Custom Painting and

Detailing Gallery

Completed March 4, 2012

Completed a pair of Micro-Trains 3-Bay Evans Hoppers.  Conrail didn't have this particular model, so I took some modelers license with this pair.  The wheels were changed out to Fox Valley Models 36" metal wheels.

Completed February 29, 2012

Completed the Atlas hopper tonight.  The hopper was custom painted after being stripped with Scalecoat Stripping Solution.  The paint melted off in about 20 minutes and clean up afterwards is very easy. I also changed out the wheels for Fox Valley Models Metal sets.  Weathering was done with 70% alcohol and chalks except for the trucks which got a combination of Polly Scale rust paint and chalks for added texture.

Paint: Polly Scale Boxcar Oxide Red

Decals: Highball Graphics

Completed February 24, 2012

Conrail  33K Tanker

This is an Atlas tanker that was stripped and repainted into the same paint scheme Conrail used on an SD50 in the early 1990's to support our troops fighting in Desert Storm.  I used Polly Scale Conrial Blue and decals from Microscale to complete the job.  I'll replace the wheels with Fox Valley Models metal wheelsets.

Completed February 23, 2012

Conrail  SD38 #6935 and #6957

This is a Kato unit that has been kitbashed from an SD40 model, detailed and then custom painted.  Mark 4 Design supplied the long hood while the cab, nose, walkway and sill were donated from a Conrail SD40.  I used a miter box and razor saw to make a clean cut while separating the nose.  A little bit of sanding and several test fits insured a good match before I glued the two pieces together. 

I used prototype photos to make sure I had the Q in the right place.  #6935 was the only one I found that had the engineer side reversed compared to the others like 6957 below.

Additional Details Include:

• Mark 4 Design SD38 Long Hood
• BLMA 15" Grab Irons
• BLMA EMD Cut Levers
• BLMA Trainline Air Hoses
• BLMA Windscreens
• Gold Medal Models Windshield Wipers
• Gold Medal Models Sunshades
• Gold Medal Lift Rings on the Roof
• Microscale Decals
• Polly Scale Paints
• Lightly weathered with chalks
• Micro-Trains 2004 Couplers

Completed February 4, 2012

ex-Conrail Leasing (CRL)

C30-7 #534

This is a newer Kato unit that has been detailed and custom painted from an undecorated shell.

Details Include:

• BLMA 15" Grab Irons (BLM-59)
• BLMA GE Cut Levers (BLM-14)
• BLMA Trainline Air Hoses (BLM-69)
• Custom Bent Nose Grab Irons (.006 Wire)
• Gold Medal Models Windshield Wipers (GMM-07)
• Gold Medal Models Sunshades (GMM-07)
• Atlas Mu Cables
• Weathered with an alcohol wash
• Micro-Trains 2004 Couplers

Completed February 4, 2012

ex-Conrail Leasing (CRL)

C30-7 #561

This is a newer Kato unit that has been detailed and custom painted from an undecorated shell.

Details Include:

• BLMA 15" Grab Irons (BLM-59)
• BLMA GE Cut Levers (BLM-14)
• BLMA Trainline Air Hoses (BLM-69)
• Custom Bent Nose Grab Irons (.006 Wire)
• Gold Medal Models Windshield Wipers (GMM-07)
• Gold Medal Models Sunshades (GMM-07)
• Atlas Mu Cables
• Weathered with an alcohol wash
• Micro-Trains 2004 Couplers

Conrail Leasing (CRL)

C30-7 #549

This is a stock Kato unit that has been detailed and renumbered.  The Conrail logo and markings were removed with 91% Alcohol.  The windows were "plated" over to the correct 2 window style.

Details Include:

• BLMA Mu Hoses (BLM-13)
• BLMA 15" Grab Irons (BLM-59)
• BLMA GE Cut Levers (BLM-14)
• BLMA Low Snow Plow
• BLMA Trainline Air Hoses (BLM-69)
• Custom Bent Nose Grab Irons (.006 Wire)
• Gold Medal Models Windshield Wipers (GMM-07)
• Gold Medal Models Sunshades (GMM-07)
• Gold Medal Models Rear View Mirrors (GMM-07)
• Atlas Mu Cables
• Weathered with an alcohol wash
• Micro-Trains 1015 Couplers
• Renumbered with MicroScale Decals

Conrail C30-7 #6606

This is a stock Kato unit that has been detailed and renumbered.  One thing I forgot to add is the battery box behind the conductors side of the cab.  I'll fix this in the near future.

Details Include:

• BLMA Mu Hoses (BLM-13)
• BLMA 15" Grab Irons (BLM-59)
• BLMA GE Cut Levers (BLM-14)
• BLMA Low Snow Plow
• BLMA Trainline Air Hoses (BLM-69)
• Custom Bent Nose Grab Irons (.006 Wire)
• Gold Medal Models Windshield Wipers (GMM-07)
• Atlas Mu Cables
• Sunrise Enterprises Pilot Mounted Ditch Lights
• MV Lenses (MV-700)
• Sunrise Enterprises Battery Box (Soon to be added)
• Weathered with an alcohol wash
• Micro-Trains 1015 Couplers
• Renumbered with MicroScale Decals

Completed: April 11, 2009

Conrail E8 ABBA Set

This was a fun set to do with one exception.  Life-Like glues all of the windows in.  It took awhile and some careful prying with a hobby knife, but they finally popped out.  I also met my match with this pair as the paint Life-Like uses is extremely hard to remove.  I ended up sanding as carefully as I could around the details to remove the factory paint jobs stripes and lettering  before painting over the factory job.  Not the ideal way to go, but today's paints are super thin and hold well so the details are still visible.  Both road numbers were per the customers request.  Conrail 4022 is painted in the same blue "can opener" paint scheme that it wore through the early 1980's when it was repainted into the more familiar Conrail OCS Executive paint scheme.

Details Include:

•   BLMA 15" Grab Irons (BLM-59)
•   BLMA Trainline Air Hoses (BLM-69)
•   BLMA E/F Ultimate Detail Set (BLM-99)
  •  Side Grab Irons (A and B Units)
  •  Windshield Wipers
  •  Sunshades
  •  "Eyebrow" Grab irons
  •  Mu Air Hoses
  •  Cut Levers
•   Micro-Trains 1015 Couplers
•   Weathered with Chalks
•   Microscale Decals
•   Polly Scale Conrail Blue Paint

This page was last updated June 19, 2009

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