removing DB blister on Kato GP&SD units

[GP38-2freak]

I want to remove the dynamic brake equipment from a Kato GP38-2 but have no plans how to do it so did someone of you make the cuts before?
Tim

[sizemore]

If I were to do it, I'd buy some spare Atlas GP/SD non-DB hoods, cut out that portion. Then cut out the blister on the Kato shells, and replace it with the non-DB portions scavenged from the Atlas hoods. Alternatively if the same GP/SD models from Atlas match an Kato produced model, I'd just swap shells.

The S.

[peteski]

Tim,
you need to make cuts along the rivet strips on the roof then across the sides under the blister. You then need to build new plain walls and roof using some flat styrene.

I know that Kato modes runs well and it is a great puller but I would still recommend that you instead using Atlas model. It has more accurate shell and it is available without dynamic brake blister.

The items that are noticeably incorrect are the size of the side cab windows, the outboard front and rear cab windows, shape of the headlight housing and size of the rear numberboards.  The roof detail is also a bit off.

I compared those models on the Atlas forum. See my post at http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=50900&whichpage=2

[Vince Gortner]

Ugh...    that kinda made me homesick to look at an old archived atlas thread.   Very happy here on RW, but...   gosh.      

[lock4244]

I asked the same question somewhere years ago. Cutting out the SB blister and replacing with styrene was the consensus, though one respondent mentioned painstakingly filing the blister off... then showed a MoPac SD40 that he had done that to. It looked pretty good, and by that I mean you couldn't tell it had started life as a DB equipped model.

[LV LOU]

If I were to do it, I'd buy some spare Atlas GP/SD non-DB hoods, cut out that portion. Then cut out the blister on the Kato shells, and replace it with the non-DB portions scavenged from the Atlas hoods. Alternatively if the same GP/SD models from Atlas match an Kato produced model, I'd just swap shells.

The S.

This is the right way to do it.I like to take it one step further to enhance tractive effort..I use a suitable piece of lead,and fit the entire carefully shaped block into the hole if there's enough room above the frame to clear it..

[GP38-2freak]

well, the GP38-2 shell from Atlas does not fit on the Kato mechanism, I have tried this some months ago and was disappointed..but the SD-7/SD-9 shell of the new run will fit nicely on Atlas/Kato mechanisms 

[TiVoPrince]

Locating 
a Kato SD40-2 non-dynamic shell would provide a proper width hood section in a single part.  That said, sectioning/splicing Atlas GP38 shells without dynamics can be a more labour intensive but lower cost alternative.  Eliminating the ordeal of searching for that rare and made of unobtanium item might be more your style if you really want to complete your project sometime this decade. 

Its all about  how you choose to spend your valuable time/money...

[conrailthomas519]

 Maybe a manufacturer will decide to release one..  Patients might be the option in this case.

[Mark5]

http://www.mark4design.com/html/n_gp_hoods.html

Only catch is these are designed for Atlas locos - Kato units are "fatter" than scale.

[peteski]

Tim, here is a photo of the Kato GP38-2 with the DB removed (it wasn't done by me). The stacks were taken off the DB blister and glued t the new plastic roof.  The new side pieces come all the way up and the roof piece fits between them. The edge was rounded off after the glue dried.