Wow, this was a long project- almost a month and a half. I started with a high-nose GP7 shell and lowered the nose and added a modern cab. I then painted it and struggled for a few weeks to get my custom decals to print off right. I modeled the Wisconsin and Southern’s GP-7 #702. Prototype pictures can be found here: http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x218/MFJ_album/WSOR%20engines/WSOR%20702/ . Extra special thanks to a forum member here, WSOR 3801: I could not have done this without your help! [:D] So without further ado, my kitbash:
Constructive criticism is welcomed, but before you start: no, I’m not going to weather this, and no, I’m not going to drop the money for an airbrush. [:)]
Now, if I were to make that engine, as of a few weeks ago, yours would be fine to me. However, after realizing that the ATSF GP7Us were built with a similar Topeka Cab as the CF7s, it wouldn’t suit me well.
The Wisconon and SOuther Decals stand out to me. It looks like they still printed with a background.
I hear you on the airbrush. Jeffery and I can second. Might I reccomend the Model Master line of spraycans? There’s a wide variety of colors, I’m pretty sure they have the WSOR colors, you know, if you were going to make more or redo down the road.
Congratulations on the kitbash–as an old ‘basher’ myself, I know what it’s like to work on something that just ISN’T commercially available–it takes time, patience and a LOT of planning. Nice job.
Flashwave- they did print with a slight background. If/when I do another one of these, I’m going to try a different product.
lothar- it’s more than just a few of them that are bent and crooked. [(-D] Hopefully nobody else will look real close at them…
And thanks everyone else for the comments! I suppose the paint job isn’t helped by the fact that I kept screwing up and having to re-paint it a few times.
Looks CONSIDERABLY better than most of my first 'bashes, and I still have a number of them after all of these years. Yes, there are some “flaws” in this loco, but the next one you do will be better, and so on, and so on…
As for a critique, I noticed a couple of things: There’s no headlight, part of the old doors are still visible on the short hood, and it looks like the short hood is just a little too far forward where it was spliced. I know you said no weathering, but I think a black paint wash in the radiator grilles would make a world of difference on this loco. Not really weathering, but making the grilles look more like there is something unseen further behind them. A thin wash (or washes) of an acrylic paint would get down between the “wire” of the grilles and make them pop out better. If it seems too dark on the grilles, wipe off of the higher parts. And with an acrylic, if you don’t like the look, you can wash it off before it dries. No harm, no foul!
My only question is: What was the main starting point? Did you modify an Athearn or some other brand? What other parts did you use to pull this off? How much was scratchbuilt to make it all come together? Keep up the good work, I hope you enjoyed building this as much as I enjoyed the memories it triggered for me by seeing it.
Morpar- I like the suggestion of a wash on the grills. I’ll see how that works out. As for the headlights, yeah… I kinda forgot about them until it was too late. I’m going to see if I can’t paint on something that looks close enough- a white/silver mix, maybe. For my starting point, I used an Athearn shell, as I already had an Atheran GP7 which I stole the frame from. The cab roof and windshield I cut off a dummy SD45 I have sitting around and kept the old sides the same. I scratch build the number board and the horn. I removed the dynamic brake fixtures and filled in where I had to cut the fan out (contour putty is your friend).
If anyone else can claim that their first kitbash was a loco that they cut the nose down on, re-cabbed, made their own decals for, painted with a brush, and it came out looking half that good, they are probably LYING. The thing looks great. If you like brush painting (i paint a lot of my stuff with brushes to this day) use a good, wide soft sable brush, thin paint, and paint with gentle strokes, resisting the urge to brush over any areas already painted until it is dry.
The wash in the grilles does help add depth to them, at the bare minimum i always wash all grilles and vents, the walkways and steps, and hit the trucks and bottom of the loco with thinned “dust” or “grimy black” (depending on the color of the loco, and what i am trying to achieve) from Polly Scale and my airbrush (you can also do a decent job of this with light drybrushes and washing, fyi). But thats only if you like to weather diesels.
Short version, nice loco. I would be proud of that, especially the homemade decals! I cant wait to see what number 2 looks like!
Don’t even ASK about my failed hi-nose attempt on an Atlas WM GP40 almost 30 years ago. [censored] Still makes me sick after all these years considering it was sweeter running than my Atlas Chessie SD35. Good news is I still have the GP40 chassis-bad news is the SD35 is still missing in action somewhere in my parents’ house (add “Sanford & Son” theme music here) [{(-_-)}]
The handrails on the real 702 are a bit crooked too.[;)] The rails between the stanchions are short segments, individually bolted in. Newer engines are different, the rails go for 3-5 stanchions, and the top unbolts to get the rail out if needed. Don’t forget about the roof.
Scale Rail Graphics might have some decals available. They quit most of their line when the ALPS printer went obsolete.
For 701, try starting with a P2K GP7. Should be easier to work with. The CF7 cab should get you closer with less work.
