Whats the recommended procedure/materials to attach and paint the handrails on an Athearn BB Diesel?
It seems like I need to inlarge/deepen the holes in the shell that the vertical pieces fit into, then glue them to the shell and horizontal wires, and then paint.
What size drill? Do the holes really need to be drilled deeper/larger?
What is a good glue to use where the metal rails join the plastic shell?
What is a good glue to use where the metal rails join?
Can I use regular Testors Plastic Model Enamel paints?
Even though it’s been a while since I’ve installed any of the metal handrails, and there are probably a gazillion ways to do it, I hope I can give some advice.
First, do not enlarge the holes just yet! I have yet to find an Athearn that needed the holes enlarged. Even glued metal handrails could work loose, resulting an a rather annoying buzz, so a nice snug fit is what you are looking for.
What I would do is press fit one of the stachions into the holes first. You should get a pretty tight fit, but not so tight that you have to use extreme preasure when pushing it into the hole. Tip: When pushing the stachion into the hole angle it back so the top loop is leaning away from the loco. Do this several times to get an idea of what it takes to get them into the holes. If the holes are really tight, I would recommend taking a hobby knife and gently twirl the knife in the edge of the holes, basically counter sinking them. This will allow the stachion to start into the hole without taking away the tightness inside of the hole. Remember, gently! If you force one into the hole wrong, you may scrape the inside of the hole and plug it. Then you will have to drill that hole out to clear it.
Painting methods could be determined by a couple of factors. One, is the handrail color going to be the same as the locomotive color? If so, this will make painting them by hand on the loco a do-able option. You wont have to worry to much if you get paint on the loco. I have done this and the results suit me well. Two, if the color is different, you may have to install the entire assemblies, remove them, and then paint them. You will most likely have to touch up the paint when reinstalling them this way, but at least you will have most of the job done.
Now, if the stachions already have loops for the handrails, figure which ones will be going where on the model(long stachions, short stachions) and thread them into place on the handrail wire. Starting by placin
Hey! A really great explaination! Almost exactly what I would have said! My only addition is that I use a pair of needle nose pliers to pu***he bottom of the stanchions into their holes; one tip of the pliers on the stanchion, the other inside the walkway.
Also after squeezing the stanchion loops on the handrails, I usually slide them a bit off center and apply a teeny drop of CA glue, then slide them back over the glue. This ensures they will stay where they are supposed to.
There’a much better solution depending on your engine.If its a GP38-2,GP40-2 or SD40-2 you can buy Athearn’s scale Celcon handrails and have a much better looking engine…[:D]
I once saw advice on this board to use a hot soldering iron to pu***he stanchions into the holes. I have tried it and it worked really well. I am sure it is permanent. Don’t slip while you are doing this.
Just to add a little to what I posted earlier, Jim:
When it comes to fitting the handrail bend into the holes in the cab, you can either drill out the holes, going completely through the clear plastic window insert. Or you can cut the handrail bend, leaving just enough of the bend to fit into the hole in the cab. I would recommend drilling the hole in the insert, as problems sometimes arise where the handrails don’t want to stay in the hole with the shortened wire.
Brakie, about the new Celcon handrails, I agree. However, I had the choice between the two (new SD40-2) and actually opted to go the wire handrail route. If the Celcon handrails had more give to them, they would be ideal. I’ve got several locomotives that have at least one or more breaks in them from rough handling, and wi***hat Athearn would re-tool the metal ones to where they look a little more realistic. I kinda’ like the metal ones because they look straight if done properly, and an accidental side swipe is nothing more than maybe a little touch up paint. [^]
Well, I’ve now painted and installed the Athearn Conrail’s railings and installed them. Looks pretty sharp I still need to paint the white parts. Much nicer now that the railings don’t flop around anymore.
I used to silver solder my handrails to the stanchions back when I was using the replacement shells for Athearn. I always did this prior to any paint or decals in case I made a mess. Made a for real strong handrail. Anyone else use this method? Does the ACC provide good strength if removal is necessary?
Actually, I took the assemblies off the shell, and painted the portions which are near the shell when installed. Then I installed the partially painted assemblies and glued the metal to metal joints, then painted the rest. I should also have painted the “inside” portions of the rail before I installed them… next time…
I still need to paint the white parts. Much nicer now that the railings don’t flop around anymore.