MODELING BNSF GP40M 3018, Page 3
Now it is time to turn my attention to the fuel tank. Again to reiterate, this is a "Club Runner" model so I do nto
want to spend a lot of time making any one part of the model more specific than another. So here I will detail
the fuel tank enough to closely match what the prototype fuel tank looks like. Sorry, but I am going to get on my
soap box for a minute here. This is why I like publishing my own articles. I can say what I want without it being
edited out. Talking about the Atlas fuel tank. Just curious if it was design by their N-Scale team. It sure looks
like it. I just cannot believe this is acceptable in HO scale! I do not think anymore needs to be said.
want to spend a lot of time making any one part of the model more specific than another. So here I will detail
the fuel tank enough to closely match what the prototype fuel tank looks like. Sorry, but I am going to get on my
soap box for a minute here. This is why I like publishing my own articles. I can say what I want without it being
edited out. Talking about the Atlas fuel tank. Just curious if it was design by their N-Scale team. It sure looks
like it. I just cannot believe this is acceptable in HO scale! I do not think anymore needs to be said.
First order of business on the fuel tank was to get rid of those sausage links Atlas passes off for air reservoirs.
Also, has anyone noticed on the stock Atlas GP38/40 models that the plumbing from the air reservoir elbows
down toward the fuel tank. Just curious where they got the idea that the diesel fuel needs to be oxygenated.
Again, I did not want to have to do any major milling to the frame and in order to properly mount the air
reservoirs, the Atlas frame needs a LOT of milling. So I came up with the next best thing. I used the Cannon &
Co. AR-2155 EMD STANDARD AIR RESERVOIRS kit. I assembled the tubes and after they dried, I clamped
them in my mill and cut the back half of them off up to the rear end cap as yo can see in the photo above. The
air reservoirs are mounted reverse of how they are supposed to be used. If you will notice, the sill notch is on
the backside instead of the front. You can see it up against the fuel tank fascia. After I made the necessary cut
in the reservoir, I added the weld bead back around the end caps with stretched sprue. After adding all the
other details to the fuel tank, I added the valving to the rear of the reservoirs.
In the above photo you can also see a few other detail parts. I have the drain block from Cannon & Co.
TD-2156 EMD FUEL TANK DETAIL SET. I also have Details West FB-197 EMD FUEL TANK BRACKET. The
waste retention tank is Hi-Tech DETAILS 6009 WASTE FLUID RECOVERY TANK, ANGLED. The pipe coming
off the back of the waste recovery tank is a part from Details West AT-304 AIR TANK DETAIL SET. I'll use
another part from this set after I attach the fuel tank to the frame.
Also, has anyone noticed on the stock Atlas GP38/40 models that the plumbing from the air reservoir elbows
down toward the fuel tank. Just curious where they got the idea that the diesel fuel needs to be oxygenated.
Again, I did not want to have to do any major milling to the frame and in order to properly mount the air
reservoirs, the Atlas frame needs a LOT of milling. So I came up with the next best thing. I used the Cannon &
Co. AR-2155 EMD STANDARD AIR RESERVOIRS kit. I assembled the tubes and after they dried, I clamped
them in my mill and cut the back half of them off up to the rear end cap as yo can see in the photo above. The
air reservoirs are mounted reverse of how they are supposed to be used. If you will notice, the sill notch is on
the backside instead of the front. You can see it up against the fuel tank fascia. After I made the necessary cut
in the reservoir, I added the weld bead back around the end caps with stretched sprue. After adding all the
other details to the fuel tank, I added the valving to the rear of the reservoirs.
In the above photo you can also see a few other detail parts. I have the drain block from Cannon & Co.
TD-2156 EMD FUEL TANK DETAIL SET. I also have Details West FB-197 EMD FUEL TANK BRACKET. The
waste retention tank is Hi-Tech DETAILS 6009 WASTE FLUID RECOVERY TANK, ANGLED. The pipe coming
off the back of the waste recovery tank is a part from Details West AT-304 AIR TANK DETAIL SET. I'll use
another part from this set after I attach the fuel tank to the frame.
Here I have the front right of the fuel tank. The fuel filler is the stock Atlas part. You can see that I added the
fuel tank end sheets front and rear. These sheets are made from a rectangular piece of 0.010" styrene sheet
glued to the ends. When the glue is fully dried, I then cut the sheets to shape and sand the thickness down a
bit to have a thinner looking edge.
fuel tank end sheets front and rear. These sheets are made from a rectangular piece of 0.010" styrene sheet
glued to the ends. When the glue is fully dried, I then cut the sheets to shape and sand the thickness down a
bit to have a thinner looking edge.
Here I have the right rear of the fuel tank. The pipe coming out the rear of the air reservoir is 0.015" dia. brass
wire. It is bent up to be hidden under the sill. Something you can just barely see. Look below the waste
recovery tank. You see a small rectangular piece of styrene with a NBW on the end. I have yet to see a fuel
tank drain block without this added piece. I use a piece of 0.030" x 0.030" styrene strip cut to about 0.050" to
0.060" long. Glue it to the bottom up the tank up against the Cannon & Co. drain block aligned with the bottom
of the drain block. I drill out the end and insert a Detail Associates 2203 HEX NBW. After the glue dries, I nip
off the end and turn it into a flat hex head drain plug. In this photo also you can see how I milled off the back
side of the air reservoir up to the end cap.
wire. It is bent up to be hidden under the sill. Something you can just barely see. Look below the waste
recovery tank. You see a small rectangular piece of styrene with a NBW on the end. I have yet to see a fuel
tank drain block without this added piece. I use a piece of 0.030" x 0.030" styrene strip cut to about 0.050" to
0.060" long. Glue it to the bottom up the tank up against the Cannon & Co. drain block aligned with the bottom
of the drain block. I drill out the end and insert a Detail Associates 2203 HEX NBW. After the glue dries, I nip
off the end and turn it into a flat hex head drain plug. In this photo also you can see how I milled off the back
side of the air reservoir up to the end cap.
In this photo you can see the extra small drain block added to the end of the main drain block. Below is a view
of the left rear of the modeled fuel tank. Nothing special to add about it. The plumbing that you do not see on
the air reservoirs will be added when the fuel tank is attached to the frame.
of the left rear of the modeled fuel tank. Nothing special to add about it. The plumbing that you do not see on
the air reservoirs will be added when the fuel tank is attached to the frame.
Here I have the front left of the fuel tank. This side of the tank on the prototype did not have a fuel gauge. I
drilled a hole and filled it with plastic rod. After the glue set hard, I trimmed the rod and contoured the surface.
The brass vent pipe is 0.028" brass wire. The air reservoir plumbing is 0.015" brass wire. The vent pipe on the
front of the tank is from Details West DP-305 DRAIN & VENT PIPES FOR EMD FUEL TANKS kit.
That is all the detailing done to the fuel tank.
drilled a hole and filled it with plastic rod. After the glue set hard, I trimmed the rod and contoured the surface.
The brass vent pipe is 0.028" brass wire. The air reservoir plumbing is 0.015" brass wire. The vent pipe on the
front of the tank is from Details West DP-305 DRAIN & VENT PIPES FOR EMD FUEL TANKS kit.
That is all the detailing done to the fuel tank.