graftonterminalrr The Athearn GP50 is a great looking engine and a great starting point for detailing. Cannon makes a radiator grille piece that looks better than the cast-on Athearn version. Seems Athearn goofed up on the dimensions and made it too small. The Cannon part is the right size and makes a visual difference. Same goes with the inertial filter hatches and grilles, the cab, the short nose and the battery boxes. From there, get some etched-brass treadplate from either Cannon or Railflyer, etched-brass walkway steps from Cannon, and detail parts such as plows and MU hoses from Details West. Lastly, get a Cannon fuel tank detail kit.
The Athearn GP50 is a great looking engine and a great starting point for detailing.
Cannon makes a radiator grille piece that looks better than the cast-on Athearn version. Seems Athearn goofed up on the dimensions and made it too small. The Cannon part is the right size and makes a visual difference.
Same goes with the inertial filter hatches and grilles, the cab, the short nose and the battery boxes. From there, get some etched-brass treadplate from either Cannon or Railflyer, etched-brass walkway steps from Cannon, and detail parts such as plows and MU hoses from Details West.
Lastly, get a Cannon fuel tank detail kit.
Those are all great insights and suggestions. I have seen some of the amazing things that can be done to these locomotives around here.
Still waiting to get the shipment info from the guy. I'm also getting ready to order some track and other supplies for my shelf layout.
Thanks again,
Will
Hi Will, ...This site will fullfull all your needs in modifying locomotives, lots of sourses, and excellent forum withs lots of good detailing talent. Prowl around the different topics and search the EMD forums. Join up and post a pic of what you want to do....enjoy
http://dieseldetailer.proboards.
Take Care...John
Guys,
Wow, these are all great suggestions for improvement. Thank you. I hope it ships soon as I'll like to start my attack of improvement.
You need the details west #155 plow for the BN 3125. The picture is of a ex frisco GP50. They were different from the BN ordered GP50's. RRpicture Archives has some OK pictures of the 3125 that might help out.
I also like the Walthers catalouge for reference I find it easier than looking it up on the computer and sometimes I cannot get within 20' of the computer but I can get my catalouge
Scott O'Dell
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locopicture.aspx?id=36959
I don't know how many others have done this but just as a quick tip I took an old pair of "small" needle nose pliers and filed a "notch" in them for crimping the handrail stanchion to the railing so it fits down flush on the backside, then super glued them and painted them.
P.S. I also drilled the mounting holes all the way through the side sill so I could apply the super glue to the back side of the stanchions were there go into the body, just to make sure everything was nice and "tight".
Mark
Will, if I may offer my two cents worth.
I would straigten the metal hand rails and maybe crimp the stantions with a pair of regular pliers once they are straight.Then use a thin CA to glue the rail and stantions (the thin CA will wick into the joint better).
Once you have done that paint the railings in the close as possible match green you can find with the ends by the steps painted white.
While I have your attention I reccomend body mounting the couplersand filling the bottom of the opening with sheet styrene,from there I would go with Brakie's reccomendations for detailing parts.
Here is a pic of one of my BB Uboats with the stock metal handrails painted.
BTW; How is it that every time I order something from the web-shop I only order a few things, but when I use the "real" catalogue I order lots of stuff, that I actually needs!
Could it be that it´s easier to browse a catalogue than a website?
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
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My Youtube:
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Will,I would contact Athearn-I suggest calling them-and ask them.I know the GP50 been upgraded.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Great suggestions, thank you! Any insight for painting the handrails on that shell? Also, I can find the metal handrail set, but a plastic set for the older GP50 seems hard to find with Google and Walthers. Will a GP60B or GP60M set fit this shell?
Hey Brakie,
That's why I keep a copy of the Walthers catalog in the "throne room", so's I can "multi-task"!!!!!
Or as a friend of mine says, it's called keeping all of the crap in one area!!
He has such a way with words............
Mark ;-)
Mark,Why buy a Walther Catalog when the web site is far better and is updated nightly??
True,you can take the catalog to the throne room.
Get yourself a Walthers catalog, it has details galore listed, most with illustrations, then check the Athearn website to see if they offer those handrails in the new Celcon versions for a GP50. If they do that would be the "first" improvement I personally would make, that or super glue those old metal ones in place and paint them. To my eye that is the most obvious distraction, 2nd would be a front plow, then grab irons and pilot details.
Just my thoughts, doesn't mean I'm right but it does give you a direction.
Ok..Heres my choices.
Plow:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/235-150
MU hoses:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/235-218
and
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/235-265
Strobe:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=LEM&scale=H&manu=&item=&keywords=strobe&words=restrict&instock=Q&split=90&Submit=Search
Lights:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/755-66
Does this help?
BRAKIE Will,Don't mean to be a royal pain but,such items is road specific details. It would help to know the road names and then maybe we can direcct you to the detail parts.
Will,Don't mean to be a royal pain but,such items is road specific details.
It would help to know the road names and then maybe we can direcct you to the detail parts.
It's no pain, if anything, I'm the pain as I'm just learning all of this stuff. Thanks for the patience.
Here's some pics of something I just bought:
Anyway, I'm putting this GP50 shell onto a GP40-2 frame (both Athearn BB) to replace a Southern Pacific GP40-2 shell. I'm planning on modeling (loosely) BNSF, BN, and SF. Anyway, if you look at the pilots above, there seem to be no "plows" with hoses etc. My avatar is a good representation of the look I like. Here a larger photo:
Is this enough info? Thanks for the help guys.
cacole Upgrade to what? What do you mean when you say "upgrade"? It's entirely possible to add sound and DCC to one -- and there are many extra detail parts available for them, as well as better wheels, different motors and gearing options, etc.
Upgrade to what? What do you mean when you say "upgrade"? It's entirely possible to add sound and DCC to one -- and there are many extra detail parts available for them, as well as better wheels, different motors and gearing options, etc.
Thanks for the reply and sorry I wasn't more specific.
I'm not into all-out kit bashing with brass ladders yet, but I do like the look of a detailed pilot with hoses etc. and directional headlights (getting rid of the cab light). I'd also like to put a yellow beacon on top of the cab. Most of this is new to me. When I was kid, I just ran them and didn't care too much about the detail.
I'm running DC and might upgrade to DCC in 5-10 years since I don't have a large enough layout to justify DCC yet.
Hi,
I've done some searching on the net and here and haven't turned up anything. Does anyone have a source for upgrading blue box Athearn GP50s?
Thanks,