Whats up everyone! Got a questions for ya. I've been looking to make some of the larger antenna stands. I know DW and other manufacturers have made them, but, I would like to make my own out of wire and styrene. The question is, what thickness of styrene to use, and the best way to make the legs ( wire, styrene ) and what size for that. Also, tying it all together to make a decent, strong stand. I'm doing this for cost reasons mostly, seems you can do alot more with styrene then paying 2$ to 3$ for a pair of them through DW or elsewhere. With styrene, I can spend same amount and make alot more. Any ideas or pics, send them through! Thanks
ATSF antenna stands
- Thread starter riss2509
- Start date
The Santa Fe used at least 10 different kinds of antennas and mounts, including the firecracker type, Sinclair blade antenna, a 1/4 wave wire whip mounted in the middle of rasied metal platform, and can type antennas, sometimes mounted on the roof of the locomotive and other times mounted on a platform off the side of the cab to clear the A/C unit. If you can provide a picture of the locomotive with the type of antenna you want, it would be a big help.
I guess to better describe it, the antenna "plates" that are located usually behind the A/C units on the ATSF locos. Mostly looking at doing the larger plates that hold the bigger sinclair antennas. But, just never built them before from scratch. DW part #s are AS-222 and SF-223 and AS-352 to help with my description.
There's an excellent resource on the ATSF SD45-2's at http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu7bRr...m/Reviews/HO/Diesel/SD45-2/SD45-2%20Fleet.pdf. These antennas and mounts were very typical of most Santa Fe engines. Most of them used the Sinclair can type antenna mounted on a metal plate just behind the A/C unit or above the first set of roof vents behind the cab. You can us .010 sheet styrene and cut it to shape for the mounting plate. I don't have the exact dimensions but they should be easy to eyeball. Use some fine brass rod and cut four pieces about 3/4" long. Super glue each of these legs to the four corners of the antenna platform. When they are dry, dip the ends of each leg in a tiny tab d white paint and set the legs on the cab exactly where you want to position the antenna mounting. Lift the platform and you'll have a perfect template to drill your holes. Use a pin vise and drill four hole just slightly larger than the diameter of the brass rod. Make sure everything is straight and then us a toothpick and apply drop of super glue to the inside of each leg to hold the platform in place.
You can make the Sinclair can antenna with any piece of small sprue material you have around. Once again, you can eyeball the correct diameter and height. Just cut it off and glue it on with more super glue. Brush paint the whole thing with Santa Fe blue and you're done.
You can make the Sinclair can antenna with any piece of small sprue material you have around. Once again, you can eyeball the correct diameter and height. Just cut it off and glue it on with more super glue. Brush paint the whole thing with Santa Fe blue and you're done.
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Sweet, thanks UP! I was leaning towards that, get told so many different ways, the only other question is I would like to use brass wire for the legs, but unsure the best routing of securing the plate, thought bout drilling holes through the styrene, sliding the wire into the holes, hopefully giving a firm grip, and a tough platform.
The brass rod (not wire, you need something stiffer) will hold just fine with some super glue between the rod and the platform. The real platforms are absolutely flat with the legs secured from below so I wouldn't drill any holes through the platform. If you want to secure it even better, cut the same brass rod so it fits the four sides of the antenna platform and glue those to the platform and legs from the bottom. I've done a bunch of these and it's one of the few parts I've never broken off an engine. 
