# RS-3 narrow gauge kitbash



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

In addition to installing a Revo receiver and Phoenix sound board, I'm also converting my 1/29th scale RS-3 into a freelanced 1/24th scale narrow gauge loco. For now I'm holding off on the electronics until I get the other modifications finished.


I started by widening the deck. To do this, I glued 1/4" square styrene strips to the edge of the frame, then topped them with 1/4" x .010" strips. I still need to cover the expanded deck with new non-skid treadplate:


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1215c/IMG_1215c.jpg


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1219/IMG_1219.jpg




Next I made the hoods slightly taller, by gluing 1/8" x 1/4" strips all along the base of the hood pieces. I also reduced the length of the short hood, in order to accommodate a larger cab:


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1201c/IMG_1201c.jpg


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1199/IMG_1199.jpg


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1228c/IMG_1228c.jpg


I also removed the "bug-eye" classification lamps. Soon I will remove the existing grab irons, fill the holes, and replace them with new grab irons that will be larger and spaced more appropriately for the increased scale.




To make this look like a narrow gauge loco in 1/24th scale, it needs a new, bigger cab. I began scratch-building one out of .080" thick styrene. I cut the front and rear walls to shape, taped them together and carved out the windows. While doing the windows I also trimmed the curved edge a little more:


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1197/IMG_1197.jpg


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1221/IMG_1221.jpg


Here's how it will look on the loco:


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1226/IMG_1226.jpg


http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1239c/IMG_1239c.jpg




That's all for now. I'll post more updates as I go.


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Very nice work Ray! It's nice to see how you use the old hood and made it taller. Also the new cab looks like the old so the engine will still have it 'looks'. 
As far as I can see you did not had to re-enforce the strips on the inside of the hood so it must be some strong glue you use. What glue did you used? Normal styrene glue or something else? 
Looking forward to updates!


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

Nice work, Ray! At first, I was concerned that you wouldn't be able to hide the ALCO heritage of the original model. Now I'm impressed at how you managed to keep it! It looks like a narrow gauge ALCO, if they had ever made one.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

1:24 on 45 mm track is close to "colonial" or "cape gauge". A lot of diesel options there, including a slew of ALCo/GE/MLW stuff.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Paulus -- I used "Plastic weld" to glue the styrene to the shell. It seems to hold just fine, however to be safe I intend to drill and pin it in areas that may get extra stress, such as the strips used to widen the deck. 

Kenneth -- Thanks, I really like the original look, so I wanted to preserve it as much as possible.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I haven't been able to get much done this weekend. Too many interruptions, plus I wasted a lot of time trying out a technique that didn't work before settling on one that did. Anyway here's the latest update... 

I've been building up the frames around the windows on the front wall of the cab. There are two parts to these. The first is cut from a sheet of .010" thick styrene, then glued to the window. They overlap the inside edge of the window a little bit: 

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1243c/IMG_1243c.jpg 

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1249c/IMG_1249c.jpg 


Next I glue down a thin styrene rod to form a sort of "bead" around the inner edge. This is really slow and tedious but adds a lot to the appearance: 

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1254c/IMG_1254c.jpg 

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1256c/IMG_1256c.jpg 

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_RS3_Conversion_files/Media/IMG_1261/IMG_1261.jpg 

Two windows done, six more to go! (Front and rear of cabb.) Then I do the side windows.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Just a test to see if I can get photos to show...


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I'm considering gluing both hoods to the new cab, to make the shell a single unit. Does anyone know of a reason NOT to do this, that I might be overlooking?


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I've made a little more progress... 

Finished framing the windows on the front and rear walls of the cab, and glued the cab together. To create the arched roof, I glued in strips of styrene, then sanded down the angled edges: 











It still wasn't rounded enough so I filled it in a bit with spot putty: 











Then I topped it with .015" thick styrene sheet. Unfortunately that wrinkled a little in places, so I had to smooth it out with a little more spot putty. I also rounded all the corners, and started detailing the side of the cab: 











In this photo you can see some of the detail on the side of the cab: 











That's all for now, more to come!


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Looks great Ray! 
The roof is perfectly, but I was just wondering perhaps too perfectly? Those heavy duty engines did mostly have some bumps and considering your rocky layout it is not that strange rocks fell on the roof? Just a thought but I can also imagine you don't want to destroy this beautiful work! 
Nice detailing on the hatch and rivets around the window!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Today I've doing some detailing on the short hood. I replaced the original grab irons with new, slightly larger ones, spaced farther apart, as appropriate to the new larger scale. Most of the grabs are from Phil's Narrow Gauge, I just bent them a little to fit the corner positioning on the hood. I had to make the longer grabs myself. I used Phil's brass, nut/bolt pins to secure them: 











I also carved off the molded door handles and replaced them with new handles made from brass rod: 











I put some small details to the top of the hood. I also made the sand box fill hatch larger and added hinge and latch detail:


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## SNER (Sep 20, 2010)

Nice job Ray, 

Do you know of anyone that sells 1:32 size nut/bolts for the same purpose that you are using them for? I am doing the same thing to another RS-3 but I am keeping it standard gauge. 

David


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

David, google Scale Hardware--they should have what you are looking for. 

Larry


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

You might be able to use some of the larger 1/48th scale NBW castings from Grandt Line.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I finished making a master for the brake cylinders. It just needs a little touch up, and then I'll use it to make a silicone mold. I need eight cylinders, and I really don't want to make them all by hand, so casting is the most efficient way...











The grill over the radiator fan isn't totally accurate but it looks pretty good, so I want to keep it. Unfortunately the holes are much narrower on the back then on the outside, in fact they're barely open. So I'm carving them out, one by one, with the tip of an X-acto knife. Very tedious, so I can only stand to do a little of it at a time. I'm halfway finished so far:


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

The "beading" around the windows is a great idea. Looks like rubber gaskets.

I plan to do similar window treatments on a future project. What diameter size rod are you using? 1/16"?


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I used .020" rod for the windows on the doors. All the rest, I used .030" rod.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Today I made a mold of the brake cylinder master. Because of the complexity of the shape, a two-part mold was needed. I built a form out of styrene, and filled half of it with sulfur-free modeling clay. Then I pushed the master into the clay, and worked the clay in around it to make as clean an edge as possible. I pressed a few dimples into the clay to make "keys" that will keep the two halves aligned:










Next I poured in some silicone rubber mold compound. I use Smooth-On brand "Oomoo 30" because it's easy to use and doesn't require a precision scale. It mixes by volume, not weight, and is pretty/ forgiving. When this set, I pulled off the bottom of the form and removed the clay. Leaving the master in place, I then coated the face of the first layer of silicone with a very thin coat of vaseline as a release agent. I also used a spray on release from Michael's:













I poured in some more silicone, let it set, then removed the form and pulled the two halves apart. Then I started casting. The initial casting came out rough, which is typical. The rest came out better. I had also made a simple one-piece mold of another part that will be used on the side frames, and cast that too. Here's how they look after cleaning up the flash:












And here's one of the brake cylinder castings after being painted with a coat of primer. It's a little bit rough but not bad:


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

BTW, the silicone mold compound and the urethane resin both have a very short shelf-life after they've been opened, especially in a humid environment. But you can greatly extend the shelf-life by shooting a bit of anti-dust spray into the containers before closing them. This is the stuff typically used to clean electronics, etc. 

It's been almost a year since the last time I made a mold but my mold compound is still good; and I've been using the same gallon jugs of casting resin for at least 4 years.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

A little more progress...

I finished casting all the brake cylinders and install four of them on the rear truck. 

The brake shoes on the original model are removable plastic pieces, and include a curved shape that is supposed to represent the sand line. As-is, these brakes look pretty anemic. So I reworked them, adding on new styrene bits to make the brake shoes a little larger and thicker, and also made the hardware stouter and more accurately shaped. (In silhouette, anyway. As on the original model, a lot of liberties have to be taken in this area.) 

I cut off the original sand lines and built new ones that are much more realistic looking. Here's a shot of two remodeled brake shoe assemblies next to one of the unmodified parts:












Here's a couple shots of the modified parts temporarily installed on the truck. You can also see how the brake cylinder castings fit into place:






















I still have to make four more brake shoes pieces, for the loco's front truck.


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Nice work Ray - as always. Great to see so much detail. 

Cheers 
Neil


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## SNER (Sep 20, 2010)

Nice work Ray. 

I was wondering, could I buy some brake cylinders and end brakeshoe brackets from you for my fleet? No one seems to make either part as detailed as yours. 

David


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

David, I can do the brake cylinders for sure, since I already have the mold. The brake shoe/sand line assembly, maybe. The first four I did, I just modified and reworked the existing piece. I still need four more though, so I may try making a mold and casting them.


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## SNER (Sep 20, 2010)

Thanks Ray, 

Let me know how everything comes out. 

David


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Doh! 

I spent a considerable amount of time figuring out a way to make a two-piece mold of the brake shoe assemblies. This was not an easy task, because they are a fairly complex shape. Got the first half of the mold cast. Added some stuff to form the fill channels, then poured the second half of the mold. All of this was done piecemeal, between numerous interruptions, which also meant a lot of it was done in a rush. (You can probably guess where this is heading...) 

Pulled the mold out of the form this evening and discovered the Big Mistake. I had forgotten to apply any kind of mold release between the two halves of the mold. So now I have one big block of (expensive) silicone rubber with two master brake assemblies buried somewhere in the middle. 

< sigh >


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

When I was cutting rubber molds for jewelry I never used a parting agent, a scalpel was my knife. 
If you know where it is inside, it can be cut out. Your keys will be ripples instead of uniform plugs. A few plunge cuts after you get an equator started can locate your model. 
I had the luxury of a soldered on sprue to follow, but it can be saved. 

I really like the detail work. 

John


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I got the parts out but couldn't save the mold. The shape of the parts is too irregular to follow with a knife. I'm going to make a second attempt at molding these things.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Finally have another update on this project...

First, here's how I made the mold for the brake shoe assemblies:












I was concerned about the sand lines, which seem to be in a position where they are likely to get banged up a bit in use. So I inserted brass rods into the mold prior to casting:












Here's a shot of the masters (top) and the castings (bottom). As you can see the castings are slightly thicker and rougher, but should be acceptable:












I made the brake rods from brass:













I used short sections of rectangular brass tube to make the clevis on the brake rods. First I grind off one side of the tube, then cut off the short sections using a Dremel and cutoff wheel:












I also made castings for the brake lever and the sideframe extension that goes above it. Here's how the sideframes look with the brake cylinder, brake rod, lever and extension in place:
























That's all for now, more later.

.


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good


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## SNER (Sep 20, 2010)

Nice job, Ray.









So how much would it cost to buy enough of your parts to convert 2 sets of AAR trucks?









David


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I'll have to figure that out when I get a little farther along on this kitbash. Right now I'm kind of behind and don't want to get too sidetracked.


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## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

Let us know Ray. I need to buy one set to redo the trucks under my B unit which I use for HEP for my Executive Train


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I've finished the trucks on the RS-3. First, here's a "before" photo showing one of the stock trucks:










And now here is the finished truck:











And a couple detail close ups:




















This truck has the cast brake shoe assemblies:












Prior to painting, I masked off the openings to the motor and gears. Then I used a q-tip to smear vaseline onto the tread and flange of the wheels. I applied a coat of gray primer, then a coat of Rustoleum gloss black. 

To weather it, I began by mixing some Model Master "Gun Metal" and "Steel" paint together, and dry-brushed it onto the areas that seemed likely to become scraped or scratched. All the rest of the weathering was done using Apple Barrel flat craft acrylics. Next I added some rusty colors. Some of this rusty color was applied directly over the "metallic" colors, then rubbed partly off. When this had dried, I went over the whole thing with a wash of dusty gray-tan mix. When that dried, I added a mix of "apricot" yellow and black to a few areas, to represent grease. The final coat was a very thin wash of blue-black over the whole thing. 

Once the final wash was dry, rubbed my fingers over various parts of the trucks, removing some of the thin layers of acrylic and letting some of the black undercoat show through. Then I sprayed a light dusting of Krylon UV matte finish over the whole thing. 

The weathering is a bit understated, meant to look well-used but not overly grimy. It looks a little better in person than in the photos. I'm not sure if it's enough though, but I can always add more weathering to it later if necessary. .


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

This is one of those projects where one thing leads to another...

Having made the deck wider, I decided that the fuel tank needed to be wider as well, so I built a completely new fuel tank. This actually works out well though because I now have room to fit the speaker in the tank, eliminating the risk of moisture damage posed by the factory speaker location. And of course I also got to detail it out nicely too.

Here's the original fuel tank:










And here's the new one:




















In this photo you can see where I'll be mounting the speaker. I still need to drill a bunch of little holes to form a speaker grill:











The original air tanks weren't worth reusing, so I'm replacing them too. The new tanks will be wider and more detailed. Here a shot of the new tank next to the old one:










A closer view of the new tank (I still need to build the second air tank for the other side):










Here's how the fuel and air tank will fit together. I still have to add the plumbing, too:











I already had some domes, but I didn't have any styrene tubes in the correct size for the air tanks. So rather than order them online and have to wait to have them delivered, I found a pair of plastic knitting needles at Michael's that were exactly the right size!


.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Time for another update...

I ran into a little snag with those new air tanks. Although they're the same length as the originals, they're wider and are designed to mount more realistically. The originals are not completely round, and mount up under the edge of the frame:














Mine are intended to mount on the frame, like the real ones do. Trouble is, they foul the sand lines on the front truck:













So I had to order new, elliptical domes to replace the hemispheric domes. This reduces the total length of each tank by at least a quarter inch, more than enough to clear the sand lines. It also makes the tanks more accurate, as most of the RS-3's I've seen have tanks with elliptical ends:












While I was waiting for those new domes to arrive, I started work on the front pilot. I had hoped to be able to use most of the stock parts, but decided that too many changes were needed, so it was simpler to scratch-build. I did retain the rear portion of the pilot, since this has the tabs and such needed to mount it to the frame. 

I began by cutting off the poling pockets. Then I glued on styrene extensions to widen the pilot. I also used a Dremel with a small carving bit to lengthen the slots that support the steps:













Then I decided to mount the steps differently, so I filled in the slots. This would have been easier to do if I had not already added some bolt details. I also sanded the poling pockets smaller and glued them back on, in their new positions:













I couldn't find anything better suited to represent the steel grill used on the steps, so I reused the original steps from the model. However, I sanded them to about half their original thickness:












I built up a completely new front section of the pilot. This was glued to the rear section, rather than being attached with screws as the original parts were. I changed the position of the steps, to fit the now-wider pilot:












Here's how it looks on the frame:





















I had to take some liberties with it, particularly at the coupler pocket, but I think I captured the essence of the prototype pretty well. I still have to add some more details, such as the air hose, MU cables, grab irons, lift bar, etc.


.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, your fine work has really inspired me to add a bit more detail to my projects. Not sure if I should thank you or not though!  Keep up the good work.


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## insanerocketkid (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray,

I really like your work here. I wouldn't expect anything else from a guy who likes to send cameras thousands of feet into the air... 

I saw your brake cylinders, and while they might look rough - don't forget that castings don't come out smooth in the prototype world either. Sure, you had a small pinhole in your casting, I believe. Fix that one up, but dont fret too much over the rest of it. Once painted and weathered, she should look right at home. 

I am actually going to FOLLOW this thread, because I have some On30 models and am considering "kitbashing"/scratchbuilding some On30 ALCO-style locomotives. RS3 comes to mind.. or S1.

Keep up the good work.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Progress has been a little slow this week, but it's getting there. Here's the latest update...

I decided to mount the air tanks to the fuel/water tank assembly, rather than mounting them directly to the chassis. I used some small screws from an old camera:

























Both the front and rear pilots are basically finished. I still need to make some MU cables. The handrails and associated stuff will be added later:












I put the whole thing together temporarily just to see how it looks:
































That's it for now. Currently I'm working on the cab interior... more updates to come.

.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I forgot to mention that the brake hoses are from Phil's Narrow Gauge. I modified them slightly for this application.


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Ray, you keep up adding an amazing level of realism in you models. I'm really looking forward to see how the cab interior will come out!


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## PVRR_Adam (Nov 17, 2010)

It's looking great! I wasn't sure at first how far you were going with this, but it looks like all the way!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Posted By PVRR_Adam on 17 Nov 2010 09:01 AM 
I wasn't sure at first how far you were going with this...



That makes two of us!


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

That is awesome! Great work Ray!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I've finished the cab interior details. I didn't bother trying to include every single detail of the prototype. I just wanted to include enough of the major features, enough to give the impression that it's all there. As it is, much of what I did include will be difficult to see anyway. Here's a shot of the control stand under construction:












And here's the complete interior assembly. This assembly slides up into the cab from below. The floor was made to look like old wood with worn paint, as seen in some RS-3 pics I found:























On the fireman's side, I added a toolbox and grease bucket. These were cast from molds I made of originals I found on ebay. Everything else in the cab is scratch-built. The toolbox and bucket help support the end panels:












Oops! I made the seats a little bit too tall. Fortunately that's easy to fix. The seats are not glued down, they are secured with screws. I'll just remove them, cut the seats off the posts, shorten the posts, and glue the seats back together.











BTW, the seated figure is from SLM, and will be serving as the engineer until I get around to sculpting some custom figures for this loco.


.


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## SNER (Sep 20, 2010)

Excellent job Ray!


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, you are a mad man!!


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

I didn't bother trying to include every single detail of the prototype. I just wanted to include enough of the major features, enough to give the impression that it's all there 
An that is successfully accomplished! Great looking interior! 
BTW you could also find some bigger engineer instead of lowering the seats ;-)


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

wow! very cool!  
with the changes, it really looks "narrow gauge" now..very nice.. 

one thing I noticed in the pics..(im sure you have already thought of this!) 
are you going to re-do the cab doors to make them extend all the way down to the walkway? 

Scot


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Finally, another update! 

One of my biggest concerns when I started this project, was how to do the handrail supports. They need to be tough and rigid, slightly flexible but not brittle, and they need to be removable. I also wanted them to be as close to the prototype as possible. I considered using brass rod, but it's round, and the real thing is made of flat slabs. Brass bar stock might work but is not easy to find in such a small size. Brass would also be tough to work with, especially drilling the holes for the handrails to run through. And brass doesn't spring back if it gets bent over. 

Then I hit on a solution: Rectangular carbon fiber rod! These are sold by Midwest Products and can be found in many hobby shops, in a variety of sizes. It's a high strength composite material used in aircraft. It's very rigid yet somewhat flexible, and extremely hard to break. 

I used some carbon fiber rod that measures .019" thick by .118" wide. As tough as it is, it can be split lengthwise, so I laminated some strips of .010" thick styrene to it. I was then able to drill holes through the supports without splitting the carbon fiber. I also added brackets and simulated bolts/nuts made of styrene. Here are some pics:






















The handrail supports are designed to fit into slots in the deck and frame of the engine. This presented another problem: How to create deep, narrow slots? I have no tools capable of doing that. So my solution is to drill round holes, fill them with epoxy putty, then use a homemade tool to press the slots into the putty. Here's a photo of the tool I made, and a chunk of scrap styrene used as a test subject:











This worked just fine. The top surface of the putty came out a little rough on this test piece but I think I can do better. Most of it will be hidden by the bracket anyway. Here are a couple shots showing how the support fits into the slot on the test piece:





















Now I just have to drill holes in the deck, add the putty, and form the slots for the model itself.

Meanwhile I also did a few other small things... I decided that the smokestack needed to be taller, to look right with the new larger cab, so I built up a new stack around the old one. I also created a bracket and air ringer for the bell, and made the metal "cabinets" on the deck behind the cab. I don't have pics of these changes yet.

.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray...this work is flat outstanding. I've never seen inside details like you are making.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Haven't had as much time as usual for modeling lately but I am making a little progress...

I finished the handrails along the sides of the engine. Here are a few shots with the handrails temporarily installed. (The fuel tank, air tanks and a few other items have been removed.):























In this photo you can see the "cabinets" that form the raised part of the deck, behind the cab:












I still have to make the handrails and other details for the ends of the pilots:













I used brass tubing to make "sockets" for the handrails to plug into where they connect to the pilot:













Here's a close up photo of the new, larger smokestack, and the bell with air ringer:













Well, that's all for now. It's getting close to the finish line!


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

That is really shaping up nice, Ray.

Ed


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Get's more interesting with every post. Nice. Later RJD


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I got the superstructure (cab and hoods) painted. Still have to add lettering, then weather it. Once that's done, I can install the "glass" in the windows:











The main color is Rustoleum Gloss Enamel burgandy. The handrails and pilots will be "school bus yellow", using Rustoleum's "inverted marking paint".
The steps and deck are gloss black:











I used 1/24th scale diamond treadplate for the steps and deck. The only current source for this is Don Mills Models, which specializes in custom model trucks. Here's a link in case anyone's interested:

http://www.donmillsmodels.com/main/...ategory_id=25&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=73

That's all for now.


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Really nice choice of paint scheme! 
You say yellow handrails and pilots, no other yellow, like a lining or something? 

It reminded me directly to CFL 800 series diesel locomotives in Luxembourg (originally American made I believe) like these: 
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=185085


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The sides of the deck will also be yellow.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray I'm just so envious of your work. Your good and sure looks nice. Later RJD


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Here's another brief update...

On the real RS-3, there are chains connecting the brake wheel with the brake cylinders on the rear truck. The chains pass through a couple of guides that hang down from the underside of the deck. I added these details to my model. I had to make sure that the truck would still be able to turn enough to handle my 6.5' minimum diameter curves. Here's how it looks prior to painting:











I'm getting closer to the end!


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

That locomotive is really coming along nice Ray. 

Chris


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW, that locomotive is SUPERB, Ray! Great work, LOVE the detailing!!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I got the handrails done for the front pilot. I just need to make a couple of minor adjustments, then duplicate it for the rear pilot. The straight uprights were made same as the ones along the side, using carbon fiber rod with a thin styrene strip laminated to it. The angled uprights were a challenge. I couldn't get any brass strips in the correct size, so I ended up using 3/32" aluminum tube, and flattened it with a hammer:




















I also need to adapt some couplers.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I haven't had a lot of time to work on this project lately, due to getting ready for Christmas, etc. But I have made a little progress...

First off, I got everything painted. The deck and underframe is painted Rustoleum gloss black. The pilots and the sides of the deck are painted "school bus yellow", and the cab and hoods are burgandy. I added the herald, engine number and some "high voltage" signs, all of which were printed out on self-adhesive vinyl. 

Then I started on the weathering. Here's a shot of how it looks so far. (The handrails along the sides have been left off at this time, and the cab/hoods are not yet weathered.)











I'm using flat Apple Barrel craft acrylics for the weathering except where noted. I applied a thin, blotchy wash of dark brown to the deck, with a few blotches of lighter, rustier brown, mostly down the middle of the walkways where there would be more wear.

I began weathering the pilot and steps by brushing on some dark brown "rust" areas to represent places where the paint has been scratched or worn off -- mostly along edges, and on the handrails. When this had dried, I dry-brushed some highlights to represent bare metal, using a mix of Model Master "gun metal" and "steel" non-buffing metalizer.

Then I went over the whole thing with a thin wash of dirty, rusty brown. This wash had some clear acrylic matte medium mixed in, and a tiny dab of liquid detergent to prevent beading on the glossy surface. When applying the wash to the front of the pilot, I held the model so that the front would be almost level, preventing the paint from running off. However, I did allow some of the paint to build up along the bottom edge. It still needs some more work, but here's how it looks now:











I did the same thing along the side of the deck, adding some extra rust color to certain areas and allowing it to run down in streaks. This too, still needs more work.











The trucks had been weathered already, but I decided they needed something more. I wanted to add some caked on dust and dirt, which would be typical on an engine that runs in the desert and works around mines and mills. To do this, I used some ashes from our barbecue. First I applied a mix of grimy colored paint and matte medium, with a dab of detergent. Then I sprinkled on the ashes, and blew off the excess. I went over it again with some more of the grimy paint mix to wet the ashes thoroughly. 











I gave this same treatment to the back of the pilot as well as the fuel and air tanks, keeping in mind the way these features would most likely accumulate such dust and grime.











On the fuel tank, I added several successive layers of thin, dusty washes to represent build up of spilled fuel and dirt. Then I topped it off with a narrow "dribble" of muddy black paint mixed with gloss medium, to look like a recent spill:










The fuel cap was painted with Model Master "brass" metalizer, then given a wash of grimy black. I may give it another layer or two of grime. 

That's all for now, more later. Merry Christmas!


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

excellent weathering job


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## jonathanj (Jan 24, 2008)

An incredibly convincing conversion. Any chance of borrowing an unmodified U25B off some soul and photographing them side-by-side so we can see a 'before' and after comparison?  The loco's proportions have really changed. 

Jonathan


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Outstanding Ray--I'm really looking forward to seeing it finished. It'd be especially good to see it next to an unaltered RS-3, to show off all you've accomplished


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

Absolutely awesome, Ray!! I agree with lownote, I would love to see it next to an unaltered RS3 to see the differences more clearly. You've done such a beautiful job, it is hard for me to keep thinking of the differences!!!

Ed


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## jonathanj (Jan 24, 2008)

RS3. I meant that, not U25B. I know the difference, honest guv, just finger trouble. The problem with the posting, as they say, is between the keyboard and the seat.
J.


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## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

WOW! Beautiful modeling, Ray. 

May I offer a weathering suggestion? I've notices that the handrails on either side of the steps are generally not dirty - they're polished, and often bare metal in most spots. The many gloved hands sliding up and down the rails do a wonderful job of keeping them free of dust, dirt, rust, and paint. This is particularly true of the front left and right rear rails, because most engineers will use the ladder on the same side as the cab door whenever practical (we're lazy like that). For the same reason, there are often clean wavy streaks along the hoods, where hands have brushed while walking down the relatively narrow walkways. Door latches and edges, particularly on the door accessing the starter switch, are also frequently cleaner than other areas.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

jonathanj, don't worry. Ya seen one dismal, ya seen 'em all. Easy to get 'em confuzzed.  

Seriously, Ray, that's looking great! The washes really bring out the detail on the deck, and the rest looks great, even without the weathering yet! Of course, with the weather you guys have been having out there, I guess you're getting really good at "washes..." Hope the railroad's doing okay. 

Later, 

K


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, the diesel looks outstanding. 

It would be great to sit it beside an un-modified RS-3 just to show how different it looks now. 

I will be waiting to see a video of the RS-3 pulling some frt on your railroad. 

Randy


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Ray,

Nice work,tha'ts a great looking model and Merry Christmas.

Chuckger


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

This evening I finished wiring everything up (Revolution receiver, Phoenix sound board, new lights), tested it, and EVERYTHING WORKS!!! Whoohooo! 

Of course, then I realized that I forgot to put the engineer in the cab, so now I have to open it all up again.  

Right now I can only run it back and forth on a 5' section of track in the garage. I'll have to wait a couple days for our latest batch of rain to stop, before I can clean up the layout and get it running out there. I haven't been able to run anything on the layout since mid-October, due to the frequent rain this year. 

Anyway, I still have a few things I need to do on the exterior of the loco before it's officially finished.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The project is finished but here's a construction pic that I hadn't gotten around to posting before. It shows the windshield wipers I made for the loco, out of bits of brass wire:


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## trainguy111 (Sep 7, 2010)

Impressive! So it is possible to convert some 1/29-1/32 locomotives into 1:20-1:24 locomotives. Just takes some time and effort.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

To jgallaway81 and SNER: 

Please email me with your mailing addresses, concerning the RS-3 castings you wanted. If I remember correctly, jgallaway81 wanted enough for one loco, and SNER wanted enough for two locos. Is this correct? 

The brake shoe/sand line piece is the only one I'm having trouble with. The mold was never very good to begin with and the castings required a lot of clean up work. They are coming out worse with each pour, and now the mold is starting to fall apart. One loco requires eight of these parts. So far I have enough for two locos, I will try to get salvageable castings for a third loco. 

I'll only charge you $5 per loco, payable on receipt of the castings. That includes shipping, so I'm really not making anything on the deal but I don't feel the quality would justify anything more.


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