Adding a High Hood to an old Athearn SD45

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello, I wanted to know if anybody has added a high hood to an old Athearn blue box SD45. Does Cannon & Co. make a hood that will work with these. I know the hood is approximately 1 foot too wide on the model versus the prototype, but I have several of these and would like to convert them for N&W. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Kbaker329

2

Yup, the problem is the width of the hood. It will look quite funny. You are better off finding either a RPP SD45 shell or buying a Proto SD45 and starting there. Then the Canon and Company high hood will fit just fine.

David B

3

You can add a Cannon HH to the old BB SD45 and it will look ok…

Better then using a P2K use the new Athearn SD45 with the High Hood.

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH95410

Street price should be between $69.00-72.00.

4

I almost bought a custom Athearn “fat hood” Guilford SD45 with a Cannon scale-width nose (the seller misidentified the loco as a Bachmann Spectrum when he told me about it. The Spectrum has a scale-width hood). It looked really weird with the two different width hoods. If you really like the wide hood SD45s, the only thing I can think of is getting some of the old Athearn wide-hood GP35 shells and making high noses out of the long hoods. That being said, might I suggest the new high-hood Athearn RTR SD45? I have one, and I highly recommend it! [:D]

5

I bought a custom High Hood GP35 off of a lot on eBay.

I always run the high hoods opposite of the N&W and NS…I run mine HH first. With the scale nose I never notice the hooribly off scale body.

However, this doesn’t work in your situation.

You are best off finding a RPP SD45 shell (they can be had cheap on the net). I really don’t know what to tell you to do with that Athearn shell. You CAN put it on, if you want.

Phil

6

Don’t even bother with the old BB SD45. Wait for the new Athearn RTR one’s to come out. The frist release will have a NW high hood. Check our Athearn’s website.

I did one with a SD45 from P2K and used a Cannon and Co. for it. I was easy. Here is my MRL #680 that I created.

7

The Cannon parts are for scale width hoods but it would be possible to adapt the kit to go on an Athearn BB SD45. Some sheet styrene to make a wider top for the long hood and fill in the gaps on the sides where the hood end joins the sides of the hood. A little work but possible.