Has anyone out there done a modification on one of your locos that sounded like a good idea at the time, but then later on when you got your head back on right again you wished you hadn’t done what you did ?. I won’t go into detail about it, but I recently did just such a thing… ([:(])
Tracklayer
Ohhh…There was this Kato SD40-2 that I tried to make more prototypical with brass castings, never a good idea to do it for the first time on a $200 loco…
The new blower housing is ugly, a different colour, doesn’t fill the opening left by the old one, and the engine’s shell, no matter what I do, won’t sit nicely on the frame. 1 down, 4 to go…
trainboy
Did it years ago when I tried to modify a N Scale Atlast 0-8-0 (does this date me?) into a 2-8-0 using the Kadee conversion kit. Needless to say, I couldn’t get the drivers reinstalled quite correctly and the locomotive never ran again. Bummer. Live and learn.
I don’t have the courage to do that sort of thing, but I applaud yours, Tracklayer. The old expression, “Faint heart never won fair lady,” comes to mind. I mean, regret is one thing, but getting the gumption to tackle an overhaul like that is really what is needed for some of us to get what we need for our particular interests.
So, I hope you don’t beat yourself up. Can you get another shell…somewhere…and start over?
No selector. It was a special run Kato, and like a dumb ***, I changed the road name and other details on it. I think I can put it back like it was, but I won’t ever feel quite the same way about it as I did when it was original… What can I say, my lessons always seem to come the hard way.
Tracklayer
I was looking at two drawings of an FT and a GP-7 in the same scale side view and noticed that they had the same wheel base. I then wondered what a GP-7 would look like with an FT cab on the nose. I figured it was a logical transition that EMD could have done. It was an easy conversion as I just had to lop off both shells at the rear of the cabs. no one has ever said, “cool!”. A typical comment is more on the lines of, “What the $%$# is that!!!”
I have started weathering cars, at first I was very concerned I would ruin them, but so far, and I am getting bolder on my weathering methods, they are coming out good. Now the engines is another story. I can see ruining a $30 car from MT or Deluxe, but messing up an Atlas or KATO engine at 80-120 a pop has me on nerve. But nothing ventured nothing gained.
Have you tried to see if KATO has a replacement shell? Worth a try if you feel that bad about it.
Tried to re-motor one of the old AHM/RIV 2-8-4’s. It’s still sitting somewhere in my garage in pieces. Would have also needed to find a way to replace or grind down the flanges on the wheels. Ended up with a newer Rivarossi 2-8-4 and a Proto 2-8-4 and haven’t looked back.
Bob DeWoody
Yes dthurman, I contacted Kato to see if they had the fix it parts, but they’re out of production… Oh well. I’m just going to dive in and do the best I can at putting it back like it was. I have a buddy that has the exact same engine, and will barrow it to use as a guide. I won’t ever do anything like that again!.. I don’t know what got into me. [V]
Tracklayer
As I remember, the N de M did exactly that when they wrecked a loco or two a number of years ago. So at least you have a prototype.
My “big idea” is an ongoing one involving a decrepit Tenshodo brass Great Northern 4-8-4 that wasn’t running (ebay “special”) with a can motor a previous owner “mounted” in a novel manner. The motor still works, straightened out the wiring now I just have to mount the motor. I tried the silicone caulking method (my brainiac move of the month) - what a mess! Once I settle down I’ll try making an L-bracket for a mount with metal (as opposed to gluing in a plastic I-beam-previous “genius”). I would be too embarrassed to tell you some of my other innovations.
All these horror stories…sheesh. Now I’m back to thinking I don’t need to put a decoder in my spiffy new IHC Hudson… { having never done this type of work before…}
Well people, this ain’t brain surgery and nobodies gonna die… Don’t think of the disappointments as anything but learning experiences. Remember the thread a few weeks ago with all the experienced members showing off their customized locomotives? Weren’t they something? How are the inexperienced ones here, and I am one of the greenest, ever going to get to that stage if we don’t work through some real stinkers first?
Let’s face it at the very worst we end up with a load of scrap for a gondola but if we never make the attempt we will never have anything but not quite Ready To Roll.
On an Athearn FP45 I did a pretty decent job of cutting out the molded in radiator and dynamic brake grills, so that I could install “See Thru” grills. Was looking good!
Then I applied “Liquid CA”. BIG MISTAKE! As careful as I was, the stuff ran like water and destroyed the surrounding area. I was mad enough to chew steel!
Am now going to make another attempt ( I have 4 other FP45s). This time, I’ll be using the thicker, slower drying CA.
Of the ten or so steamers I accumulated two fit nicely into the era of the Northwestern Pacific I am going to model. Both of them I painted in Hogwarts colors for my kids, who since decided they weren’t really that interested. The first one is an MDC kit 4-6-0
The second is my best runner an IHC 4-4-0
Both have multiple coats of paint and the idea of stripping them and starting over is daunting.