CONRAIL SD40-2

[pennsyfan1361]

With the new batch of Kato Early SD40-2 is it possible to do a CONRAIL SD40-2 with the early version? If you change the vents and put a brake wheel on as a replacement.  I know Ed Kapuscinski did a great job making his from the snoot nose SD40-2 by cutting the nose down to 88" inches in N scale and modified the trucks. And looking at the Mid production SD40-2 it looks similar to CONRAIL SD40-2, I know the ditch light would have to be removed I'm not sure about the Mid production nose length. Thanks Rich

[ljudice]

One big problem are the trucks, which are closer to the SD40 truck.  Unfortunately the SD40 Kato trucks cannot fit into the SD40-2 or they fit improperly...

[Leggy]

The trucks aren't close to the SD40 trucks, they are the SD40 trucks otherwise known as the Flexicoil and used on most if not all freight 6-axle EMDs until the Dash 2 line introduced the HTC. At a guess I'd assume the SD40/45 trucks would fit the Early mechanism as it's not the silly shock absorber one but then you'd need to muck with the body.

[ljudice]

I always hold back on definitive statements around here!!!

But now that I think of it, the SD40 trucks DO not fit in the SD40-2 frame.  The SD40 mechanism will fit under the SD40-2 EARLY bodyshell, but it has incorrect truck centers.

- Lou

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't sweat the trucks. They're easy to modify to look close enough to flexicoils.

The thing that has prevented me from using the mid prod ones is all the crap on the roof, but most especially, the lack of number boards on the long hood.

That being said, Kato number boards suck anyway, so going the route of just using decals to represent them might not be so bad.

I say go for it, and keep us posted with many photos as you go.

[Leggy]

Can the sideframes be swapped?

[Bob Horn]

I have both sets in front of me and they will not interchange. The gear case locks do not line up. Bob.

[ns737]

HI the mid pro. sd40-2 bn and cn long hoods have number boards and cab head lights. I know as i have a bn that i'm stripping. and as far as the trucks you need to remove the shock,drill a hole on the frame where the shock top was. remove the arms and traction motor housing from the back, fill in the center holes of the three hole pattern on the frames. and you have a decent sd40 truck. for the conrail sd40-2. ED

[pennsyfan1361]

I was looking at the mid production CN and BN SD40-2 and the cab roofs are plain and the headlights are on the cabs like CONRAIL. So if you remove the ditch lights and modify the trucks to look like flexicoils the way  Ed Kapuscinski did with his CONRAIL SD40-2 it would look like a CR SD40-2. Only question is the mid production nose 88"?

[lock4244]

What about surgery on the trucks? Cutting the side frames off both the SD40 and SD40-2 trucks and gluing the SD40 sideframe to the SD40-2 truck assembly. Assuming that the plastic used will even take to gluing and that you have that kind of patience 

[TiVoPrince]

Wondering
if the RP revolution could help here?  A redesigned gear tower to accomodate the SD40-2 frame and flexcoil trucks might just work...

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I am pretty sure the battery box areas are wrong on the BN/BN mid-pro engines.