Please help me!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I have begun to do my first major project, a CNW "chopped nose" SD-9. I have cut the nose down and have started to work on the cab. The cab is a Athearn SD-9, so I took a front window panel from another shell and reworked it to fit on the SD cab. My problem is that on the prototypes the numberboards are positioned with the top of the cab blending in.( you railbuffs know what I mean) No one makes a undec GP-9 lownose I can use and a numberboard on the u boats are not right. I did cut a numberboard off a GP to see if it would work. It would but the rounded top of the cab and the numberboards won't blend in, so I thought of trying to blend it in using putty.
Can anyone give me other ideas or any help?

[dknelson]

I do not have drawings or photos in front of me so I am really winging it here but what about the GP9M chop nose that Walthers offers in their trainset line? I have seen them for sale fairly cheap at swap meets.

Dave Nelson

[MikeyChris]

I seem to recall either Canon or Smokie Valley or someone like that making a cab suitable for what you arre doing. Have you looked in the Walthers catalog? Also, as someone else mentioned, Walthers makes a chop nose Geep - but an even cheaper chop nose Geep is avaiable from Model Power. In fact, there are some Cox (same molds as the model power) chop nose Geeps on eBay right now.

[dknelson]

I think the Walthers chop nose is also from the Cox molds. But I am reminded that matching width might be an issue
Dave Nelson

[dwick]

I believe that the point of this discussion is:
The inquirer is trying to build a model of an
SD-9, not a GP-9. However, the front end of a GP-9
may work with his intended model. By cutting off the front from behind the cab and replacing it with an application from a Walthers model GP-9
might work. Yes, Cannon and Co. parts could fill the bill. If all parts mentioned are in scale (doubtfull about the Cox parts) the chopped nose SD-9 model could be built. Don't forget to research the prototype photos and see how close you can make it. Have fun with your project!
Don Wick - West Bend, WI