Getting there...

I spotted D&H 7309 as a kid with a hand-me-down 35mm camera one day while walking the tracks in Cohoes. About 15 years later, I shot it again in Troy. This time, it was in CP paint. I figured I may as well model it in both schemes. To keep myself sane, I did the D&H unit as 7309 and the CP unit as 7307. 7309, in D&H lightning stripe was easy. I found a Proto2000 model that closely matches the prototype. Done!

My model of CP 7307 was a little harder. I ebayed a Atlas 'Trainmaster' gp38. The first order of business was removing the numbers with a wet pencil eraser and replaced them with new decals. Next, the horn got removed from the front of the cab roof and replaced it with a casting at the proper CP location on the long hood. A GP-38/40 grab iron kit from Bowser was used to replace the molded on details which had been carefully shaved off. I painted them on the model and used a bit of thinner to bend the new paint into the old and to cover the areas a scratched while removing cast on details. I used a brass stanchion kit to replace the thick plastic railings provided. The model's anti-climber was removed and replaced with a thin brass L shape to closer match the prototype.

7307 had its black surfaces lightened a bit using several coats of extremely dilute white paint. Rust was added to the cab roof by applying nearly dry brown paint and following with some chalks. Black was added in the same manner around the exhaust. 7309 got its blue surfaces faded using the thin white paint. It then got its trucks, walkways, and bottom of the long hood dirtied up with some chalk.

Ditch lights are currently missing from both models... the process of running wires between the frame and shell scares me a bit and I'll put it off until these two have some track on the Troy Industrial Track where the can run.

 

Getting there.... Nearly time for a photoshoot up at the club. Nearly have 7307 (in CP red) done too.

After I get these done, I think I'll be time for the R&S shops. Going to scratch build the front part of the building ... should turn out to be about 12" x 12" and then going to build one wall section for the long building out back and cast/repeat that.. that section will be another 3' long. My great grandfather worked in there and I really loved that building. I only ever saw it as the scrap yard, so I'll build it like that.

I'll have to beat the crap out some D&H gons and I should be set for that scene.

Enjoy,
Will Gill