Athearn RTR Pilot Question


jbovinette

jbovinette

Florida Railroads
I am detailing a few Athearn CSX RTR GP38-2's and GP40-2's and I have a question. I know that the pilots are wrong and I was wondering what would be the best way to remove the footboard at the bottom of the pilots and make them flat? All other details were removed with a flat knife. I think this is too big to cut with a knife. Ideas? I have attached a picture of what I am talking about.

ATH78864.jpg


I am going to put a piece of stryrine over that area to make it look like this:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=85297

Then Im going to apply a plow over that to kinda cover it up.

Thanks,
John Bovinette
 
I just got done detailing and weather one. I used rail nippers to cut off those bumper pilots. Then I glued the plow on.

IMG_0436.JPG
 
I usually use a X-Acto chisel blade. I like the idea of the Xuron cutters. They would be a lot easier on my fingertips.
 
Stephen, I can show you the scars on both thumbs from those #11 chisel blades!!! That's why I started to use this cutter instead. ;)
 
I buy a set of cutters from Harbor Freight that look just like the flush cutters. maybe not as good, but, these are $1.99 ea. I usually buy 4 or 5 at a time. They have a red plastic cover over the handles. A pair usually last's about 3 or 4 months for me. I have a pair for cutting plastic sprues & a pair for cutting small wire. Been using these for about 5 years.
 
I used a Dremel sanding disk to cut off *most* of the protrusions on the lowest speed setting last week on a GP40-2 I was working on. I then used a flat file followed by an emery board to take down the rest. I used a coupler pocket insert on the rear and used Squadron green putty to fill in the seams and it looks slick. I did the same for the front, but instead of a coupler pocket, I used a Details West large snow plow (ex-WP freelanced unit).
 
I found that a small grinding stone and my Dremel work very well as long as it's on low speed. If the speed is too high the plastic melts and makes a mess. At low speed and just a small amount of pressure the offending piece comes away easily and with no danger of cutting myself.
 
Huh,Guys you do know those are not bumpers but,mu hose housing? When not in use the mu hoses is suppose to be placed in those holders.
 
There are no slots in them so they wouldn't really work.

The Athearn RTR GP38/40/60s haven't been retooled yet so they are still the old bluebox tooling with the slotted pilots.

I like the Atlas geeps.
 
Brakie said:
Huh,Guys you do know those are not bumpers but,mu hose housing? When not in use the mu hoses is suppose to be placed in those holders.
Click to expand...

Yes they were MU hose holders at one time. Some even had small platforms to stand on for switching operations. But if your modeling new era, they should be removed. They were out-lawed due to the fact that standing on a small platform in front of a moving engine is inherently dangerous.
 
Jerome,What you are referring to is the foot boards on the pilots not the mu housing. The mu housing was never rode on.
 
I haven't looked behind the rock pilots but,if those housings are missing then its because the railroad decided they didn't need them for the mu hoses.

However,those mu hose holders was never rode on like the old foot boards simply because there was no where to place your feet like the foot boards and you would slide off..

Look again at the posted picture and you can see that.
 
Brakie said:
I haven't looked behind the rock pilots but,if those housings are missing then its because the railroad decided they didn't need them for the mu hoses.

However,those mu hose holders was never rode on like the old foot boards simply because there was no where to place your feet like the foot boards and you would slide off..

Look again at the posted picture and you can see that.
Click to expand...

Also too, the MU holders were sloped on the top, so I suppose you could *try* to ride on them, but you'd slip right off and under the pilot you'd go. :eek:
 
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