John's Loco Workbench - More Projects Begin...

[bnsf971]

View attachment 271680
And the Eagle Valley box car is coming along nicely, only lettered on one side at the moment as I have run out of black letters and am awaiting more. Need to trial an Eagle logo of some kind too.

Since that looks like it's from the Per Diem era, maybe an extreme simplified eagle logo simply consisting of a pair of the tops of two triangles next to each other, with a smaller top of a triangle between them to represent a modernisation of an old company logo.


AAA



with the horizontal bars of the capital A's removed would work.

 

[jmupton2000]

I found a nice free online graphic for the Eagle:

Still need to add car detail decals but all the ones I have are white so will have to wait.

I have rescued another victim of bad paint jobs though:

Atlas GP7 somewhere underneath the half dozen layers of caked on poster paint. It's a good runner but shall we say, cosmetically challenged?

 

[jmupton2000]

My workbench is looking a bit like the results of a tornado through Harry's Truck & Electric right now...

The job lot of loco parts I picked up a few weeks ago yielded two Proto 2000 GP30 shells and the long held ambition to build the SD30 has begun:

The Rio Grande shell did not die in vain, it also donated some parts to my existing DRGW GP30 which is now back in service after a long period of storage:

The distressed GP7 is waiting the call to the shops, I think the yard master wants it shifted pronto as its appearance is letting the side down!

 

[bnsf971]

The distressed GP7 is waiting the call to the shops, I think the yard master wants it shifted pronto as its appearance is letting the side down!
View attachment 273685

...I've seen worse...

 

[jmupton2000]

Coats of many colours....

(The front half and back half are not actually attached yet which is why it appears a little wonky...)

 

[jmupton2000]

It's not going to win any awards but the SD30 body is together:

Now I have to stitch together the frame to match:

It does now have a number though:

 

[bnsf971]

It's not going to win any awards but the SD30 body is together:
View attachment 274236
Now I have to stitch together the frame to match:

View attachment 274235

It does now have a number though:
View attachment 274234

Do you have an SD7/9 frame, or an SD24 frame?
In theory, they should be the correct length and wheelbase.

 

[jmupton2000]

Now have a frame...

...and a lot of sawdust!

 

[bnsf971]

Now have a frame...
View attachment 274418
...and a lot of sawdust!

I see a difference between UK and US. That here is called a sidesill. The part I was suggesting finding and using is the part the shell, motor, trucks, etc mount to is the frame.

 

[jmupton2000]

I have an Atlas SD35 chassis which will fit with a little modification. I should have an SD9 frame/chassis somewhere in my spares boxes if that doesn't work however.

 

[jmupton2000]

The SD30 is now set aside until I can find my hacksaw to modify the chassis, it's probably in the same place as the steam loco I was working on a few weeks ago which I put safely aside and now can't find it...

So, time to tackle that demic Atlas GP7...

Managed to get it apart, the bodyshell was caked in at least three coats of paint of dubious quality.

I have worked with many very dependable Atlas S series Alco switchers but this is my first time I have worked on one of their GP7 models.

It comes apart in much the same way:

The bodyshell spent the afternoon in a bath of IPA and that awful paint job practically fell off:

The nice heavy cast metal chassis has also been rubbed down and cleaned:

At sone point this loco has been Southern black with white lower stripes, yellow, grey twice, faded red and possibly silver too.

A couple of issues to deal with, the glazing unit was a write off (replacement sourced and on the way) and the cabsides have had a visit from a graduate of the Gouge It Off With A Screwdriver school of decal removal.

 

[jmupton2000]

The cabsides have been treated to filler and sanded flat plus some added details.

The sunshades are useful as the help hide some damage to the top edge of the window opening.

A coat of primer later should show up any further areas needing attention but then again, real GP7's are now 70 plus years old and this model is no spring chicken either.

 

[KriegslokBR52]

Looking forward to see the SD30. I'm glad I'm not the only one hacking the plastic diesel shells.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Sounds like an interesting project. While they did propose one, I'm surprised EMD never built an SD30 to compliment the GP30. I haven't done much in the way of diesel shell cutting and kit-bashing, but I've been doing some steamer shells as part of a special project.