Life Like ATSF E6 mods (E3)

[arbomambo]

was able to add a little more to this...including powering the B unit with a very inexpensive Ebay purchase...sanded the molded windshield wiper from the front windows..repolished, then added sunshades. Still to add...rooftop exhaust deflectors, roof mounted bell, lift rings on B unit, then some slight paint and decal repair before final finish...by my era, I believe these units were assigned to Argentine...I see plenty of pics of them on the Kansas City Chief, the Texas Chief, and others in and around the Kansas City pool...

[arbomambo]

After perusing the 'blah-blah' going on in the Kato E5 thread, I grabbed my Life Like ATSF E6/E3 to do a little more on it...I've been adding more and more to it, as I acquire more info as to how these units appeared in 1957...these units went through a series of small and large mods as their life progressed...
 I'm sure there are many that will tell me  there's something 'wrong' with the shape of the LL unit...but it does resemble an E3/E6, and I enjoy adding more details and improving things I don't particularly like to build something that appears more accurate to my eyes...
I managed to acquire a spare window glass unit to replace the damaged one in the original unit...I shaved off the windshield wipers polished the windshield and added my 'decal' sunshades/visors...I'm not completely happy with the way the windshield 'glass' fits (or doesn't fit flush) in the LL unit, but I can't really come up with a better solution.
Also, I wasn't completely happy with one particular area on the nose where I had re-decalled with black striping...after seeing it in the macro pics it always 'glared' at me since then....
Here is the area, around the upper headlight that I'm talking about...



part of my work today is sanding this little area down, glossing, then repairing the area with a small bit of black and yellow decal striping...that way it won't 'bother' me any longer!

another item that I knew I wanted to add were the exhaust deflectors that were added to the roof of all these slantnose E's at some point in their lives. I knew this was going to be tedious so I've been putting it off...the Kato E5 thread convinced me to go ahead and add them.
I used Evergreen styrene strip cut to length, then lightly sanded the inner curve into each piece. I gently rounded each corner, then glued each piece into place.
After the pieces were completely secure and dry, I used a sanding stick to lightly sand the pieces to the proper curve; it was much easier to do this with the deflectors in place. I'll paint them with matching paint after final cleaning...
I'm glad I finally added these very noticeable items.





I still need to add these to the powered B unit!...yechhhhh!
I STILL need to find a bell to add to the roof just aft of the horns, and, figure a way to model the stainless vents that appeared in the second windows on each side and behind the rearmost screened grill...these found their way onto the slantnose units before the lower single headlight was changed to the twin sealed beam lights...and before the handholds and grabs were added to these and all the E and F units.
I'm kind of hoping that the new Kato E5 units will provide me with early E style truck sideframes (for the ones that don't sport the skirts)...the trucks on their regular E units are slightly different than the earlier E units and the rebuilt ATSF E 8m units...
Regardless, I would like to repower these shells with Kato mechanisms, even though these LL mechanisms can pull, they are nowhere near the smoothness of the Kato mechanisms. Here's hoping it waon't be too difficult to modify them to fit well...
These units stayed in the Kansas City/Chicago for the most part during my modelled era and were frequently seen in lashups of three - a slantnose E unit- a rebuilt E8m booster unit- and an early E3/6 booster unit trailing...I'd like to model this configuration (which means removing the dynamic brake from a Kato E8B unit!)

Thanks for looking,
Bruce

[superturbine]

Engine looks awesome!!

[Cajonpassfan]

Yeah, amazing...
Otto K.

[UP4-8-8-4]

     Fantistic looking engine !
Besides being a lover of steamers, I also love 1st generation diesels also ---------------------- 
Actually my diesels in my collection out number my steamers 4 to1 !




Ernie

[Mark5]

Very nice. Nice to know LL did a decent job on the E6 (the E8 stinks!)

[arbomambo]

Hello all...
after looking through this thread, it occured to me that I hadn't mentioned nor documented the beginning of this project-namely, the idea that I could modify the pretty nice (in appearnce, at least) Life Like ATSF E6 to how the units appeared during my modelled era-1957.
The most noticeable difference being the addition of the large lower headlight. I had done something similar back in the 90's during my first foray into N scale- a freind of mine had purchased the first Kato ATSF F3 units (these were modelled as they were delivered; with single headlights), and wanted the lower headlight installed. I used brass tubing and a K&S tubing cutter to make the headlight, glued it into place, reamed the hole, then repainted. It actually was more prototypical for the ATSF than the double headlight version that Kato now produces, as the lower headlight was larger than the one modelled by Kato.
With that, I used some brass tubing to model this one as well...reaming a hole in the proper location then inserting a short portion; I goofed a little and reamed the hole larger than I had intended, which meant some filling and blending. I used Gunze Sangyo 'Mr Surfacer' 500 to fill the circular seam-I applied several applications of this wonderful product with a small brush and eventually, not only filled the hole seams but blended the brass headlight housing a little more prototypically.
 Here is a pic of the A unit as I bought it...it started out as No 15...an A&B set with only the A powered...



As you can see, I had already opened the notch for the pilot 'footboard' before I realized I needed to modify the unit

Here are two pics in the rough stage of adding the headlight





After building up the area with the Mr Surfacer, I added a quick coat of yellow to check the blending...I did this a couple of times, sanding in between coats to get the effect I could live with...






After getting the result I wanted, it was left to re-decalling the area using Microscale's E3/E6 sheet, which provides some better cigar bands, both in clarity and in 'fit' around the slanted nose...



After studying numerous photos of these ATSF units, I determined that, for my era, the unit that Life Like modelled (specifically in the pilot area-footboard, etc) was actually closer to an E3 (which ATSF modified to E6 standard)...so a renumbering was in the cards..I used Walthers solvaset to remove the numbers and my unit became 'Fast 11'!




I had planned to add the cut levers from BLMA (As I had done to all my ATSF F7A units), but careful inspection of photos indicated No. 11 never received these type of cut levers, but sported a unique (to me) version that had most of the lever hidden behind the pilot, with only the 'handles' protruding from each side...a tiny drilled hole and some spare pieces of photo-etch gates/'sprue' made this easy....



I also changed 'out' the LL coupler with a Microtrains Z scale coupler, as I have done in the pilots of all my locos...they are definitely more 'scale' in appearance, and have never failed me when pulling heavy consists when using them in rear facing consists...like F units in A-B-B-A arrangements, and in Alco PA A-B-A arrangements (or LABC and LAC in ATSF parlance)

 I also added the centered numberboard that ATSF added to these units (and their PA's)...quite easy to carve a small block of styrene to rough shape, then sand to final fit...match the paint, then number for 11 (Microscale even supplies these tiny numbers!)





This catches the thread 'up' to the point I originally posted...
Thanks for looking,
Bruce

[arbomambo]

As she sits currently....
Exhaust defectors are painted, black and yellow striping on the nose is 'fixed' (at least to my satisfaction-passes the macro photo test)
I tried something that I'm glad I did...overlayed the LL painted flying Chief/wing. whatever emblem with the Microscale decal...lines up perfectly, and the colors are muh improved!
Now...gotta' figure a way to model those added vents!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for looking,
Bruce

[Nato]

             A really wonderful job you did,I love the stand alone wipers replacing the molded on ones.I'am sure you are aware that near the end of their service when they ran on trains like the Chicagoian the lower headlights were converted to a twin sealed beam unit's mounted on a semi flat circular round plate. Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake,Utah.

[Scottl]

Very nice work.  I have always dreaded the thought of doing schemes like the Santa Fe warbonnet but you have done an excellent job with the modifications and the finishing.

[arbomambo]

Thanks Nate and Scottl...
sure enough...they also received the usual ATSF assortment of grabs all over the nose and roof, along with the signature antenna platforms...I'm thinking my modelled year falls short of all these additions (I'm referencing the adds to the F and PA units...assuming these were all done about the same time...)

These pics display Fast 11 the way I want to model it...these units went through quite a few changes over the years (I like the pic of the loco with a five chimer in the left-hand horn position!)...in some of these you can see the footboard step added to the pilot in place of the cutout steps...I may still add these to provide even more visual interest...









Even though these units don't necessarily fall into my 1957 'Southwest' theme...like you said, they powered the Chicagoan, The Kansas City Chief, and others...being assigned to the Argentine pool...AND, powered the Fast Mail, nos. 7 & 8, between Chicago and Kansas City, during my modelled year!....so...
a la Kato's release of the California Zephyr, with representative motive power available for the three roads that sponsored that train...

I'll be able to represent the various types of power that powered The Fast Mail, from Chicago to Los Angeles...during my 1957 modelled year
Between Chicago and Kansas City, fairly flat table, the E units were preferred,
from Kansas City to La Junta to Winslow, F units found favor
and from Winslow and Barstow to Los Angeles, the PA units were seen as much as F units were....

I need to find a spare Kato ATSF E8m booster unit to modify to a non-dynamic brake version...the addition of this unit will really help to make this consist prototypically 'pop'!

Thanks again...I'd enjoy hearing about any more history and/or references you may have on these units!

Respectfully,
Bruce

[arbomambo]

Thanks John...ran the units around the Unitrack currently on the layout-in-progress to see how they look so far with a consist (Looks 'out of place' in the desert Southwest scenery...during my era, they didn't stray from their assigned area...also, these pics convince me that the Unitrack just won't cut it for the layout, no matter how much I love the stuff!....everything will look better on the code 55!)
I believe I have a bell on the way...so we'll have that fixed soon...and am working on a solution for the metal grill vents; also realized something very obvious is missing from this unit...rearview mirrors!...searching through my sets of BLMA detail sets has revealed that I have used all my mirrors! (all those Kato ATSF F units eat up those mirrors fast!) So I must order another BLMA ultimate E &F unit detail set...
Bell
Vents
Mirrors

then some detail painting....handrails, cab door window trim, pilot...then light weathering!
Thanks for looking,
Bruce

[arbomambo]

Apart from the adding the lower headlight, I believe the other main addition that helps define the era of  these units are the added vents in the carbody...those replacing the second windows in the cented of the body and the larger one behind the rear-most screen vent on the upper side of the body.
i really want to add these but have been at a loss as to how to do it without actually fabricating a purpose-designed screen from photo-etch (actually, not a bad 'upgrade'...perhaps Roberto from M&R sides could draw these for those so inclined to add these to their E3/E6 units...probably not...too much of a 'niche' conversion)





going through my box of detail parts a second and third time finally produced a flicker of a light bulb 'idea'...an extra set of Plano FARR vertical style grills for F units seemed to have some potential...the FARR grills consist of three rows...I need only two rows...but...the prototype grills actually seem to be a variation of FARR type grills in a heavier and wider frame. It occurred to me that I can do much the same in N scale! I'm in the habit of saving the plastic and metal sprues from all my kits...there's just too much potential there to toss them after the kit or parts are finished; I saved all the photo-etch sprues from my Kato F7 grill projects and I'm very glad I did...I can use these parts to build the wider frame around the the vents....






 My plan is to paint (or decal) the grill area black to simulate the see through area (the same way I detailed my Kato F units) then overlay the grills...

[arbomambo]

[GaryHinshaw]

Love that grill work.