RSD15 long hood

[kiwi_al]

I'd like some opinions on my RSD15 long hood please. Be brutally honest as I'm trying to improve this and need to know how crappy it really is.
I have added the top radiator grill shroud thingy made from styrene tube, unfortunately its too thick. If I thin it down to half thickness would it look prototypical. I am buying brass tube when I get the correct diameter (so far I have purchased tubes that are too big or too small !). But I've found that if I try to remove this styrene on the shell is sorta stuffed cause it'll crack and split.


cheers big earses!!!  ;D

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/DSCF0907a.jpg

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/DSCF0906a.jpg

[SirTainly]

Alister, try thinning it out from the inside with a dremel + grinding tool, that way you don't need to remove it from the body.

Simon

[SAH]

A tough spot to be in.  I think I'd give a try at securing the tube to the shell with adhesive as best as I could and then grind the tube away to match the hood contour.  Then start over with the brass tube.

Steve

[kiwi_al]

I got my xacto knife out and the styrene tube is now gone. I'll have to hunt up the correct brass tube, then I can put in the stainless steel gauze I bought a year ago!  ;D ;D

[kiwi_al]

Just added the brass radiator housing, hopefully it looks better than the styrene one :

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/DSCF0917a.jpg

[SirTainly]

Nice and thin..looks better already!

Simon

[kiwi_al]

Thanks Simon,
I fairly happy with how that looks now. How about a nose job?

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/DSCF0931a.jpg

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/DSCF0925a.jpg

It's still pretty rough and yes the battery boxes, or whatever they are, are missing and I have to finish the walkways and handrails and mechanism

But I did use the original cab and spliced in a SD24 cab front.

[kiwi_al]

More done  ;D

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/DSCF0945a.jpg

[SirTainly]

Coming along nicely! I do like the big Alco Gators, but I'm glad I kept with the Model Power shells despite all its inaccuracies, that's one involved bash.

Simon

[kiwi_al]

Thanks! Yeah I have a Model Power one too. This bash used 3 RS11 shells, I wouldn't mind waiting for the walkways with closed in pilots from the new model. The shell uses all Atlas parts that was started over a year ago and thought I'd better finish it.

 ;D ;D

[mopaustin]

Will this be a...

...ATSF....
...SP...
...Indiana Hi-Rail...
...or Austin & Texas Central gator?

Or something entirely different??? 

[kiwi_al]

Hi mopaustin,
It'll wind up being an ATSF version which means I have to open out the 3rd vent from the back. ;D

[RS-27]

You probably won't want to hear it, but...  the notches in the nose should be considerably smaller.  There are no sand fills, and there should be enough width to have a horizontal pair of headlights.

When I did my chop nose RS11s and RS27, the top slice of the nose should overhang the bottom by about the thickness of the plastic.  When you trim it back, you are left with a hole that needs to be plugged.

I think there are images in my album on trainboard. (?)

Bob in IDaho

[kiwi_al]

Bob,
Take a look at this one and let me know your thoughts. It's great to get feedback cause I'll have a correct looking gator at the end of it.
The prototype photo shows the sand fills and a skinny nose bit. But I may have got that a bit narrow?
I'll get a brake wheel and put it there - I'll get one from atlas and it'll be a little while til I get it (I'm overseas)

I'd better add the link eh  ;D

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=651466

[kiwi_al]

A bit more primer ;D


http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/data/511/DSCF0979a.jpg