FVM SD70ACe Fan Repair

[Super_G]

I finally found a FVM NS 1072 (Illinois Terminal), and it has damage on the edge of the rear radiator fan shown in the picture.

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*Note: I bought the locomotive knowing that it had the damage to the shell. I'm just happy that I finally got one.

I was wondering if anyone has tried doing a repair on something like this, and if so what they did for the repair. An option that I've thought of doing was, if it cannot be repaired, is to remove the fans and print out the fan outer ring and use the Trainworx detail kit for the fans. Any other ideas?

Thanks

[ChristianJDavis1]

I finally found a FVM NS 1072 (Illinois Terminal), and it has damage on the edge of the rear radiator fan shown in the picture.

(Attachment Link)
*Note: I bought the locomotive knowing that it had the damage to the shell. I'm just happy that I finally got one.

I was wondering if anyone has tried doing a repair on something like this, and if so what they did for the repair. An option that I've thought of doing was, if it cannot be repaired, is to remove the fans and print out the fan outer ring and use the Trainworx detail kit for the fans. Any other ideas?

Thanks

Does the radiator section come off like on their GEVO's? You may be able to get the part from Fox Valley directly.

[peteski]

How about just matching the green paint and touching up the damaged area?  Then maybe just weathering that area slightly with rust?  It could simulate a locomotive with a slight damage to the fan housing (maybe a rock fell on it, and it hasn't been to the shop for repair yet).

You have some lemons - make some lemonade. 

[tehachapifan]

Looks like most of the material is still present, just bent up and misshaped. Maybe a little careful reshaping with on of those ultra-tiny screwdrivers? Then touch-up the paint?

[Super_G]

Does the radiator section come off like on their GEVO's? You may be able to get the part from Fox Valley directly.

Unfortunately they do not. The side radiator "nacelles" look like they can be removed like the Kato units, but that's not the part that is damaged. IIRC, the shell has to be removed in order to add a DCC decoder, unlike their GEVO's where you can just pop the radiator screen and you're in.

How about just matching the green paint and touching up the damaged area?  Then maybe just weathering that area slightly with rust?  It could simulate a locomotive with a slight damage to the fan housing (maybe a rock fell on it, and it hasn't been to the shop for repair yet).

You have some lemons - make some lemonade. 

Looks like most of the material is still present, just bent up and misshaped. Maybe a little careful reshaping with on of those ultra-tiny screwdrivers? Then touch-up the paint?

That's what I thinking when I got it, just some superglue magic, touch-up paint, and an enormous amount of patience to fix it. I am thinking about replacing the current antenna array with the current PTC array and doing some weathering to it. Also, has anyone used a filler for something like this, or do they make an ABS/Styrene filler?

[peteski]

Looks like most of the material is still present, just bent up and misshaped. Maybe a little careful reshaping with on of those ultra-tiny screwdrivers? Then touch-up the paint?

Or use pointy tweezers to squeeze the plastic back into shape?

[sd45elect2000]

How about just matching the green paint and touching up the damaged area?  Then maybe just weathering that area slightly with rust?  It could simulate a locomotive with a slight damage to the fan housing (maybe a rock fell on it, and it hasn't been to the shop for repair yet).

You have some lemons - make some lemonade. 

A shop wouldn't repair it for aesthetics. Tree damage it the likely culprit. If the cover were hitting the fan blades the entire fan would have come apart in short order. I like your idea below, just use a pointy tweezers and do the best you can. 

[GaryHinshaw]

If you are at all inclined to detailing work, I highly recommend the Trainworx fret for the radiator parts.  You'd still have to touch up the outer housing on your own, but the difference it makes is dramatic.  As it happens I am in the middle of detailing a Kato ACe and have gotten this far with the roof fans:



This is one of those details that is even more dramatic in person than it is in the photo.  Honestly the hardest part of it for me has been getting paint to stick to the fine stainless steel etchings.  I still need to go back and repaint the outer grills before I glue them down.

-gfh

P.S. Warning: if you go this route, you'll have to do all of your locos...

[Super_G]

If you are at all inclined to detailing work, I highly recommend the Trainworx fret for the radiator parts.  You'd still have to touch up the outer housing on your own, but the difference it makes is dramatic.  As it happens I am in the middle of detailing a Kato ACe and have gotten this far with the roof fans:



This is one of those details that is even more dramatic in person than it is in the photo.  Honestly the hardest part of it for me has been getting paint to stick to the fine stainless steel etchings.  I still need to go back and repaint the outer grills before I glue them down.

-gfh

P.S. Warning: if you go this route, you'll have to do all of your locos...

Those look really good! I've really want to do this to a few locomotives that I have, i.e. couple of 70M's, 80MAC's, 70ACe's, etc. The big hold up for me is finding the fans for the modern EMD style fans. I know BLMA/Atlas has theirs, but I've reached out to them in recent and no joy on them producing that time anytime soon. I will definitely look into the Trainworx's kit for the 70ACe's. BTW, how hard/tedious is it to add them to the shell?

[ns737]

before I took the fans and grills off the tree I painted them then baked them. the paint holds up better.

[GaryHinshaw]

Those look really good! I've really want to do this to a few locomotives that I have, i.e. couple of 70M's, 80MAC's, 70ACe's, etc. The big hold up for me is finding the fans for the modern EMD style fans. I know BLMA/Atlas has theirs, but I've reached out to them in recent and no joy on them producing that time anytime soon. I will definitely look into the Trainworx's kit for the 70ACe's. BTW, how hard/tedious is it to add them to the shell?

Wow, I will be bummed if the 70M fan sets are never produced again.  I have one set in stock, but many 70Ms to upgrade.

In any case, the Trainworx set is pretty straightforward, and the instructions that come with it are helpful.  The most time-consuming step is drilling out the existing detail with a 1/4" drill, then reaming further with a circular file until you just have the housing left.  Given the damage on your loco, you'll have to go easy on this step, but once you replace the grill, it will tend to hide the damage.  (You could also dent the grill to match the damage and make a very authentic looking scar on your loco. It might be a cool effect.)  Good luck.  Let us know how it turns out.

Thanks for the tip ns737.  I'm using Vallejo paints now, so I'm not sure how baking will go, but I'll look into it.  Central Hobbies has started to stock TruColor paint though, so I'll check that out too.