Detailing a model for an operating layout
also have a plastic air line attached to the top of the bell. The air line was left off in this case due to the likelihood of it being broken off, and the lack of the air pipe does not detract from the look of the locomotive in the least. I learned the hard way over time that not every last detail has to be modeled in order for a locomotive to look right. This is just one of those cases. That missing air pipe is the last thing anyone would notice about this engine.
One of the neatest little details on the engines was something that Major Mike suggested, the speed recorder ca- ble attached to the No. 2 axle of the lead truck on the fireman’s side. For
this cable I would normally
curve a piece of brass wire and glue it to the truck center. This looks good, but it is more fragile than you can imagine. Mike used a small piece of hollow rubber tube with a piece of styrene rod inserted into the end un- der the frame. He then drilled a hole next
to the frame to receive the
styrene rod. The cable can be un- plugged when the body needs to be re- moved from the locomotive, and the flexibility of the rubber hose makes this assembly quite durable. Another detail on the trucks are the
new pedestal liner/wear plates. The re- placements are often green in color. Some of the axles have will these and others won’t, depending on what need- ed work when it was in the shop. If a locomotive received a rebuilt truck, all of the axles would most likely have new liners. This is a detail you will probably never see on an out-of-the box model and it just looks cool. Mike also built a set of “elephant
ears” (smoke lifters) for one of the SD45’s. The Southern Pacific was hav- ing problems getting cool air into the intakes in tunnels and long snowsheds because the hot exhaust gasses would collect at the top of the tunnel, right at the location of the intakes for the cool- ing air for the radiators. The elephant ears were a potential solution to that problem since cool air near the walk- ways would be collected and sucked upward into the intakes. This actually worked, but the fact that the Southern Pacific had over 350 engines to modify made this cost prohibitive. EMD later produced the “tunnel motor”variation of the SD45 which was based on the re- sults of this experiment. The elephant ears on the model were constructed from scrap pieces of .010” styrene and glued in place. A few eyelets and some scribed lines in the styrene makes them look like a lot more than just pieces of plastic. With minimal effort, the elephant ears can be added to a model, thereby giving it that “SP look.”
84
The rear of the engine (above) shows off a few more details, such as the painted-out numberboards, painted classification lights, sliced off footboards and m.u. hoses. The coupler is also rusted up slightly with chalk. The experimental SP elephant ears are mod- eled using scrap styrene (below). They are attached to the model near the flare of the ra- diators. The part touching the walkway railings is merely resting against the railings. This makes it possible to detach the shell of the locomotive for maintenance.
I was really amazed by the results of this approach to model detailing. I had always assumed that every miniscule detail had to be present and correctly sized. This batch of engines proves oth- erwise. Some parts are modeled slight- ly oversized, like the speed recorder ca- ble. Some parts are just completely missing, like the brake pipe hose and bell air line. None of this really is evi- dent when you look at a model like this. Most people immediately notice
items like the headlights, cab details, elephant ears and paintwork. What I like most about this is that several years from now these models will most likely look like they do today, and I won’t have to constantly be chasing down engines that need re-detailing or some form of repair. This is just one of those times when less is more. For more information on the Lack- Terminal Railway, go to
awanna
www.LTTHS.org. JANUARY 2012
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