SP U25B Detailing Project

[supagav]

Thanks guys! Richie: the hoses are are all home made, well they are USA Trains spare parts I had lying around. I just snipped off the middle sections and added small pieces of single core cable for the hoses themselves. The 4 hose MU parts are actually from a USA Trains F3B which I have sitting on a shelf waiting for a DCC chip, so I just pinched them from there and I'll replace them when I'm ready to finish the B unit. The train line air hoses are again just USA Trains parts that I had in my bits box.

 

[Richie]

Cheers Gavin they do look very nice a made some MU cables for a NW-2 last year using black single core cables and for the connectors I had loads of USA Train grab handles from Reefer cars which I cut in half and pushed in both ends of the cable and painted silver . Sorry all the pic's are on the other computer.

 

[supagav]

I'd be interested to see the photos Richie when you can!

Just a wee bit to update. I wasn't happy with the axel ends on the engineer's side (right when going forward), as on all the SP photos they seemed to have a sort of rolling bearing end cap(?). I made my own up just using some styrene rod of different sizes to create an idea of the part. As with a lot of this stuff, I'm not trying to create every bump, rivet and paint mark but more an overall impression of detail, so if the part appears to be in the right place then I think it works as a whole.

The rear truck with the original axel end on the left and the new on the right:

and the front with the new end on the left and the fabricated speedometer detail on the right:

 

[Rhinochugger]

Threads like this leave me in an equal balance of awe and disappointment.

The work is awesome

I'm disappointed that I'd never get anywhere near it :-:-

Keep it up Gav

 

[chris m01]

Really enjoying reading this. I would love to do something similar but don't have the time/patience/skill.

 

[Richie]

Hi Gavin
Had a look on the other computer but couldn't find the pics will take some more for you ,I also made all the hand rails and lift bars from brass.

 

[supagav]

A wee bit more progress, albeit very slow!

This pic shows the bell now relocated on top of the long hood behind the cab, complete with a small cradle and cabling. I believe it was in the second or third round of U25B orders that SP placed with loco builder GE in the US round the early sixties that had the bell moved from underneath the skirts of the engine. It was moved firstly behind the cab on the side of the loco, then on the top like this one:

I replaced the moulded on detail with real chain to simulate the loco hand brake which was found on the fireman's side of the short hood. On about 90% of the SP U25Bs they had a round recessed hand brake wheel, but I did manage to find a few photos of the other design which thankfully means less cutting and chopping!

Here is a quick photo of the prototype showing the less common pump style handbrake, as well as the bell up top:

 

[Rhinochugger]

The lettering is still wrong

That earlier shot of 'Suffern Pacific' was not photoshopped. Apparently it was painted on one side of the loco only, and lasted a few days before instructions were given to revert to standard.

You have to admire the style of whoever did it

 

[jgallaway81]

Not to mention the balls it took to do it!

 

[supagav]

Another quick update:

I got the decoder & phoenix sound unit installed over the weekend and everything seemed to go very well until I came to try and run the loco... It was terrible! It juddered and spluttered when starting and was very rough overall. I figured out that it was because the engine was one of the very first run of locos when Aristo was still REA and as such had an original version of the motor block which had obviously seen better days. Fortunately I have another much newer and updated U25B on the shelf waiting for work, so I pinched the new motor blocks out of it and transferred them over. Voila! It cured the problem and the loco really crawls from start to slow speeds and glides along without a hitch. The only problem now is to save up the pennies for some new blocks for the butchered engine!

 

[supagav]

Also got some more detail work done now that I am able to get the whole thing back together! Note to self: Still need to paint one side of the wheels on the new motor blocks!

Finished up and painted all the air brake and fuel tank detail underneath the engine:

Here you can see a small air reservoir which hides the computer socket for the Phoenix sound board:

 

[supagav]

And some more of it going back together:

The hand brake detail with the new chain on the nose:

The finished truck side frame details on the fireman's side (left when going forward):

The front:

And lastly the back showing the new LED headlights and the blanked out number boards:

Still needs a few little details and finally the handrails, but at last its getting there!

 

[jameshilton]

Gav that's looking great

 

[supagav]

Thanks for the kind words

I made a little bit more progress today with the U-Boat. I made the small radio antenna and piping detail on the cab roof from some spare styrene and brass rod (8mm for the cable itself and 5mm for the small braces). The paint is still fresh and tacky hence the slight difference in colour. I also went round some of the large gaps where the cab and nose meet the chassis and filled them in with Squadron putty. Although this means that the they now can't be removed, the long hood is a separate part and can still be taken off to get at the sound board and DCC chip if the need arises.
Thanks again for looking!

 

[jameshilton]

I love that wiring to the antenna - awesome

 

[Richie]

Looking fantastic Gav
Haven't forgot about the air hoses but just been a bit busy getting ready for my open day will take some pic's soon and add them to your thread .

 

[supagav]

Another quick update:

Here is a photo of the new truck limiting chain I made. It connects to the brake cylinder on the front truck on the Fireman's side beneath the cab and was made using some small scale chain and some assorted styrene pieces:

Here is a photo of the protoype showing the chain coming off the front truck:

 

[russiansandy49]

Gav
More excellent and careful detailing work here, as usual!
The antenna, handbrake and chains are fabulous, but then so is all the SP lighting array!
Keep up the good work, and I'm looking forward to the other U25B getting similar treatment soon.
Looking forward to seeing this cool loco on our open day--it will turn a few heads for sure. Glad you got the running problems sorted out.
You have done another great job here!

 

[supagav]

A little further progress this morning! I made some sunshades over both sides of the cab as per the prototype, using some small profile styrene channel and two small pieces for the shades, also out of sheet styrene. Again not an exact replica but a faily accurate representation that looks close enough for me!

I'm looking forward to getting all the detailing done then I can start on a little bit of weathering to help age it a little (this always has the lovely benefit of hiding some of my less than perfect painting skills!!!). All that is left now to re-do the front handrails...

Thanks again for looking, G

PS: far all the anoraks like me out there, I must confess that I made quite a serious booboo... The photo that I was following in terms of the handbrake detail was actually in fact a U28B, all in all the same locomotive body and trucks as the U25B, but just a slightly later model hence the difference. Further research reveals that all the SP U25s had a round recessed brake wheel on the short nose. Doh! I guess this will need to rectified later on! We have our open day this weekend so I think I'll dress it up for that, then attack the nose after all the fun has died down... I guess the moral of the story is it pays to do your research

 

[supagav]

Hi again,

Just a quick couple of photos showing the new front and rear handrails I made from brass rod. Took me a little while but got there in the end!

Thanks again for looking,
G