More box opening therapy, this time from the $ shop end of the spectrum.
You don't see many 2 rail factory RTR so when this demo M-2 popped up for a silly price then it had to come home with me, it was supposed to be a running model but the technicians tick sheet seems to indicate otherwise with issues in DCS and AC. That's not a problem as the cab motor will go as will all other electrickery, it'll get a rewire and DCC eventually.
I've no need for a demo model, but a CN M-2 is another story and if push came to shove you only need to alter a few grills and panels to make an ACe or AH. A quick browse, rather long actually found virtually no CN decals out there that could be used, but by chance Circus City decals in the US did a set for the M-2 in 1:32, 1:87 and 1:160. A quick flurry of mails reveals virtually no demand but they would scale the 1:32 set for me for the same price and a minimum order of two, I bought three as I can use them on other planned models if need be. I also bought three sets of patched ATSF/BNSF yellow bonnet EMD units, specifically for my GP60 project or future GP38/40-2.
The model has been touched up in places and the walkways are peeling off in places but I have a plan for them as well as using them to hold brass hand rails when they arrive. It already has fine scale wheels (relative to the US market) so I'll just narrow the trucks (I'm working on new detailed 3D print replacements slowly and long term anyway) for the time being, new etched walkways and brass handrails. The fuel tank will go and that area tarted up.
I'm not looking to flog the RTR to death to match an OMI brass model type of scenario, if you do that then you may as well etch your own model. In this case I just want something that's a bit better than RTR and doesn't offend me too much, if you're not careful you can easily get swamped and end up doing nothing, there's 91 previous pages of living proof of that right here already
I'll probably throw on some new etched steps, maybe new metal pilot faces and replace the front door with a more accurate 3D one. The glazing I'd like to make thinner and more flush, that's probably the hardest aspect of the whole works in all honesty.
Anyway, moving on was another el cheapo 3R model, so I threw all in and picked that up as well. It's an MTH Southern Pacific SD50 dummy model, aka it has all the gears (usually) but no motor and may even have lights too.
Dummy models are actually good value, especially if like me you're stripping out cab end motors on other MTH models to day light the cab, very soon you end up with a box of spare MTH motors, it's not hard to grab one and throw it in the rear truck of your dummy engine and power it.
I have no need for an SD50 and am not a fan of the SP SD50 at all....or I wasn't, but I do have to confess it does look rather smart and imposing. Sadly someone has been at this with the weathering broom, it might wash off but that depends on whether I keep it as SP, I did have more grandiose plans to be honest. Much as I like SP my interest lies in earlier generation models and much as I love my GEVO's I really have no appetite for them in SP colours or SD70M's either, much preferring tunnel motors or SD9's etc.
The SD50 didn't do too well for EMD, quite a short run before they moved onto the SD60, the biggest issue was pushing the old 645 block to compete with GE's new offerings, it was a step too far and the SD60 was end result. Much of the SD50 remained, almost all if web scribbling's are to be believed, the only big change was the primer mover to the new 710 block, internal electrical changes and a couple of extra doors at the rear under the rad cabinet, typically a change from six to eight, but I've seen SD60's with seven and BNSF are rebuilding some of their SD60M's with a few more detail changes.
Out of the box you can leave it as a SD50 with limited RR choices, or you can add the extra door/s (if the lack of it really offends you) and go for the SD60, moving forward from that for the adventurous you can then add the American safety cab (commonly called the Tri-clops cab) or better yet the upgraded safety cab found on the M model.
Like the M-2 I don't want to get all bogged down so narrow trucks, new walkways and steps, brass handrails if I can find some. The pilots are pure 3R so need fixing but also needs the gap filling, you can't just jack it up and fix it to the body sadly. In reality they'll get binned, quicker to scratch build a new face and step areas in all honesty. Same as the M-2 for the tank and try to get thinner and more flush glazing in there some how.
I also got some 2R finescale wheels to drop in, sadly they only had 4 truck versions which misses out the middle axle and the all essential helical gear for the motor worm, in which case I'll have to pull the 3R wheels off the middle axle and do the same with a spare set of 2R wheels, don't need to do both trucks as I'm only driving he rear one. I did also notice the 'flat spots' comment on one pack, rather odd given they were sold as factory packaged and appear to have no wear on them
UP do the spartan cab version (seen here) as well as the Tri-clops and M, the spartan cab version does really show the length of these machines and I was never a fan of the UP Tri-clops, having said that the Tri-clops cab on the BN white cheek version is appealing, more so the more recent BNSF patched paint jobs and praise all things praiseworthy, BNSF even repainted some M cabs with the BNSF H2 cigar band nose logo scheme.
Of course I could just go and buy a RTR 60M and stop faffing around with this one
Doesn't seem to stop models in HO & N, though.
