Lowell Smith had these special cars run by Microtrains for the Roanoke N Scale Convention this year. I guess I will have to use it on my N&W mixed local using the 4-8-0 to pull it. I seem to be accumulating quite a business car fleet.
After a long hiatus since Feb 2013, I'm back to working on the N scale Santa Fe RSD-15 / RSD-7 project, with MRC/Mehano shells over a Jim Bence-inspired Atlas B40-8 mechanism fitted with Atlas C628/C630 trucks. This is the future Santa Fe "bookend" blue/yellow RSD-15 #800: This shell is sitting on the RSD-15 mechanism that I documented building here: http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/n_scale_rsd15&page=all I'd fortunately bought a bunch of N scale Mehano RSD-15 Conrail shells last year directly from a seller in the former Yugoslavia - this is one of them. Soaking the shell in 91% isoprophyl alcohol floated the paint off in a matter of 20 minutes or so, just took toothbrush and the paint and Conrail lettering came right off. The result is the bare blue plastic shell that you see here. I used Micro-Trains 1163 adapters for MT 1015 couplers installed on the ends of the shell. Next steps will be painting in Santa Fe blue, followed by decals. I am thinking of doing the Windows via Krystal Klear. Handrails will be: a) ACC cement on the stock (ugly) handrail side pieces, but cut off the handrails b) do wire handrails using the "Randgust" method, same as was done by Randgust on his RSD-15s, and same methods as used on my N scale U30CGs. In addition, at the same time as the N scale RSD-15 project, I'm working on this future Zebra Stripe Santa Fe RSD-7 #600 project: This is another Model Power high-nose RSD-7 shell. Unlike the Conrail shells in the previous picture, this former Union Pacific-painted shell's original paint did NOT come off with the 91% isopropyl alcohol, it only softened the paint... I had to use a stiff wire brush then to scrub the paint off. I trust that after painting and weathering, the scratches from the wire brush will become hidden (we will see if that's the case sometime soon!) The blue cab rooftop is a replacement for a missing cab top, it was donated from a low-nose RSD-15 shell and modified to fit. Here's a couple shots of the coupler adapter (I used a MT 1153 - don't remember who suggested those would be a good fit for the couplers to turn out to be at the right height on this shell, but that certainly turned out to be the case). Yes, I will need to clean up the endplate appearance, but I'll do that later. Most important thing is this coupler mounting is easy, quick, and strong. Have good weekend, all!
As a matter of experience and preference, John, I'd look for a different solution to the glass than Krystal Klear. I've used Microscale's product to put windows in a caboose before, and to my eye the result looked to have an uneven surface and was not as transparent as I would have hoped for. With the larger area of a locomotive, I'm not convinced that would be an appealing finish, but of course that's just my two cents...
Don't worry. Just check that famous auction site. There are probably a bunch listed, for at least ten times actual value.
Eagle2, thx for the input. I'll switch to seeing what kind of clear plastic sheet I can find/cut to fit for the big main window. Good to know ahead of time.
My job search is going along, there's interest, but it's a ruthlessly competitive market out there. Hopefully something soon.
