8-40CW trucks

[CbarM]

Hey guys, I am superdetailing 2 RPP 8-40 CW shell kits that came with chassis's. First off before I forget, does the fuel tank molded on the frame require a cover of some sort, or is it the correct width already and ready for my details? The trucks I am looking at using for it are what they use on Athearns U30C. I am kinda thinking that it would look neat with the high adhesion trucks found on a C44-9W tho. Would this be prototypical at all or was there some reason that they didnt have the hi-ad trucks??
Also, where is a good place to find handrail kits for these....so far no luck on those...

 

[CbarM]

C'mon guys...somebody has to now somethin about what I am lookin to do here...

 

[efram]

The hi-ad truck came out with the dash 9 series, probably about 10 years after the creation of the Dash 8 series. Besides, the GSC trucks that came on the Dash 8s look better, IMO.

As for the handrails, Smokey Valley is easily obtained through Walthers distributors. If you can find Precision Scale stanchions, those are equally nice.

As for the tank, I'm not privileged with blueprints, but most detailers add a thin, slightly oversized styrene end plate to simulate the end plates of the fuel tank. You'll want to add fuel fittings, etc. Are you firmiliar with the rrpicturearchives.net website?

 

[CbarM]

Thanks for steering me to that website!! Good info there. I realize that the hi-ad trucks wernt available from the factory on a dash 8, but I was just curious if they were ever used on any railroad at all or were they not interchangeable for some reason?

 

[efram]

Which hi-ad trucks are you referring to? The "roller skates" or the steerable ones? I'm almost 100% certain Dash 8s were never retrofitted. The only Dash 8s I know with different trucks were the Draper Taper units for CNR/BCR with recycled Dofasco Hi-Ads from MLW.

 

[CbarM]

I was refering to the hi-ad trucks found on a dash 9 like in my origional post.