building your own handrails...


W

wongsing

Member
After breaking yet ANTOHER set of those stupid Athearn handrails on a NEW GP40-2, I have had it and would like to build my own handrails as I have heard of other people doing. What stanchions do I need to get to complete this project? I have no problem bending some wire to build some new handrails, just need to know all the things I will need. i heard Smokey valley makes good handrails...They are kinda pricey...Has anyone ever attempted this? Thanks!

-Rich
 
Rich,

I've made handrails from brass stock many times. It helps if you have another set available to use as a guide. I've always used the stock athearn stanchions.
 
I've heard of folks that will take the Athearn handrails and drill the stanchions to accept wire.
 
SSW said:
I've heard of folks that will take the Athearn handrails and drill the stanchions to accept wire.
Click to expand...

hmm...You wanna come down here and do that for me? LOL! whats up Bradley? You got those extra handrails available?

-Rich
 
I've used .020 steel piano wire, seems to be the same stuff as the old athearn metal handrails, two tweezers/clamps locked tight, and bent them by eye VERY carefully. I've had some very old Athearn kits, wires aged and got brittle, "pop," when I tried to tweak the bends a little to get them to fit.
 
SSW said:
I've heard of folks that will take the Athearn handrails and drill the stanchions to accept wire.
Click to expand...

I've hear people doing that with Kato handrails as well. NOT something I want to try.

Smokey Valley handrails are the best. Highly detailed and very sturdy. Here is a shot of an SD90MAC I did using Smokey Valley handrails. It is a RPP shell and chasis with an Athearn Genesis Cab and Drive and, of course, Smokey Valley handrails.
 
CP9302 said:
I've hear people doing that with Kato handrails as well. NOT something I want to try.

Smokey Valley handrails are the best. Highly detailed and very sturdy. Here is a shot of an SD90MAC I did using Smokey Valley handrails. It is a RPP shell and chasis with an Athearn Genesis Cab and Drive and, of course, Smokey Valley handrails.
Click to expand...

WOW! That CP unit looks great. I did one a few years back, a UP SD90/43. RPP shell, Overland drive, and Smokey Valley handrails.

u23b040.jpg


Todd Templeton
 
Nice work Todd. Did you post that picture somewhere else? Or was it in a magazine? I know I've seen it before somewhere.
 
CP9302 said:
Nice work Todd. Did you post that picture somewhere else? Or was it in a magazine? I know I've seen it before somewhere.
Click to expand...

Thanks Fred,

I posted that picture on this site a while back. Its in the photo gallery somewhere! :<)

Todd Templeton
 
No one's mentioned Pia yet: http://pweb.jps.net/~pia/. They make handrails similar to those made by Smokey Valley, but the castings are considered to be better. Not sure about availability, from what I've heard they can be easy to impossible to get.

Chris
 
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