HELP!!!! Walthers trainline detailing

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.


F

fcsflyboy

student pilot
Hello all!

I am currently in the process of super detailing my walthers trainline Alco FA1 (Southern) and a MILW GP-20. I have DCC equipped both locos and am starting to consider detailing them because I find them to be great running locos. I have no idea where to begin to get parts from, I'm not new to model RR by any means, but I am new to ever wanting to super detail things. I usally buy Bachmann Spectrum or I go Proto or Athearn genesis, but I thought I'd try giving my own hand at detailing. I just think it would be cool to have something on my layout that I can say "yea...I did that :)"

Besides I need something to do for 4 hours after work till my gf comes home HAHAHA
 
Go play some golf? LOL

Check out details west, they have all kinds of parts to add to your locos.

Exactly which parts is up to you. But I would get MU hoses, MU cable receptacles, snow plows, air horns, windsheild wipers, sun visors, etc.

There are 5 pages of parts they have

Caboose Hobbies has lots of parts, look here: http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?scales_name=HO+Scale&roadnames_name=&alpharoad=&categories_id=281&inc_subcat=1&manufacturers_id=261&sku=&keyword2=&maxrow=50&x=76&y=7
 
Here is an Atlas Trainman GP 39-2 that I detailed just the other day using a variety of parts brands...
 


very nice detailing! I have found some pics that are useful and thanks for the references to the companies that sell detailing parts! very helpful, thank a lot! :)
 
Detail associates will have MU hoses, lift rings, and many other parts for your projects as well. They will also carry the thin brass wire you can bend the hand grabs for your FA-1 out of as I don't believe anyone makes those seperate.
Walthers has a good listing, if only for reference.
 
So I am on my detailing quest and I found that brass wire is helpful for parts that aren't pre-made such as my MILW GP20 I'm detailing. I just have a couple questions though, the first being does anyone have any good tecnuiqes for bending the wire to the right shape without bending a portion you don't want bent? Also I was wondering about tips to get the proper curvature of the bends.

Also I'm not sure if this is in a previous forum post or not but does anyone know how to really get a good estimate of what color to use without trial and error 5,000 times?

I gotta say, detailing is so far kinda fun, I'm learning things I've never really thought about doing before, and I can tell these projects will be well worth the reward :)

Thanks again for all of the help so far from everyone!

-Andrew
 
Although I do mostly steamers, the tools used can also be used to do die-esals as well. Go to Michaels, Jo-Ann's etc any craft store and go to the jewelery dept. and look for a set of pliers used to bend the wire used for making jewelry. Some of these pliers have what looks like two round jaws. I use these to bend the wire for cooling coils. Because the jaws are round, it allows you to bend the wire without making it look like its been bend more than once.
 
CNR Glen said:
Detail associates will have MU hoses, lift rings, and many other parts for your projects as well. They will also carry the thin brass wire you can bend the hand grabs for your FA-1 out of as I don't believe anyone makes those seperate.
Walthers has a good listing, if only for reference.
Click to expand...

Not sure if this will help, if the FA-1 grab irons are the same size as the F7/F9, Walthers makes/made a diesel detail kit #933-822 that has an assortment of different sized grab irons.
 


The FA-1 has different handrails than the F series from EMD. The other grabirons, like for the nose very well could work.
 
Ya know, I am not sure offhand. I am thinking I got them from A-line or the PPW website. They have all kindsa goodies on there...
 
If want to keep the Southern livery then you can detail the locomotive any way you want because Southern never owned an FA; only PA's and some Alco switchers.

Ray
 
You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top