wider than scale width. That makes the front window awning (painted aspen gold at Rio Grande) also too wide and the slope of the cab roof too steep. It looks like an old Athearn HO model.

Next are the trucks. It did have air brake cylinders between axles when delivered. But it was soon converted to cylinders atop the trucks. The style KATO produced does represent the “as delivered” but unique style.

Atlas – KATO GPs have more accurate hoods. KATO offers a pair of high-mounted brake cylinder trucks for $24 (besides the price, black is sold out). This brings me a thought that KATO should have corrected these discontents, before adding plows and hoses, during its long interval of production.

Some Atlas SD side frame parts seem fit KATO trucks. Inter Mountain’s SD40T-2 body shell would work for the short hood and cab. But I have to find the way to correct long hood before detailing. It seems a long way for “Detailing and decorating KATO SD45 – 02”.


SD45 drawing in red lines are traced from trainiax.net;

: front view of KATO SD45 (right) with accurate drawing (in red line)
: top view of KATO SD45 with accurate drawing in red line

Japanese

Bringin’ Back the Scene 04 – Great Northern Railway local freight

: Sweetgrass, MT, Summer, 1971 (reproduce)

I chose N scale because it saves space. And yet, it is hard to spear enough space in my home to enjoy the “landscape” of American railroading. So, for the time being, I’m self-satisfied with bringing back the scene which I saw in the ‘70s.

Here is another scene I would like to see; GN local train under the big sky. The train shows its individualities. The GN (exactly, BN when photographed) GP7 is equipped with all weather cab window and winterization hatch. The flat car seems to have bulkheads made from old boxcar ends. End of the short consist is the GN (also, exactly BN) caboose converted from combine. The entire consist would sit on my desk.

Atlas produced GN GP7 in the exact scheme in 2009. MTL produces straight side flat cars. The caboose would be created through kitbashing MTL passenger car. Thus, the plan came to incorporate.

: reproduced scene


大きな地図で見る: BNSF train found near the scene

Japanese & Comments

Detailing and decorating GN GP7 #636

: GN GP7 #636

This is the locomotive I detailed to bring back the scene: Great Northern Railway GP7 #636.

GN #636 was built in 1951 and renumbered as Burlington Northern Railroad #1536 in 1970. She was retired in 1982.

Atlas produced GN #636 model in 2009. I couldn’t find any particular photo of #636 on web. So, the model is a kind of archetype. Typical GN locomotives had winterizations to protect machines and trainmen. I added these devices to my model: All weather cab window is a Gold Medal Models product. Winterization hatch is my scratch built from styrene sheet.

GN locomotives had some other characteristics: extended exhaust stacks, hood top mounted bell and MU hose pockets. I cut and extended the stack using a piece of styrene. Bell is an Atlas parts #545226. I shove the pilot off the model and added MU hose pockets made from thin styrene sheet.

Other details such as cut levers and MU hoses came from BLMA. I relocated the side-mounted horns of the model to the cab roof.

I partially repainted the model with Tamiya sprays; green with AS-13 and black with TS-29. AS-13 green was a little bit brighter than the green applied by Atlas: not bad after a sort.

: parts ready to apply
: detailed pilot ready to paint
: finished model

Japanese & Comments

Overhauling Intermountain Rio Grande SD40T-2s

: washed parts

I was overhauling my fleets at home during this COVID related self-isolation period.

I own six N scale Rio Grande EMD SD40T-2s produced by Intermountain Railway Company (IMR). Serial numbers are 69401-01, -02, -03, -05, -09, and -10 released between 2004 and 2005.

The body style of the model reflects the prototype: the first two lots (33 units) built for the Rio Grande between 1974 and 1975. IMR produced up to lot -30 DC Rio Grande tunnel motors as of now, accompanied by six DCC and another six DCC-with-sound equipped models. There are also four UP patched scheme models and two W&LE scheme models: IMR overtook EMD!

I decided to clean them up after fifteen years of savor concerning the zinc pests, oil leaks, and congealed grease that have been often reported on this model. Fortunately, there aren’t any zinc pests on frames but some oil leaks and congealed grease at gears are found. Accordingly, I just disassembled, washed, and re-assembled the models.


The body, the fuel tank, and the mechanism are assembled relied only on friction. Accordingly, the disassembling of the model is relatively easy. But, you must be careful handling the shell because it’s unexpectedly fragile: nose, cab, handrails, and side sill/walkway often come off. Even a little dynamic brake access door on the bulge came off from my model.

The mechanism is simple, normal, and easy to disassemble. But I recommend taking photos during the disassembling. That will help you re-assembling the model: even a square bearing of the worm gear has a direction. The question left is that the universal joints on both ends of the shaft connecting motor and worm gear have the 90-degree phase. I believe they should have the same phase.

Trucks come off by losing the two screws on the frame. Adjusting the tightening of the screw is the point of re-assembling: too tight and the tracks won’t turn, too loose and the frame won’t fit the shell. It also involves noise.


During the cleaning, I found some minor differences among them:
Some products lacked one side of the washer at the worm gear, maybe a mistake. 69401-01 and 69401-03 had thin black cushion tape on the low nose side of the frame, maybe to adjust the width. Only 69401-09 had light reflection tape inside the shell on both ends. Accordingly, other differences/ improvements may found in the later lots.


Here is the list of DC tunnel motors with the Rio Grande scheme produced by IMR[1]:

69401-01, D&RGW #5342, released May 2004
69401-02, D&RGW #5348, released May 2004
69401-03, D&RGW #5359, released May 2004
69401-04, D&RGW #5364, released May 2004
69401-05, D&RGW #5373, released May 2004
69401-06, D&RGW #5385, released May 2004
69401-07, D&RGW #5351, released May 2004
69401-08, D&RGW #5371, released May 2004

69401-09, D&RGW #5341, released Jun. 2005
69401-10, D&RGW #5347, released Jun. 2005
69401-11, D&RGW #5353, released Jun. 2005
69401-12, D&RGW #5356, released Jun. 2005
69401-13, D&RGW #5360, released Jun. 2005
69401-14, D&RGW #5372, released Jun. 2005

69401-15, D&RGW #5345, released Dec. 2006
69401-16, D&RGW #5350, released Dec. 2006
69401-17, D&RGW #5358, released Dec. 2006
69401-18, D&RGW #5361, released Dec. 2006
69401-19, D&RGW #5367, released Dec. 2006
69401-20, D&RGW #5370, released Dec. 2006

69401-21, D&RGW #5344, released Jul. 2009
69401-22, D&RGW #5349, released Jul. 2009
69401-23, D&RGW #5355, released Jul. 2009
69401-24, D&RGW #5366, released Jul. 2009

69401-25, D&RGW #5356, released Apr. 2017
69401-26, D&RGW #5360, released Apr. 2017
69401-27, D&RGW #5363, released Apr. 2017
69401-28, D&RGW #5365, released Apr. 2017
69401-29, D&RGW #5369, released Apr. 2017
69401-30, D&RGW #5373, released Apr. 2017

69424-01, UP #7877(former D&RGW #5356), released Aug. 2009
69424-02, UP #8608(former D&RGW #5349), released Aug. 2009
69424-03, UP #8612(former D&RGW #5354), released Aug. 2009
69424-04, UP #8622(former D&RGW #5365), released Aug. 2009

69429-01, W&LE #5391(former D&RGW #5391), released Apr. 2017
69429-02, W&LE #5413(former D&RGW #5413), released Apr. 2017


If you count rivets on these models, you may be anxious about some details: the fans seen through the roof-top grill should be hidden under the radiators, the MU socket should be on the top of the front walkway, and #5385 should have a handbrake wheel instead of a lever.

[1] N Scale Model Trains Database, TroveStar;

: cushion tape on nose
: reflection tape inside the shell
: 90-degree phase shaft
　
　

Japanese & Comments

Overhauling Intermountain Rio Grande F7s

: washed parts

I was overhauling my fleets at home during this COVID-related self-isolation period.

I own four N scale Rio Grande EMD F7A and Bs produced by Intermountain Railway Company (IMR). Serial numbers are 69211-03, 69242-02, -03, and 69742-02 released in 2006 and in 2012.

IMR produced up to 12 Rio Grande four and single stripe F7As as of now, accompanied by 4 four and single stripe F7Bs.

I decided to clean them up after fifteen years of savor concerning zinc pests, oil leaks, and congealed grease that have been reported also on this model. Fortunately, there aren’t any zinc pests on frames but some oil leaks and congealed grease at gears are found. Accordingly, I just disassembled, washed, and re-assembled the models.


The body, the fuel tank, and the mechanism are assembled relied only on friction same as SD40T-2. Accordingly, the disassembling of the model is relatively easy. But, you must be careful handling the shell because it’s unexpectedly fragile: metal grills often come off. I also lost a windshield wiper on the A unit during the washing.

Trucks come off by losing the two screws on the frame same as SD40T-2. The mechanism of the A unit and the B unit is completely the same except for the LED. Adjusting the tightening of the screw is the point of re-assembling: too tight and the tracks won’t turn, too loose and the frame won’t fit the shell. It also involves noise. The universal joints on both ends of the shaft connecting motor and worm gear in this product had the same phase.


During the cleaning, I found some minor differences/improvements among them:
The design and the way of connecting the circuit board are different between the models released in 2006 and 2012, as shown in the photo below. Also is that small ribs are added to the top of the frame may be to stabilize the shell. The colors of the LED on the A units are different between the two when they are dark: seem the same when lit.

Some details like windshield wipers and builder’s plate are added to the later lots. The black markings on the frame may be done by markers to improve the appearance through the round windows on sides are later done by airbrushes.


Here is the list of DC Rio Grande F7s produced by IMR:
F7A/four stripe
69211-01 D&RGW #5651 released Jul. 2006
69211-02 D&RGW #5654 released Jul. 2006
69211-03 D&RGW #5661 released Jul. 2006
69211-04 D&RGW #5664 released Jul. 2006

69211-05 D&RGW #5671 released Jun. 2008
69211-06 D&RGW #5674 released Jun. 2008
69211-07 D&RGW #5681 released Jun. 2008
69211-08 D&RGW #5684 released Jun. 2008

F7B/four stripe
69711-01 D&RGW no# released Jul. 2006 and Jun. 2008

F7A/single stripe
69242-01 D&RGW #5634 released Sep. 2012
69242-02 D&RGW #5641 released Sep. 2012
69242-03 D&RGW #5691 released Sep. 2012
69242-04 D&RGW #5694 released Sep. 2012

F7B/single stripe
69742-01 D&RGW #5622 released Sep. 2012
69742-02 D&RGW #5642 released Sep. 2012
69742-03 D&RGW #5693 released Sep. 2012

If you count rivets on these models, you may be anxious about some details: F7As #5551 to 5644 should have square corners on side door frames.

: shell details, original and revised
: mechanisms, original and revised
: excess oil and grease
: same phase shaft
　
　

Japanese & Comments