HO DRGW SD9's 5305 and 5309

This will picture my version of the chop nose DRGW 5305 and the DRGW 5309.
The roof shots and right front truck, were taken by me at the Burnham shops in Denver 1994ish.
The shots in Grand Junction were taken by Brian Morris on the dates indicated in the photo names.

These are being made from the parts bin again I had a couple P2K SD9 shells that were used, and Athearn BB drives (because that what I had in the parts boxes) Machined and modified to fit the shells, I also removed the cast on details and mounted fuel site glasses and fuel fillers. Updated the Coupler cut bars to the newer AAR design, made newer lower pilots with Evergreen styrene, also replaced the broken eye bolts with Brass DA ones,
DW 124 exhaust stakes were added, DW 186 horns, DW 284 speed recorders, 5309 got a fire cracker and 5305 got a Sinclair antenna, also used Cannon & Co sub base parts for the modified box in front of the Engineers side in front of the cab. Pretty sure I missed some parts used.

The nose was chopped on the 5305, and the number boards and center windows cut from an Athearn BB cab was grafted to the SD9 cab, the plastic on that Athearn BB cab is thick enough to glue in place and sand to the contour of the SD9 cab roof and not burn through.

The 5309 didnt get any major modifications except the lower pilots, which the models never really show how beefy the coupler drawbar pockets are on these things, man these old beasts were sure made to last.

Anyway a long ways to go, just getting started good on these, a few pictures to show the prototypes and the models.

Thanks for stopping by

 

Those are looking great. Nice to see progress photos.

 

Thanks for all the comments and input! Matt I don't think I will be modeling any access doors open LOL. In retrospect I should have closed all the doors on this thing before I started taking the photos. In the early to mid 90's there were still a lot of D&RGW stuff in the Burnham complex. Black cabooses, F units, Miles of B/O SP and RG locos.
I stumbled across this by accident. I almost always carried an old Chinon camera with me while I was off duty exploring.
Anyway, another progress photo, got me some black paint on the frames and trucks and primer on the shells.
In a few days, we might see some D&RGW Yellow on the sills and pilots.
Have a great day!

 

Oh yea, these will be Aspen leaf Gold. One of the shells was the Orange P2K that spent some time in the old Scalecoat paint remover.
Still have a couple bottles of Scalecoat 039 that will work for the Gold.
I have at least 1 set of all the wrong D&RGW colored decals for these 2 locos.

 

Got the paint on these two, now some decal work.
Still a long way to go.






Thanks for checking in.

 

Thanks Dale
I used a old bottle of Floquil, on these SD9's. When I run out of it I will try Tamiya primer.

 

Thanks.
And that's a good idea!

 

looking good so far at some stage i need to get back into custom painting locomotives

 

Thanks. The D&RGW paint is relatively easy, but man the stripes on the ends can be a Pain, especially dealing with all the cast on lights, class lights and the 2 different angles on the rear end per the radiators. But it is a lot of fun. I have a few pictures of the nose on 5303 and most show the nose without the front grab irons, one kinda shows them, so It can go either way, looks to me.

 

I finally got the decals on these SD9's over the weekend, man what a challenge all those stripes. I had a friend that used to paint the ends Aspen gold then tape the stripes and paint Black, not so sure that wouldn't have been easier LOL. Any way now to get on with the handrails, ladders grabs and such.
Anyway a few pictures.

 

that looks great really starting to motivate me to do a few custom paints myself