I have an Athearn blue box Gp40-2 and a blue box sw1500 that have the metal handrails with the individual uprights and I am wondering if Athearn offers these in a plastic set that I can buy. According to the pamphlet that came with Gp40-2 they seem to use the same handrails as Athearns Gp38, is this correct? Thanks in advance fellas.
Athearn BB Loco questions
- Thread starter fiend540
- Start date
lmackattack
old school
I dont think the newer plastic hand rails will fit the older shells. the older shells had the railings that you had to force into the holes. the newer plastic is thin and brittle. I cant see them all lining up? However I could see one gluing new railingsto the old shells and filing/covering up the old holes. Im not a diesel buff so cant comment on the Gp38/40 diffrences. I think one had an extra step in the walkway??
Cory, the GP40-2 and GP-38 both have the same wheelbase and body style so the handrails should be the same. However, the GP-40-2 is slightly different, as Trent said. Look at prototype photos to check them both out. I wouldn't be so quick to dicard the metal handrails. The stanchions are very close to scale. The only thing that's really out of scale is the handrail itself. You can easily replace that with thinner brass wire, using the existing handrail as a template. You'll end up with much stronger handrails than any of the palstic sets, even assuming you can get them to fit. They tend to be fragile even with the correct holes so I think they would be really shaky on a BB engine.
stationmaster
Crusty Old Geezer
Ix-nay on the plastic. Take it from one who has been there and done that.
Bob
Bob
Because they don't fit or because they are plastic and aren't durable enough?
stationmaster
Crusty Old Geezer
Just not durable enough.
Bob
Bob
While I appreciate the post, I would still like to know if they will fit or not. I guess an email to Athearn is in order.
Cory, I'm quite certain they will fit, in terms of being the right length. I think the holes on the side will be the problem. I don't know if they will match up exactly. If they do, the holes will be much too big for the celcon stanchions. As Bob said, and I agree, the celcon handrails, while they look nice, don't stand up to handling very well. If I was going to change out BB handrails to celcon, I would fill all the existing holes with putty, sand them down, and then drill new holes that are the right size for the celcon handrails. At least a small touch of CA will then secure them. You're going to need gobs of CA to keep those little celcon tabs in the big BB holes.
stationmaster
Crusty Old Geezer
Jim, I was scanning the web quite a while back, and came upon a site where a fella was marketing brass aftermarket handrails and detail parts like grab irons and such. He happened to have a picture of an SD40-2 with his products mounted on it.
By chance, you would have happened on to his site, would you? I have lost my notebook and my computer "ate" the bookmark.
I've used fine piano wire for handrails, but it's a bear to work with. It has a natural "memory" and is an evil thing to bend and form the correct angles on the first try. Then you bend them too much and have to start over. And the stuff WILL snap.
Dad made a tool while he worked for Chrysler in Kokomo out of pair of dykes. You slide a piece of piano wire into the breech and give a squeeze. It make perfect loops to pass the handrail through the stanchions. I don't have it here, nor do I have any engines I've redone. But, it's a neat gizmo. And believe me, you need the long handles of the dykes to bend piano wire.
I filled the holes along the sides and drill holes top side along the walkway. Looks good and more realistic.
One thing I've found about piano wire. In order to hold paint effectively, you need to primer it first. And Krylon works best as it "flexes".
Bob
By chance, you would have happened on to his site, would you? I have lost my notebook and my computer "ate" the bookmark.
I've used fine piano wire for handrails, but it's a bear to work with. It has a natural "memory" and is an evil thing to bend and form the correct angles on the first try. Then you bend them too much and have to start over. And the stuff WILL snap.
Dad made a tool while he worked for Chrysler in Kokomo out of pair of dykes. You slide a piece of piano wire into the breech and give a squeeze. It make perfect loops to pass the handrail through the stanchions. I don't have it here, nor do I have any engines I've redone. But, it's a neat gizmo. And believe me, you need the long handles of the dykes to bend piano wire.
I filled the holes along the sides and drill holes top side along the walkway. Looks good and more realistic.
One thing I've found about piano wire. In order to hold paint effectively, you need to primer it first. And Krylon works best as it "flexes".
Bob
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Bob, was it Smokey Mountain (http://www.smokeyvalley.com/Catalog.txt)? I've used their handrail kits and they are very nice. It's kind of a mom and pop business so it takes a while to get an order but the prices are reasonable for the quality you get. It's great source for older AHM and Mantua/Tyco engines to get decent looking handrails to replace the junk they come with.
I use this wire bending tool from MicroMark (http://www.micromark.com/ECONOMICAL-STRIP-AND-WIRE-BENDING-JIG,7070.html). and it works really well to get nice smooth bends and odd shapes with brass wire. I've used medium hard Jeweler's brass wire for handrails and it takes bends better and doesn't have the "memory" of piano wire. I order it from Whimsie Studo and they really know their stuff when it comes to wire. Check out thier page at http://www.whimsie.com/brass wire craft.html#anchor777116. Order their sample collection and see what you think. I'll never use piano wire again.
I use this wire bending tool from MicroMark (http://www.micromark.com/ECONOMICAL-STRIP-AND-WIRE-BENDING-JIG,7070.html). and it works really well to get nice smooth bends and odd shapes with brass wire. I've used medium hard Jeweler's brass wire for handrails and it takes bends better and doesn't have the "memory" of piano wire. I order it from Whimsie Studo and they really know their stuff when it comes to wire. Check out thier page at http://www.whimsie.com/brass wire craft.html#anchor777116. Order their sample collection and see what you think. I'll never use piano wire again.
Fair enough guys, it was more so to settle curiosity as well as a backup plan if I can't get the metal rails to look halfway decent. Now on to my next question, what are the tips/tricks to getting the metal handrails to look good. If I could get mine to look half as good as the ones on Jerome's BB sw1500s I would be stoked.
lmackattack
old school
Pinch the stantions around the hand rail so they dont move. add a light drop of CA glue to hold them better. Push the stantions all the way in with tool that gets them to stick. Can also put a dab of glue before you push them in. a good coat of oil based paint thats not to thick. Those are the tricks I used on my BB engines
stationmaster
Crusty Old Geezer
I have soldered mine as well as pinching them. It doesn't take much. Almost like tinning a wire. I usually use a solder called "Sil-Flos". Expensive stuff but paint will stick to it better that the common acid or resin core stuff.
Bob
Bob
