Hello everyone. I just aquired a Athearn Genesis SD70ace for a extremely low price as part of a train deal. The locomotive has never been run, and it perfect shape, except for a missing a front number board. The number boards are not lighted. It is painted for Kansas City Southern. Anyone have one rolling around in a spare parts box?
I don’t know how those cabs are constructed, but would it be possible to slip some clear styrene in there with a number board decal? Or is it a molded part that specifically fits the opening?
-Peter. Mantua collector, 3D printing enthusiast, Korail modeler.
Thanks for the response. Not quite. The whole number board housing is missing. It just glues to the front of the cab. It does not have any clear plastic area that the numbers are mounted on. I will probaly just post a photo so everyone has a better idea.
First of all, the chances of finding someone on the forum who may have an Athearn Genesis SD70ace numberboard lying around is extremely unlikely, but there are ways to manufacture one yourself.
I don't own any Athearn Genesis SD70ace locomotives, but I do have experience replacing numberboards for the most unfortunate of reasons. I once melted a front housing on a steam locomotive, destroying four numberboards in the process, by unwittingly replacing a burned out 1.5v incandescent bulb with a 12v incandescent bulb.
You will need a few small pieces of thin styrene sheet, some gray and black paint (unless you have some black styrene sheet), an Xacto Knife, a hobby file and some white numeral decals.
The black (painted) styrene sheet will hold the desired numbers and then be overlayed by a gray colored styrene sheet, trimmed to expose the numbers. To match, you are going to need to manufacture two identical number boards which be be glued onto the locomotive to replace the current (and missing) number boards.
This is what you are going for.
To give you confidence that it can be done, here is my before and after.
Good luck if you decide to take this approach.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrainI once melted a front housing on a steam locomotive destroying four numberboards in the process.
Misery loves company, Rich
LL_Berk-melt by Edmund, on Flickr
Fortunately Walthers fixed me up with replacements (this was back in 2005)
Regards, Ed
gmpullman richhotrain I once melted a front housing on a steam locomotive destroying four numberboards in the process. Misery loves company, Rich LL_Berk-melt by Edmund, on Flickr Fortunately Walthers fixed me up with replacements (this was back in 2005) Regards, Ed
richhotrain I once melted a front housing on a steam locomotive destroying four numberboards in the process.
I figured I would take a shot to see if anyone had any in a parts box before going down the manufacturing road.