I have a consist of two A-units and 2 B-units. One of the A-units and the 2 B-units are powered. I wanted to lighten the remaining A-unit to ease the load on the powered units. First, I removed the gears inside the trucks, leaving the worm gear in the top of the truck.
First, I removed the center section of the fuel tank area with a cutoff disk in a Dremel.
I covered the open ends of the fuel tank with styrene, filed to shaped and glued with CA.
After sanding to shape, I sprayed with Krylon flat black lacquer.
The Kadee coupler at the front end was a No. 5 with the factory clip holding the coupler in place. I filed the factory coupler box flush on the bottom, then drilled and tapped a hole for a 2-56 screw and draft box. Then, I installed the trucks and checked coupler height with a Kadee coupler height gauge.
Assembled, lightly weathered and ready to be put back in service. Whether I use airbrushed weathering or chalk weathering, I seal the locomotive with Dull-cote.
Thanks for the post. I just picked up a Cotton Belt, SD-40T dummy and was thinking the same thing… “Man, this critter is heavy”. I was thinkiing that if I keep it a dummy, trying to put it on a diet.
Do you put in metal wheels and if so, what brand? I want to and would like to wire up some lights.
Thank you, Canazar.Since it had been a powered unit at one time (I just didn’t want to remotor it), it already had metal wheels. I know that some of the Athearn dummies I’d seen before had plastic wheels, I just don’t know if the factory metal wheels would work in the trucks or sideframes. Maybe someone else who has one could shed some light on that. PS if you remove the weight with a Dremel, be prepared to go through a few cutoff disks. I used 4 or five of the heavy duty ones (not the reinforced ones).
First, I removed the center section of the fuel tank area with a cutoff disk in a Dremel.
I covered the open ends of the fuel tank with styrene, filed to shaped and glued with CA.
After sanding to shape, I sprayed with Krylon flat black lacquer.
The Kadee coupler at the front end was a No. 5 with the factory clip holding the coupler in place. I filed the factory coupler box flush on the bottom, then drilled and tapped a hole for a 2-56 screw and draft box. Then, I installed the trucks and checked coupler height with a Kadee coupler height gauge.
Assembled, lightly weathered and ready to be put back in service. Whether I use airbrushed weathering or chalk weathering, I seal the locomotive with Dull-cote.