Fishplate
Member
The other day I picked up a Kato Milwaukee Road NW2 at the hobby shop. This little gem runs great, but needs a few extra details to match the prototype. Like many Milwaukee diesels, the NW2’s had Z-shaped spark arrester stacks. Sunrise Enterprises used to make castings for these. Unfortunately, I did not stock up before they went out of business. Referring to prototype photos, I cut and filed pieces of .080” ABS plastic to make a couple of stacks. I know the stack bases should be round instead of square, but I got tired of filing! The .028” brass wire mounting pins were cut short after the stacks were painted aluminum.
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I removed the side window casting to represent open windows. I still need to add an all-weather window on the right side. Next, I added a rolled-up canvas radiator cover (styrene rod from the scrap box, painted gray). I also painted the corner handrails white. Weathering colors are thinned Testors Model Master flat enamel (light sea gray, black, and burnt sienna).
Some Milwaukee NW2’s had the herald mounted low on the cab side, like the Kato model. Others had the herald centered in the orange area. I couldn’t find any prototype photos of no. 668 online, so will have to give Kato the benefit of the doubt on this detail.
View attachment 13463
View attachment 13462
I removed the side window casting to represent open windows. I still need to add an all-weather window on the right side. Next, I added a rolled-up canvas radiator cover (styrene rod from the scrap box, painted gray). I also painted the corner handrails white. Weathering colors are thinned Testors Model Master flat enamel (light sea gray, black, and burnt sienna).
Some Milwaukee NW2’s had the herald mounted low on the cab side, like the Kato model. Others had the herald centered in the orange area. I couldn’t find any prototype photos of no. 668 online, so will have to give Kato the benefit of the doubt on this detail.
View attachment 13463
