IM MRL SD45-2 (lots of pictures)

[nscalesteve]

back in 2006 when I got my DMIR/CN SD45T-2 I was not happy with it because there was glue on the roof between the long hood and the cab. I did complain at IM and they offered me another shell but because the same road number was already sold out they offered me to chose another shell from the soon to be released SD45-2. I did chose the MRL shell. two weeks ago I got an eMail from IM and they told me that the SD45-2 shell will not fit the SD45T-2 drive and as soon as I confirm my address they will send me a whole new engine with drive. no need to return the old shell or drive. this is great customer service, thank you IM.

the MRL SD45-2 did arrive today and I thought it's time for some pictures.

overall look is much better than everything I have ever seen from IM. (yeah right, I have to say this because the engine was for free - NO !) there are some spots which are still a bit odd. the handrails have still parts of the sprue on and are then overpainted with a thick layer of white color. the cab is no longer glued to the longhood, they use a silver foil tape now (unfortunately the silver foil tape is visible from the outside - see pictures) the shell itself is still glued to the sill. (so no easy diassembly - but anyway, undecorated shells seem to be available from IM) the gap between the blower duct and walkway is not that visible because ot the overall dark color of both parts, but there is still a gap. enough of the talk, let the pictures speak...

[nscalesteve]

...and who can tell me what we see here on this two pictures ?   

[Chulvis]

I'm getting a headache.

[Ian MacMillan]

HAHAHA, looks like they were dipped in that stuff you use to create grips on tool handles.

[wm3798]

The sun shades look like crap.  BLMA's would have been a much more logical choice.  The giant slot is very disappointing indeed.
The paint also looks pretty fat, as Ian pointed out...

Lee

[TiVoPrince]

HAHAHA, looks like they were dipped in that stuff you use to create grips on tool handles.

Plasti-Dip
never gos on that thick with only a single application...

[nscalesteve]

...and who can tell me what we see here on this two pictures ?   

noone ? well, on the left the shell sits on its original drive while on the right the shell sits on a new Kato drive ! yup !
man do the Kato trucks look way better on a direct comparison.
(the shell does not sit on the proper height, the two humps in the middle of the drive have to be filled down)

but why the heck would someone wanna do that !
(a IM shell on a Kato drive)

[Robbman]

The lack of a gap here is what I noted earlier... the front edge of the exhuast hatch should be in line with the break between the engine compartment and intake compartment, not right up against the dustbin hatch.

[Mark5]

Steve, it's hard to tell as the pic with the kato is a bit more out of focus. But it appears that the Kato version has more "relief". Nice trick!

General comment on the IM SD45-2 - aside from the errors Robb pointed out I'm kinda shocked by the visible gaps - the cab roof to long hood for example. I don't understand how this gets "signed off" on. (I think even my Mehano SD45 and GP40 had better fit in that spot)

[scootbird]

It's a shame that IM just doesn't quite hit the quality finish mark as they are real close to getting it right.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I checked one of the CR units out in person today. There were just so many "little" things wrong with it that it REALLY wasn't worth the $90 street price to have to fix.

Let me think on ones not mentioned here yet... the handrail stanchions were FULL of paint, the exhaust stack was also full of paint, the windshields looked like they had been crazed by some glue (probably because they had been...), the numberboards looked like they were done in MS paint. I think that's all I can think of now.

They're not as bad as the Bachmann SD45s, but they weren't even up to the bar set by the LL GP38-1.8.

These were a weird model for me, they're on the periphery of what I'd consider buying, as they weren't really common in my era anywhere but as helpers on the Pittsburgh Line. If they were nice, I'd have gone for one, but since they're crap, it's no real skin off my teeth. It just left some money for a new Atlas GP7 in Reading...