GMTrainNut
Member
I have very little experience with Kato locomotives, mostly work with Atlas and Athearn. I recently was asked to paint a Kato SD40-2 (mid production) loco. I had one problem on disassembly, I broke the light bar going to the front headlights (cab, not nose). The two "lenses" for the headlights are very long and skinny and didn't take too kindly to any amount of leverage...
Fortunately I had a parts SD40-2 around, so I salvaged the light bar from that.
Tonight I attempted to put the shell back together. It seems to be a bit of a balancing act, between the cab, interior assembly, sub-base, and above mentioned light bar. If I assembled everything together and tried to thread the light bar in last there wasn't enough clearance. When I tried to get the light bar inserted into the cab before seating the cab I couldn't get the cab seated properly.
So I'm basically looking for any advice from folks with experience with these locos. I should add that I did some modifications to this shell, including a Cannon 88" nose, so I'm trying hard not to have to manhandle this thing too much.
Which brings up a little pet peeve of mine, feel free to skip over it!
[rant]
Why do locomotive shells and their associated parts have to fit and lock together so darn tight?? I hate to spend hours modifying and detailing a loco, only to have to lean hard on various parts just trying to get things back together. I am not usually ham fisted and have no problem using a delicate touch. But man, the way some of these things are engineered to fit together are just nuts. They are marvels of mechanical engineering, no doubt. Do we really have to have everything fit together with a zillionth of a mm tolerance? Does the shell have to withstand a nuclear blast? I understand why to a certain degree, the manufacturers have to make sure everything stays together for those that pick up locos by their shell and not by the fuel tank. But still...
On my own locos I've taken to filing down or completely removing various mounting tabs, and let the shells fit onto the mechanisms strictly by friction and/or the coupler boxes. But I don't feel right doing that to locos I'm painting for others, and if I did the associated extra labor cuts into the already minimal profit margin.
[/rant]
Sorry for the rant, it's been bugging me for a long time!
So, I will welcome and appreciate any advice specific to the Kato SD40-2 and it's front light bar.
Fortunately I had a parts SD40-2 around, so I salvaged the light bar from that.
Tonight I attempted to put the shell back together. It seems to be a bit of a balancing act, between the cab, interior assembly, sub-base, and above mentioned light bar. If I assembled everything together and tried to thread the light bar in last there wasn't enough clearance. When I tried to get the light bar inserted into the cab before seating the cab I couldn't get the cab seated properly.
So I'm basically looking for any advice from folks with experience with these locos. I should add that I did some modifications to this shell, including a Cannon 88" nose, so I'm trying hard not to have to manhandle this thing too much.
Which brings up a little pet peeve of mine, feel free to skip over it!
[rant]
Why do locomotive shells and their associated parts have to fit and lock together so darn tight?? I hate to spend hours modifying and detailing a loco, only to have to lean hard on various parts just trying to get things back together. I am not usually ham fisted and have no problem using a delicate touch. But man, the way some of these things are engineered to fit together are just nuts. They are marvels of mechanical engineering, no doubt. Do we really have to have everything fit together with a zillionth of a mm tolerance? Does the shell have to withstand a nuclear blast? I understand why to a certain degree, the manufacturers have to make sure everything stays together for those that pick up locos by their shell and not by the fuel tank. But still...
On my own locos I've taken to filing down or completely removing various mounting tabs, and let the shells fit onto the mechanisms strictly by friction and/or the coupler boxes. But I don't feel right doing that to locos I'm painting for others, and if I did the associated extra labor cuts into the already minimal profit margin.
[/rant]
Sorry for the rant, it's been bugging me for a long time!
So, I will welcome and appreciate any advice specific to the Kato SD40-2 and it's front light bar.
