Does anyone have any tips or ideas on how best to add a nose light to BNSF EMD’s that was started by ATSF?
some time back there was an article in MR on buillding a SF GE unit with a nose light, dont remember the month/year. there was also some articles on SF gp 50s after that issue.
tom
The nose light looks like this, right?
It should be pretty straightforward to add one to an undecorated engine before you paint it up… But if you want to add one to an already-painted loco, you will have to be VERY careful not to damage the paint job.
Detail Associates #1024 looks close enough to the prototype light mount so I would use that.
To add the nose light, I would file a flat spot on the nose to the width of the Details Associates part with a flat file, then chisel out the recess. To do this, you want to take an X-Acto chisel blade and use a dremel cutting disc to narrow the blade down to the width of the recess you want to cut.
It’s definitely doable-- It just takes a delicate touch. I’ve cut similar recesses in the noses of several Athearn hood units to mount things like the CNW nose gong bell and the SP Gyralite.
Hope this helps!
Your description, leaves too much to the Imagination.To answer your post LITERALLY: would require purchasing a 400 volt pair of ‘Seal-beams’ from EMD, or a ‘Mars’ light from a company no longer in business. Santa Fe’s version was home grown. Best you can do is SIMULATE.
Since we here deal in models of the original, you have to decide what kind of noselight for who’s-model of "BNSF, and EMD’s what-Engine. Example: Directional noselamp for an Atlas GP 40. Simple?
LUCKILY http://www.richmondcontrols.com/ makes both. All you have to do is figure out what you need, - and install. If you are an Electrical Engineer you can design OR BUILD your own.
midwesternfan
longislandtom has the right idea. it should work, just take it slow. The nose lights are not nescessarily from ATSF. One of the BNSF predecessor roads, CB&Q, liked nose lights as well but not all the models come with them. I’m looking to add some to my P2K GP20s, GP30 and Atlas GP40s.
Rick