Well my latest module is a Diesel Repair Facility based loosely on the NS Linwood yard/ shops in Linwood NC. I was actually one of the lucky ones and got to tour this facility back in 97. The sights and sounds were incredible. One thing I remember about that day was off on a side track was a Big GP 60, it had some issues with a pump, and two Mechanics were working on it. Several of the access doors on the side were open revealing the Engine…I didn’t think about it much after that but I think that would be a very cool scene for the facility.
But how to go about it? I’m thinking of using a Undecorated Dummy unit, with The walthers Prime Mover Engine model, but…in looking at even the High end scale Models the walls of the model are very thick, making a square cut around the access doors will be tricky, I’m pretty sure Canon and Company makes the Individual doors as replacements, but I would also like to model the hinges correctly so it doesn’t look like someone just glued a door open there.
Thought #1 is to try to locate a brass “junker” or even just the body of such a junker where the walls of the model would be much thinner (much closer to scale thickness than plastic) and could be cut with a dremel tool. Thought #2 is to model really serious repairs – I have seen engines where all or almost all of the entire body after the cab has been removed exposing the prime mover.
This rather dark photo (which I did not take, although I have been there and seen this) from Independent Locomotive Service in Bethel MN shows what I mean
A view of the cab and uncovered engine. Andy Inserra photo - July 99
Here is the website where I got the pic – there are others showing the body resting on the ground, and an end shot showing the empty space where the prime mover goes.
Wow Dave those are terrific Ideas… I actually could do it both ways one with the doors open and one like in the picts…it would certainly be different. As far as Brass junkers go are there such things? I have seen Brass in awful shape go for insane prices, but you are right the wall thickness is huge concern with plastic, I mean we are talking scale thickness of what three feet? Thats great if you are shielding a Nuclear power plant, but bad for an HO engine. [(-D]
I’ve got the same project on the go right now and what I did to thin the visible area of the shell is to sand the heck out of it. I probably took off 3/4’s of the material where the doors are using a small block of wood and some 600(I think, I’ll have to check) grit sand paper. I’m doing a Proto GP9 shell that I bought at a show. I found sanding the shell first made cutting out the doors much easier as well. I cut a piece of wood the same size as the inside of the shell and slid it in to give it support while I cut them out.
Little secret from My 1\24th Model Car (IPMS) days,I like to open doors on my cars and glove boxes etc, I drill a small hole in the Corner of the door frame and slide a peice of sewing thread threw, give your self a good 12" on both ends,wrap both ends around your fingers and pull back and forth as you work your way down the door line pulling down slightly as u saw back and forth,when you get to the bottom you can just keep following the door line all the way around till you have cut it completely out,nice part about doing it this way is you don’t end up with a lot of material removed leaveing a huge unrealistic gap,also to hinge it back so it opens and closes I use the small Dubro Hinges for small scale RC planes, The hinges are not scale by any means but if it is set to the inside shell and with a bit of weathering you never see the hinge.
Also a good paint stripper that works well is Castrol Super Clean, not the spray the 2 liter jug,pour it in a plastic conatiner and let the shell sit it in for a few hours and flip it over to do the other side,this takes the paint right off to the plastic,make sure you wear gloves as this stuff likes to bubble skin,wash the shell under soapy water and rinse your good to go.
