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Post by onequiknova on Nov 1, 2013 14:03:30 GMT -8
I've got a couple days off from work and have been itching to get back at my work bench, so I decided to tackle an easy project that wont take too much time to complete. I set out to build a U33B, but I went at it slightly different than I've seen done in the past. The conversions I've seen have started with an Atlas U23B and an Atlas U33C shell. I decided to start with a Proto 2000 U30B and add the radiator section from an Atlas U33C instead. I prefer the Proto U boats over the Atlas, and since I plan to build a couple P2K U28B's as well, I wanted continuity between them. Here's where I'm at so far.  I cut out the cast on radiators from the Atlas portion of the shell and replaced them with etched screening. I'll have to build some radiators to go under them.  The gap at the bottom of the hood will close up when I glue the long hood to the walkway.   |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 14:15:00 GMT -8
I thought I read on the old Atlas forum that the P2K U-boat sits too high on the trucks. Is this true? Yours looks good or did you lower it?
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 1, 2013 14:19:13 GMT -8
It appears to me that the fuel tank is too short causing the bottom of the tank to sit too high off the rails, but I'll have to do some investigating before I can say for sure.
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Post by railthunder on Nov 1, 2013 14:19:15 GMT -8
Very nice work. The older P2K U Boats do sit too high, however the new runs have been corrected.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 14:21:10 GMT -8
Which scheme John?
1. Maroon and yellow small "Rock Island"
2. Maroon and yellow billboard "Rock Island"
3. Material Service
4. Bankruptcy blue
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 1, 2013 14:25:23 GMT -8
It'll be maroon and yellow with the small lettering. It'll be one of the units with some of the hood doors replaced, so the lettering will be all screwed up. Like "Rock islan Is"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 14:27:50 GMT -8
It'll be maroon and yellow with the small lettering. It'll be one of the units with some of the hood doors replaced, so the lettering will be all screwed up. Like "Rock islan Is" You know you want to do two of the U33B's with a slug built from a U25B in between....  |
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 1, 2013 14:35:08 GMT -8
It'll be maroon and yellow with the small lettering. It'll be one of the units with some of the hood doors replaced, so the lettering will be all screwed up. Like "Rock islan Is" You know you want to do two of the U33B's with a slug built from a U25B in between.... That would require me to paint that gastley bankruptcy blue paint job. I find it easier to pretend that era never happened.  |
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Post by fr8kar on Nov 1, 2013 14:49:11 GMT -8
Looks great so far, John. I've got a U33B and a U36B under construction now, both from Atlas U23B, U33C and U30C parts. I didn't bother with the etched radiator grille, though. It wasn't that obvious on the first SCL U36B I did, but I'll bet it will really pop on this maroon unit.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2013 15:05:46 GMT -8
You know you want to do two of the U33B's with a slug built from a U25B in between.... That would require me to paint that gastley bankruptcy blue paint job. I find it easier to pretend that era never happened. "Route Rock" My cousin was a Rock Island employee in the road's IT department and my dad's best childhood friend was also a Rock Island employee working out of HQ at LaSalle Street. At a family gathering at the cousin who's house was in Blue Island across the street from the Rock Island embankment for the bridges over the Cal-Sag channel, some blue units headed by with a train and both men said "we are loosing money everyday, yet they(senior management) seem to be able to find the money to paint equipment in a scheme that is filthy after one day". |
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Post by bdhicks on Nov 1, 2013 16:10:00 GMT -8
Looks great so far. What are you using for the grilles? I've had problems finding anything with close to the right spacing.
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 1, 2013 16:28:18 GMT -8
Looks great so far. What are you using for the grilles? I've had problems finding anything with close to the right spacing. I'm using Special Shapes part # ssm-60. Only problem is I'm having trouble finding it on their website now. I've had this mesh forever and they may not make it anymore. Here's a better view of the mesh size.  |
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Post by dtinut on Nov 1, 2013 22:03:59 GMT -8
Is that brass screen material? How wide are the gaps? What is the diameter of the wire?
McMaster Carr has a lot of stuff under Raw materials, that could work.
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Post by railthunder on Nov 1, 2013 23:51:54 GMT -8
I really like your approach to modeling this with the Proto shell and U33C shell. This looks to save a lot of labor on body work vs. an Atlas rebuild/re-model.
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 2, 2013 6:59:27 GMT -8
Is that brass screen material? How wide are the gaps? What is the diameter of the wire? McMaster Carr has a lot of stuff under Raw materials, that could work. It's a photo etch, it's not regular screen material. |
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Post by theengineshed on Nov 2, 2013 7:22:17 GMT -8
I have a couple of Sharks under the knife currently. The etched mesh I used came from the fellows linked below, the prices are quite reasonable, they knock the VAT off for sales to the US, and turnaround from my last order to the US was just a couple of weeks. They do square, diamond and hexagonal meshes... www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Meshes___Mailles.html |
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Post by catt on Nov 2, 2013 8:23:07 GMT -8
I really like the looks of that mesh for the radiators.I have some old Athearn blue box U boats I would like to try that on.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Nov 2, 2013 12:24:58 GMT -8
Re. deck height (from the old forum):
"I sat down this afternoon and done some measuring on an Atlas U23B and a P2K U28B while comparing the two to a locomotive diagram sheet for a SCL U30B (not the best but that was all that I had at the time).
Talk about a "good news, bad news" situation. The Atlas locomotive matched at the walkway level (5'8" vs. 5' 7-5/8" on the prototype) while the P2K locomotive was about 2 inches higher there. However, the P2K locomotive closely matched on overall height at the top of the stack (15' vs. 15' 0-7/8" on the prototype). The Atlas locomotive came in a 14'9", which matches the dimension given in the U28B operating manual. Nothing here is new, just dimensions given that supports Andy's pictures.
I measured the walkway heights of both ends of P2K U28B and did not come up with any difference, so the shell must sit level on the frame. However, I have added couplers to mine. I don't know if that might have pulled it down or not.
James Bilbrey
Lavergne, TN"
Ed
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Post by bdhicks on Nov 2, 2013 14:31:18 GMT -8
I used to see those special shapes etched mesh displays all over, but when I realized I needed some they were nowhere to be found.
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 2, 2013 14:53:16 GMT -8
I used to see those special shapes etched mesh displays all over, but when I realized I needed some they were nowhere to be found. I sent them an email to see if they still make it. Probably won't hear back til Monday. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2013 15:17:20 GMT -8
Helpful ideas for the builder.....  Maroon and yellow, I assume on CRIP U33B #285  Why repaint the whole locomotive when you only need to do the nose? U33B #292  So powder blue and white on a locomotive owned by a bankrupt railroad isn't a good idea? Check out that slug.....  |
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Post by roadkill on Nov 2, 2013 16:33:44 GMT -8
Nice build so far. I have a phase I EL U33C in the works right now and you've inspired me to redo the radiator grilles.
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Post by SCL618 on Nov 2, 2013 20:35:06 GMT -8
Excellent work John! Don't discard the P2K U28/U30 radiator section either, so you can graft it onto an Atlas Phase II U30C and construct any 5/1966 through 7/1967 U28/U30C, save for perhaps the U30CG. I've done many of the Atlas based kit-bashes and have come to realize that somewhere in the production of the U33/36C and U23B models, there was a change in height to the long hood necessitating removal of material from the bottom of the long hood of the U33/36. In order to obtain the proper GE "notch" behind the cab, you just need to remove some of the material up to the intake doors. Paul Federiconi of Details West once posted he removed approximately .040" from the P2K bolsters to obtain the proper ride height. Here are some examples of my old U36B kit bash. www.pbase.com/jrmay/image/151526636www.pbase.com/jrmay/image/151526638www.pbase.com/jrmay/image/151526640www.pbase.com/jrmay/image/151574476www.pbase.com/jrmay/image/151574477www.pbase.com/jrmay/image/151574479The orientation of the drip rail on the exterior face of the radiators is not something I have ever successfully completed, despite RI, SCL, and PC using it in the uppermost position. Some battles require parts no longer available parts, though it is possible to reverse it and re-apply it. |
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 3, 2013 6:20:52 GMT -8
Nice work on that U boat. I hadn't even noticed that drip rail being too low. I've got a second radiator hatch. Perhaps I can do some slicing and dicing to reorientated it.
What's with that little notch toward the rear of your radiator? I haven't noticed that before.
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Post by bdhicks on Nov 3, 2013 22:35:02 GMT -8
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Post by ironwill on Nov 6, 2013 4:09:31 GMT -8
Excellent work John! Don't discard the P2K U28/U30 radiator section either, so you can graft it onto an Atlas Phase II U30C and construct any 5/1966 through 7/1967 U28/U30C, save for perhaps the U30CG. How difficult is it to graft the Proto rear to the Atlas shell to make an early U30c? I was under the impression that the Proto section was narrower and required widening. |
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Post by SCL618 on Nov 6, 2013 13:02:36 GMT -8
The inset grab iron was an attempt to replace the cast on version of the radiator grill with that of a free standing part. The grab irons of the pre-Dash 8/9 locomotives were actually welded into the radiator section and sometimes upside down like this - www.trainweb.org/zeniphotos/roofer/NS8532-1.jpgThis image shows it oriented correctly on the lower unit which is one of Southern's U33Cs. Image is courtesy of Frank Greene's albums - www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2381917By using the screening material within the radiator section, it gives the appearance of something akin to the radiator core rather than blank styrene. I've often considered using Cannon's GP/SD35 inertial filter screens (#1302) as the actual cores. |
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 6, 2013 14:43:39 GMT -8
The inset grab iron was an attempt to replace the cast on version of the radiator grill with that of a free standing part. The grab irons of the pre-Dash 8/9 locomotives were actually welded into the radiator section and sometimes upside down like this - www.trainweb.org/zeniphotos/roofer/NS8532-1.jpgThis image shows it oriented correctly on the lower unit which is one of Southern's U33Cs. Image is courtesy of Frank Greene's albums - www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2381917By using the screening material within the radiator section, it gives the appearance of something akin to the radiator core rather than blank styrene. I've often considered using Cannon's GP/SD35 inertial filter screens (#1302) as the actual cores. Thanks for those great pics. I assume then that that cut out was from the factory and not a modification done later? Roof shots of RI U33B's seem to be about impossible to come by. The one Jim posted above is the best I've found, and it's of the wrong side. I decided to do the notch on mine anyway. As for using GP35 grills for radiators, that's what this guy used. qstation.org/U36C/model.html I think I'm just going to scratch build some for mine. |
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 6, 2013 14:44:48 GMT -8
Excellent work John! Don't discard the P2K U28/U30 radiator section either, so you can graft it onto an Atlas Phase II U30C and construct any 5/1966 through 7/1967 U28/U30C, save for perhaps the U30CG. How difficult is it to graft the Proto rear to the Atlas shell to make an early U30c? I was under the impression that the Proto section was narrower and required widening. That would be correct. The Proto hood is about .040" narrower than the Atlas. |
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Post by onequiknova on Nov 6, 2013 20:32:21 GMT -8
I managed a bit of work the last couple days. I notched the radiator screen and added the grab iron. Also started on the radiators.   The Rock Islands U33's had the large brake wheel, so I used a Cannon wheel, which was mounted lower than the original P2K position. The sunshades and brackets are also Cannon, mounted on a strip of .010x.030" styrene and above the top of the cab roof like the prototype. I'm not sure why they mounted them so high. I hope these don't prove to be too fragile. It also got a DW 5 chime Nathan.  The cabinet behind the cab will need to be changed out to the louvered cabinet.  A closer look at the new etched steps and reworked plow.  I ordered a set of AMB laser cut windows to see what they're like. Since the window gaskets are part of the glass on these Proto's, AMB includes separate laser cut gaskets. If Proto didn't decide to cast the stupid wipers on the glass, this wouldn't even be an issue. |
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