Conrail NW2 9253

[Ed Kapuscinski]

After seeing this photo, I realized I had to do up a Conrail NW2.
http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/Images/CR-9253-NW2-w-CR-N8-D-Caboose-22005-at-Windsor-St-Yard-%E2%80%93-York-Pa

They've been on my "I should do one of those" list for a long time, but I've never gotten serious about it.

Finding a used NW2 at Choo Choo Nuts, may it rest in peace, for a deal got the project rolling.

I started out with a Pennsy unit, stripped the lettering off with some 91% alcohol, and then... lost one of the headlights. It just shot off of the tweezers into the great beyond, never to be seen again. Since they're sold out at Kato, I had to rely on my compatriots here for another. The engine was missing one when I got it, and thanks to @Rasputen I was able to replace it, but finding a second was proving to be rather difficult.

Thank goodness for @Lemosteam though, who, after I supplied him a drawing of the part needed, drew it up and tossed it on Shapeways. Right around the same time, @jpec found a "parts" engine for sale on the N Scale Yardsale for me as well.

So, this week, with plenty of parts in hand, I got to work.

Here we have the headlight mounted on the cab.



And on the hood.


And after a coat of paint.




Obviously there's still plenty of work to do. The stacks need to be re-mounted and painted silver. And I'm now suddenly annoyed about the plain bearing trucks that should actually be roller bearings. I also want to add the radiator blanket that's ubiquitous on these things. It's before the warning sticker crazy era, but there are still plenty of fun decals to add.

Can you guys think of anything else I'm missing?

[chessie system fan]

Needs some louvers.    Doesn't Archer make some?

Lookin' good so far. 

[nscaleSPF2]

Couplers.

[wcfn100]

Adhesion promoter.

Jason

[peteski]

Needs some louvers.    Doesn't Archer make some?

Lookin' good so far. 

Shouldn't that have been done *BEFORE* the blue paint? 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Shouldn't that have been done *BEFORE* the blue paint? 

Yep. And you know what's funny? In the entire project, I never realized they were missing until just then.
How did Kato DO that??? Wow.

Oh well, too late now. I'm not going to go through all that. Maybe on the next one.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Adhesion promoter.

Jason

For the handrails? So far the Poly Scale seems to be holding ok. The unpainted portions are just awaiting their white paint.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Couplers.

Ugh, I know. I thought about going Tru-scale on it, but didn't want to make it incompatible with the rest of my fleet.

[wazzou]

Yep. And you know what's funny? In the entire project, I never realized they were missing until just then.
How did Kato DO that??? Wow.

Because the phase that KATO released didn't have louvers.  The model is correct, just not the correct one for your prototype.

[Dave V]

Yep. And you know what's funny? In the entire project, I never realized they were missing until just then.
How did Kato DO that??? Wow.

Oh well, too late now. I'm not going to go through all that. Maybe on the next one.

I dunno man, this is the Railwire.  I say do it right.  Honestly the louvers make the model.

[crrcoal]

3 foot rule? Good enough?

I think you did an outstanding job on this Ed 

[chicken45]

I dunno man, this is the Railwire.  I say do it right.  Honestly the louvers make the model.

When you IM'd me this at 7:30 this morning and precoffee, I said it looked great. Then around 10 we talked again and you told me you didn't airbrush it.
And now that I'm 4 espressi in to my day and on a larger screen, I can see brush strokes. Strip it. Louvre it. Airbrush it. Let this be your test in to airbrushdom. It's easy.

Otherwise, your future awaits  http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?forums/n-scale.112/.

 

[DeltaBravo]

For the handrails? So far the Poly Scale seems to be holding ok. The unpainted portions are just awaiting their white paint.

I think the handrails just look worn, maybe hit it with some pencil to make it look like a very worn edge.

[wcfn100]

For the handrails? So far the Poly Scale seems to be holding ok. The unpainted portions are just awaiting their white paint.

I didn't realize it was brush painted.  Still, you may be better off painting them all blue and go back over with the white.

If you have and spare LL SW 900/1200, see if you can use the air tanks.  Along with being an early phase w/o louvers, the Kato model has and older style air tank that's riveted and has flatter ends.

You may want to contact oe at MTL about the truck frames as I don't see the AAR trucks being sold separately.   

I've requested to Kato to do a phase IV NW-2 that would have the correct louvers but right now I'm just hoping they'll make the current model again (with conical stacks). 

Jason

[seusscaboose]

When you IM'd me this at 7:30 this morning and precoffee, I said it looked great. Then around 10 we talked again and you told me you didn't airbrush it.
And now that I'm 4 espressi in to my day and on a larger screen, I can see brush strokes. Strip it. Louvre it. Airbrush it. Let this be your test in to airbrushdom. It's easy.

Otherwise, your future awaits  http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?forums/n-scale.112/.

 

ouch #truth