Two quick questions

[Anonymous]

You'd be best off using spray paints. Aerosol cans are fine for jobs like this. Not sure if they're available over there, but I'm a big fan of the Games Workshop range of acrylics - they make a small range of aerosol cans that make brilliant undercoats. I use their "Chaos Black" and "Skull White" paints (they're intended for wargaming, hence the odd names!). The spray black is the best I've yet found - all Athearn locos with black truck sideframes now get their (cosmetic) sideframes sprayed with this after adding brake cylinders, shock absorbers, etc - removes the "plastic" look from them. As far as prepping the shell is concerned, this undercoat should be more than enough.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the info. As far as my question about my SW7 goes I went in the other direction and bought an undecorated version. What steps do I need to follow to prep the body before painting it? I don't have an airbrush
and was thinking of brushing on acrylics or would I be better off using enamel spray paints? Also I need a source for alphabet and number decal sheets either black or white also safety stripes.
Thanks Bob

[Anonymous]

Not sure how relevant this is, but on a Walthers Dash 8-40B I bought recently as a non-runner (eBay) the last owner had fitted Kadee shims/washers (the fibre ones available in red and grey - red are thicker than grey, not sure of part number) in the truck pivots in an effort to sort the under-height couplers. I modified the coupler mounts (a lot of careful filing...) to sort this height problem out, but the original idea might work for you. The Dash 8 has exactly the same system for holding the trucks on, so unclipping them and fitting Kadee washers might well solve your problem. Hope this helps!

[Nieuweboer]

Athearn isn't the only to use spread pins. I always remove these pins and CA glue a metal washer to the underside of the truckbolster to create a hold for the mounting screw. I necessary drill a hole in the truckbolster thru the metal washer. Fill in the hole in the underbody with a round piece of polystyrene or wood, drill exactly in the middle a hole to receive the mounting screw. Now coupler height can be adjusted by adding washers. I find this procedure easier than removing the coupler box and moreover allows you to mount one truck more tight than the other which is said to improve tracking.

[DSchmitt]

Athearn can probably help you.

SW8 and SW9 looked similar to the SW7 but had one stack but it is in the position of the front stack on the SW7

[Don Gibson]

Contact Athearn for a new stack or buy some plastic tubing and make one.

The 'spread pin's are cheaper than screws (and not as secure). The trucks may fall off but the coupler height should not be different. Best answer for KD mounting is to cut off the Molded-on coupler pocket, and glue a KD to the undereside.

If that doesn't do it, go to metal screws and KD washers.

[Anonymous]

I recently bought an Atmern 50' flat car and discovered that the trucks are not screwed on but held in place by a spread pin. If necessary how would I go about adjusting coupler (kadee) height?
Not watching what I was doing I dropped my SW7 on the floor sometime ago and broke the front stack off. The stack vanished. I was left with only the rear stack. To me it looks OK but would it be correct to have only one stack on a SW7? If not does anyone have any suggestions or ideas for either making a new one that would match or replacing both of them.
Thanks for any help- Bob