PICTURES of FACTORY PAINTED MODEL THIS IS WHAT THIS SERIES WILL BEGIN WITH:
GP7 ENG SIDE FRONT
GP7 ENG SIDE REAR
GP7 FIREMANS SIDE FRONT 8273
GP7 FIREMANS SIDE REAR
HERE IS THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF THE TEXT FOR THE GREEN GP7 PROJECT:
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THANKS TO LIFE-LIKE AND THE FOLKS THAT ASSISTED BY PROVIDING NEEDED
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DATA WE HAVE THE PROTO 2000 SOUTHERN RAILWAY GREEN GP7 TO
ADD TO OUT LOCOMOTIVE ROSTERS. AND LET US NOT FORGET TO THANK MR. WARREN
CALLOWAY FOR ALL THE GREAT PHOTOS THAT HE HAS PROVIDED. WARREN HAS BEEN A
RESOURCE WITHOUT WHICH WE COULD NOT DO THESE SOUTHERN GP7 MODELS. THANKS
WARREN!
PROTOTYPE PICTURES
BEGIN BY REMOVING YOUR MODEL FROM ITS BOX AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS ALL
RIGHT. REMOVE THE COUPLERS FROM THE FRAME SAVING ALL BUT THE COUPLERS
THEMSELVES. YOU CAN REPLACE THEM WITH EITHER KADEE #5 OR #58 COUPLERS. I
WILL BE USING THE SCALE SIZE #58 COUPLERS. THEY ARE A ONE-FOR-ONE
REPLACEMENT FOR THE P2K COUPLERS DROPPING RIGHT IN PLACE. THEY WILL BE
INSTALLED MUCH LATER IN THIS PROJECT.
STEP 2
PRY THE FUEL TANK SECTION FROM THE DRIVE UNIT. ONCE IT IS REMOVED CAREFULLY
CUT THE AIR TANKS FROM IT. I USED A RAZOR SAW. TRY NOT TO MAR THE AIR
TANKS BECAUSE WE WILL BE USING THEM. USE A SHARP X-ACTO KNIFE TO SCRAPE
SEAMS SMOOTH. FINISH SMOOTHING WITH 600-GRIT (OR FINER) SAND PAPER. PRESS
THE AIR TANKS BACK ONTO THE METAL FRAME.
STEP 4
USING DE-SPRUING OR SOME OTHER SHARP CUTTERS SNIP OFF THE TWO EXHAUST STACKS
AS CLOSE TO THE BASE AS YOU CAN. WITH AN X-ACTO CHISEL BLADE CARVE OFF THE
BASE PLATE, THEN SCRAPE THE SURFACE SMOOTH AND FINISH SMOOTHING WITH
600-GRIT (OR FINER) SAND PAPER. WITH LIQUID STYRENE CEMENT ATTACH THE TWO
DETAIL ASSOCIATES #2402 EXHAUST STACKS IN PLACE. BE SURE TO LINE THEM UP
CAREFULLY BY LOOKING DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE ROOF TOP.
STEP 7
IF YOU PLAN TO REPLACE THE GRAB IRONS WITH FORMED METAL VERSIONS (THAT ARE
MORE ACCURATELY SIZED), THEN REMOVE ALL THE FACTORY INSTALLED PLASTIC GRABS.
REMOVE THE SAND FILL HATCHES FROM THE TOP OF THE NOSE AT EACH END. BORE OUT
THE RESULTING HOLES TO ACCEPT THE DETAIL ASSOCIATES #3002 SAND FILL HATCHES.
CEMENT THE NEW HATCHES IN PLACE USING LIQUID STYRENE CEMENT.
© Jim Six 2003
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