Get a GRIP! (25) SP SD9's to Build.

[JMaurer1]

I know MV does have lenses that small. I've used them for the same thing before...only black widows and tiger stripes.

[Miles]

Could you point me in the right direction for the correct sized MV products lenses? Since the Red mars was just an emergency "big hole" light, it wouldn't need to operate on a vast majority of those units.

[jmlaboda]

Could you point me in the right direction for the correct sized MV products lenses? Since the Red mars was just an emergency "big hole" light, it wouldn't need to operate on a vast majority of those units.

You would think so but I can tell you as a fact that at least one Espee SD45, that was being run on the Norfolk Southern (formerly Southern) mainline, was being operated with all lights being on, including the red gyralight.  It was quite a show in the middle of the night and one I am so very grateful to have seen.  Oddest part of it all was that the unit was in a trailing position in the locomotive consist, with the unit lighting up the rear end of the NS locomotive ahead of it.

[tehachapifan]

I believe the MV lens set your are looking for is the LS 701, although I've seen them marked as P/N 701 too.

[Miles]

Thanks Russ! I just bought a bunch of packs to hopefully cover at least half of the fleet.

So, the Microscale decal set in N is really limited. 60-177 has too limited of an amount of wings and SP lettering for my tastes. The scarlet red in the decal is also WAY too dark. Are there better decals out there?

[tehachapifan]

Might want to consider painting the wings given the limited amt. available per decal sheet as you mentioned. I've painted wings on a few HO models before with excellent results but have not tried yet in N scale. When I did it in HO, I painted the grey first, then masked and painted the scarlet wings. The results were thankfully great but, if I was to try it again in N scale, I would probably try painting the scarlet first, then mask and paint they grey as the grey would cover quickly with fewer and lighter passes. One key I found to painting wings is to seal the tape edges with the first-applied color, then apply the contrasting color. Might want to experiment elsewhere first.

[sp org div]

Your putting sound decoders in all of them too, right?

Good old Floquil Scarlet Red was a good match for the Micro Scale decal sheet, especially with Lark Light under them.... as the lighter gray is good simulation for faded paint, and looks sweet with a layer of grimy black tunnel smoke.  Some of us hoarded bottles of all the important colors when they ceased production... 
Now I prefer Scalecoat as it also is a good match, and it smells just as good, but has a high gloss finish for those decals.
Darn RR here has grown too big and taken away from finishing the loco fleet...   
Enjoy the project!

73's Russ

Jeff
http://espeeoregondivision.blogspot.com/

[mcjaco]

You would think so but I can tell you as a fact that at least one Espee SD45, that was being run on the Norfolk Southern (formerly Southern) mainline, was being operated with all lights being on, including the red gyralight.  It was quite a show in the middle of the night and one I am so very grateful to have seen.  Oddest part of it all was that the unit was in a trailing position in the locomotive consist, with the unit lighting up the rear end of the NS locomotive ahead of it.

That sounds like someone decided to turn everything on, rather than it be the norm!

I'd go the route of the MV lense as well.

[Miles]

Jeff: BWHAHAH SOUND in these old Katos? I might see if I can convince him to do what the guy did with the BNSF SD40-2 in HO on that other thread and hookup a Tsunami to some large, quality speakers so your chest will rumble with the sound of a prime mover.



I just talked with my friend yesterday about what he wants. Looks like we're going DC/ cab control, which will thankfully save me a ton of work.

Sunshades & MV lenses are in the mail, and the third unit, an SD9E is nearly complete.

The Conrail shell has been my test-bed for building various attachments for the SD9's, like headlight removal, electrical cabinet construction and probably a few other things as well in time. The Electrical cabinet is two layers of styrene carefully filed to fit the profile of the cab arc. 


 

[ednadolski]

Bookmarked!

[Miles]

Nearly complete, SP #4450 still has lenses, glass, sunshades and my signature weathering to round out this unit. Should be done by the end of this week along with its sibling, an as yet unnumbered 4300 class SD9

[tehachapifan]

Looking really good! Applying the decals is my favorite part as this is where all the hard work up to that point really starts to come together.

[Miles]

The First two are complete!







More photos over here: http://weatheringman.tumblr.com/

[wazzou]

They look good but could use more fade and white corner handrails to really be awesome!

[tehachapifan]

They look GREAT!!! 

Question....are those the older Atlas/Kato shells or the newer China versions? The reason I ask is my stock SP SD9 (China version) has only one ladder on the end of the short hood where yours have the correct two.