Anyone have any recomendations for the intake grills on a tunnel motor? The new Athearns aren't right but may have to do. Here is a link to a picture for what I would like to do and shows what I am talking about. http://www.pbase.com/reneknoop/image/56661352 I haven't been able to find the S&S grills thanks ratled
Great Picture! Wow! What a photo! It really shows the difference. Did you find or did you not find the S&S grills? It wasn't clear to me from your post. Again. Great picture. I recommend that the readers of this thread look at the other pictures there, too.
Sorry my bad... I really like the S&S but can not find them anywhere. I found one set of the Athearn but I was wondering if there is anything, or way, to get the look of the S&S. Just wondering what anyonelse has done. Yea, that guy is really good ratled
I dunno. The Athearn grilles appear to be a mesh with what might be a roller blind (for winterization?) above them. Seems a lot of trouble for them to make that instead of the simpler vertical bar grilles. Are you sure that isn't a loco specific detail, and therefore correct?
Mike - The protos do have a mesh behind the bars but the mesh is real fine... like window screen. The new Athearns looks, to me anyway, like it is a grid pattern instead. You if you look hard you can see it better in this link http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd45t-2_photos/9389b_ssw_sd45t-2_charles_lange.jpg I have an old BB Athearn that has the screen modeled solid with " real imitation bars" to simulate the screen instead of a true screen. In all of the detailed photos I have seen, the screen has been "upgraded" to the S&S style like this one (7th photo). http://dieseldetailer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pro1&action=display&thread=3605 Since I am chaning it out anyway, I was hoping to go the S&S route. Since this will be MU'ed with a newer Athearn anyway, I can use the Athearn style but I was hoping to get a couple of the S&S ones. Either way I need to have them the same or it will look like the orginal photo. ratled
Well, that's my point really - the original photo might be prototypically correct for the loco numbers. There are often a lot of differences between locos of the same model, and these days Athearn et al often produce those specific details. Since they also make the 'barred' intakes I'd think there was a good reason for the difference on this one. I think it's cool to have a consist of the same, only not, engines. Different fittings here, different paint job there, different weathering everywhere (except the odd solid set of allover SP 'soot' ) If you scour the web for that loco number you might find a prototype photo to show what was 'right' - at the time the picture was taken of course
There are no solid "bars" on the prototype. It is all made up of a mesh that has been formed in a corrugated-type pattern. What looks like bars is simply a foreshortening effect cast upon the mesh due to the viewing angle and/or shading. Athearn actually has it right, albeit the corrugated pattern maybe a little shallow by comparison to the prototype and the mesh may not be as fine. Still, some may prefer the look of the etched grilles with the bars. Russ
Thanks guys, I didn't know that. The corrugated pattern definitely gives it that bar look...... as in the SSW Bicentennial shot ratled
Athearn #91594 radiator grill. I understand that the MP15 grills are available too (part#N/A) but I wasn't sure if the size was the same. ratled
I found a guy on Feebay that might have some, he stocks quite an extensive inventory of detail parts for a vast variety of locos. http://shop.ebay.com/j-tprantle/m.h...C72%3A2528&_ipg=&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_pgn=14
Plano might have the grills your looking for. I was looking for something else and ran into these and recalled your question. http://www.planomodelproducts.com/dieseld_scq.html
Thanks guys. I found the ones I was looking for. Turns out Walthers has them in stock. You have use the manufature number and the part number to get the to come up but they are there ratled
I'm re-upping this thread, because I'm now in possession of 3 Blue Box SD40T-2s in various states. On one of them, the previous owner had started doing a superdetail on and so the original grills are drilled out. He has 1 S&S grill in there. And I have to say its a horrible horrible thing. How did they ever make money on these grills. Clearly S&S never actually saw a Tunnel motor in real life. They're just horribly wrong, better to keep the molded on detailing. Anyway, editorializing aside, does anyone know if there's a better source for grills than the SD45T-2 Athearn parts? A different aftermarket provider? Or are the Athearn parts the best deal?
there was back in the early 90's, company is out of business that made a better looking one.Only one is S&S.You can make them out of plastructs be the best way to go spacing would be better.
Well, but plastruct wouldn't get you the mesh. I guess I can't complain too loudly as the grills seem to be available and at $7 not too expensive
i have some never used.But the grills was louvers. I have modeled tunnel motors from the beginning. I have 4 BB sd40t-2's in the works have you tried Athearn to see if they sell them as a part
They do sell the part though it isn't listed on their site which is why I'm looking for an alternative.
