Hi folks, Just an easy question : What N scale engine would you use to custom paint an SD75I? I looked on the internet and found that an SD70mac (Kato) would be a bit too long and a SD60m (Atlas) would be slightly too short... Apart from the length which shell looks more prototypical ? Thanks guys.
Kato makes an SD70M - with the newer style nose and flared radiators - right length, but wrong body style... Athearn makes a standard SD70M/SD75M - which would be tougher to custom paint, as it doesn't dissassemble as easily as a Kato unit... If your kitbashing skills are good, you could mix and match cabs/radiator grills/etc on the Kato chassis.
Dave, You're right SD70m has the wrong body style especially the radiators. On my first idea i wanted to buy some athearn engine and then i learned that some of them weren't decoder ready and not all of them had a 5-poles motor. So i went on another solution. I have three SD60m and three SD70mac and would only repaint the 60's or the 70's... And my Kitbashing skills....??? well i haven't really done that before. I've just finished a P42 in the Tri-Rail scheme and it's not to bad... but i need more practice. That is all i know about self made/paint engine...
An easy question...? Athearn does make an SD75I; they sell it in the CN paint scheme. link This model is also the only one that has the correct hood for an SD75I. (In fact, any of the non-flared Athearn models have the correct long hood, if I'm not wrong.) If you are willing to kitbash, I think you could combine a Kato SD70M and a Kato SD70MAC shell. Use the SD70M as the basis for the model, and just replace the cab and the flared radiators with the same sections from the SD70MAC. (Note that Kato SD70MACs come with a couple different headlight configurations. I believe only the nose headlight is correct for the SD75I.) I think this would leave you with an almost perfectly prototypical SD75I, not mention an arguably better looking model, with operating ditchlights and with a Kato mech underneath. Someone correct me if there's anything wrong with this idea.
Well.... looks like i'll have to trade or sell my katos and get some athearn ones... I'm not really ready to do some kitbashing. And what about the SD60m ? Could they be used or are they totally useless ?
The SD60M would also be a more involved kitbash if you wanted it to really look like an SD75I. (I mean, they look similar until you look close, but there are dozens of small differences. You specified an SD75I, so I assume you might be picky, especially about the cab.) Russ (aka tehachapifan) built an SD75I based on an SD60M. See some pictures here.
That's not such an easy question at all.... I would use an airbrush to paint an SD75I rather than another engine Alternatively you could join the list of folks wanting us to make an SD75I shell. If there is enough interest we will design and make some.
Sounds like it will be easier to tune the running of the Athearns engine than bashing together an ATLAS/KATO engine. This would probably be quite easy for the DCC crowd. Someday, I will be one of them.....
Count me in for an SD75I (BNSF) I think I'll email you my whole list Mark!!! you are making your way through it rather well.
Well folks, Thanks for all your inputs, As i'm not really ready to go for kitbashing and maybe ruinning several shells by trying to do something... I have two options : 1° go with some SD70mac or SD60m, but not prototypical... 2° try to trade or sell my engines to get some brand new Athearn SD75i... and i'm sure it will cost me $$
