ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
Basically what I do is cut off the two round pieces of the steam generator, sand off the top leaving the square sand filler hatch at the front and replace the cast on Hood Plate. It's not that hard and looks pretty good when done.
Here's how:
With a straight/chisel Xacto blade work the knife side to side to remove the two round Steam Generator parts.
Next you'll make a new Hood Plate for the hood to match the one there now, along with the bolts going all around the four sides. It's to replace the original one.
Cut a thin piece of styrene .010 thick the size of the exsisting plate on top (I always save and use the clear plastic packaging from stuff you buy sealed from the store), lay it on a piece of wood to work on, then lightly press with a sharp pointed tool (scribe or something) to make dimples all around the perimeter to represent Bolt Heads when turned over, you might want to practice a few times first.
After the new top plate is made, I sand/file the hood area flat, remember leaving the square sand hatch there. Then glue the new Hood Plate in place. If you look close you can see the new Hood Plate on the Soo unit, I should have wiped the dust off, Lol.
"Cut a thin piece of styrene .010 thick the size of the exsisting plate on top (I always save and use the clear plastic from stuff you buy sealed from the store), lay it on a piece of wood to work on, then lightly press with a sharp pointed tool (scribe or something) to make dimples all around the perimeter to represent Bolt Heads when turned over."
Those are the original cast on ones, after I paint, I use Microscale Number Board Decals, they're almost a perfect fit (several sizes on a sheet), use "Solvoset" to set the decal down thight, after its dry then you can put numbers on them.
If your doing a "Scrap Unit" you maybe don't need the numbers on the boards?