IronBeltKen
Lazy Daydreamer
This is a continuation of a thread I posted in early September [http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/...9-body-shells-before-vs-after-walthers.30626/] regarding the possibility of directly swapping the shell of a Walthers P2K HO scale SD9 with a shell from an earlier-production LifeLike P2K SD7. Nobody - not even the customer service rep at Walthers - was able to provide a definitive answer. But I REALLY wanted to have a sound-equipped SD7/9 to work my main yard during op sessions, so I formulated a possible Plan B: Buy a Walthers model and paint+decal the shell in the desired B&O dark blue scheme.
I wanted to get a model without dynamic brakes, but all the places I looked were either sold out or priced way above what I was willing to pay. Trainworld had some SD9s in stock [albeit with the dynamics] that were priced to fit my budget. My reason for not wanting a DB-equipped shell was: All of the B&O's DB-equipped SD9's had only a single fuel tank with a giant open gap where the second tank would have been mounted: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo1831goh.jpg . Trying to duplicate that spotting feature would involve a huge amount of effort and risk: Completely removing the motor, drivetrain and trucks from the chassis; milling away half of the motor well; then reassembling the chassis and HOPING the motor could still be reliably mounted.
Luckily, I discovered a photo of one oddball B&O DB-equipped unit - #1838 - that did NOT have that yawning gap under the body:
It wasn't actually a fuel tank - only sheet metal plating - but it was SHAPED like one and could be replicated with minimal effort. So I felt comfortable enough to buy a DB-equipped model.
All of Trainworld's SD9 models were priced at just under $200, except this BNSF patched unit [https://cdn8.bigcommerce.com/s-e3e83/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/4850/9901/09200000048609__63719.1409829275.jpg] which went for ~$180. So that's the one I bought. As soon as I had it out of the box and removed the shell, my original fears were confirmed: the headlight apparatus in the newer models would prevent a Life-Like shell [with its light bars] from fitting on the newer Walthers chassis without a lot of re-working...Plan B (repainting) seemed like the more desirable approach.
Soon it dawned on me that my decision to buy this BNSF model [for $20 less] instead of the solid-black Conrail patched unit, was penny-wise and dollar-foolish ! The BNSF shell would need a primer coat to cover the BN green before applying the B&O dark blue; not only that, but this shell faithfully replicated the BNSF prototype unit as it appeared in the mid-1990's: a flashing strobe beacon on the cab roof, and no pilot-mounted steps (those were outlawed in the mid-1970's). It would need to be back-dated. (...continued...)
I wanted to get a model without dynamic brakes, but all the places I looked were either sold out or priced way above what I was willing to pay. Trainworld had some SD9s in stock [albeit with the dynamics] that were priced to fit my budget. My reason for not wanting a DB-equipped shell was: All of the B&O's DB-equipped SD9's had only a single fuel tank with a giant open gap where the second tank would have been mounted: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo1831goh.jpg . Trying to duplicate that spotting feature would involve a huge amount of effort and risk: Completely removing the motor, drivetrain and trucks from the chassis; milling away half of the motor well; then reassembling the chassis and HOPING the motor could still be reliably mounted.
Luckily, I discovered a photo of one oddball B&O DB-equipped unit - #1838 - that did NOT have that yawning gap under the body:
All of Trainworld's SD9 models were priced at just under $200, except this BNSF patched unit [https://cdn8.bigcommerce.com/s-e3e83/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/4850/9901/09200000048609__63719.1409829275.jpg] which went for ~$180. So that's the one I bought. As soon as I had it out of the box and removed the shell, my original fears were confirmed: the headlight apparatus in the newer models would prevent a Life-Like shell [with its light bars] from fitting on the newer Walthers chassis without a lot of re-working...Plan B (repainting) seemed like the more desirable approach.
Soon it dawned on me that my decision to buy this BNSF model [for $20 less] instead of the solid-black Conrail patched unit, was penny-wise and dollar-foolish ! The BNSF shell would need a primer coat to cover the BN green before applying the B&O dark blue; not only that, but this shell faithfully replicated the BNSF prototype unit as it appeared in the mid-1990's: a flashing strobe beacon on the cab roof, and no pilot-mounted steps (those were outlawed in the mid-1970's). It would need to be back-dated. (...continued...)