As with all my models, I start from the bottom up. The trucks, fuel tank and frame take most of my modeling
efforts. Everything above the deck is pretty much S.O.P. for me.
Aside from the Type I Flexicoil side frame like that used on the SD9, no manufacturer makes a Type II Flexicoil
with triple clasp brakes. Athearn attempted to pass the Type I off as a stand in for the Type II on their SD38. At
first glance your eyes fool you into thinking it is the correct truck, but quickly your eyes adjust and you realize it
is not the correct tuck. So as usual, once again I have to build something that would properly represent the
correct Type II Flexicoil with triple clasp brakes. I am sure that the term "triple clasp" is not correct. I use it
because all three axles have clasp breaks on both sides. So each side has three wheels hence triple clasp.
There are two options for this. Both require the use of an Athearn side frame. The first option I tried is the same
as my good friend Andy Harman used to build his triple clasps on his N&W SD45 and SD40. That is to get a few
packs of Athearn Blomberg side frames and proceed to cut the clasp brakes off and transplant them onto an
Athearn Type II Flexicoil side frame. The process worked great when I built my first HT-C side frame, but I found
a problem when I built the first side frame for this project. Here is the problem, when installing the Blomberg
clasp on the side frame, you glue the caliper adjuster strap behind the frame. This adjuster strap is the part of
the clasp brake at the very bottom of the journal frame. You will notice it as the strip of steel that has holes on
one side and a slot on the other. As I said, on this particular kit bash, this strap fits behind the legs of the frame
that the journal box fits into. All this goes together well. The problem rears it ugly head when you fit the side
frame back onto the gear box. The adjuster strap I am referring to interferes with the wheels and does not let
the frame fit back into the gear box properly. If I decided to live with this and set the frame out a bit, then I would
have a model akin to the Atlas SD35 with super wide side frames. I did not want this. I tried some other methods
with this same basic idea, but did not like the way it was turning out and will not even go down that road here.
I then came up with another idea. Why not re-engineer the existing Type I side frame. The photos below tell the
story of how I accomplished this. Though they are not 100% dead on, I would say they are in the upper 80%ish
to 90%ish range of being close and represent what is supposed to be there a lot better than the incorrect Type
I side frames.
efforts. Everything above the deck is pretty much S.O.P. for me.
Aside from the Type I Flexicoil side frame like that used on the SD9, no manufacturer makes a Type II Flexicoil
with triple clasp brakes. Athearn attempted to pass the Type I off as a stand in for the Type II on their SD38. At
first glance your eyes fool you into thinking it is the correct truck, but quickly your eyes adjust and you realize it
is not the correct tuck. So as usual, once again I have to build something that would properly represent the
correct Type II Flexicoil with triple clasp brakes. I am sure that the term "triple clasp" is not correct. I use it
because all three axles have clasp breaks on both sides. So each side has three wheels hence triple clasp.
There are two options for this. Both require the use of an Athearn side frame. The first option I tried is the same
as my good friend Andy Harman used to build his triple clasps on his N&W SD45 and SD40. That is to get a few
packs of Athearn Blomberg side frames and proceed to cut the clasp brakes off and transplant them onto an
Athearn Type II Flexicoil side frame. The process worked great when I built my first HT-C side frame, but I found
a problem when I built the first side frame for this project. Here is the problem, when installing the Blomberg
clasp on the side frame, you glue the caliper adjuster strap behind the frame. This adjuster strap is the part of
the clasp brake at the very bottom of the journal frame. You will notice it as the strip of steel that has holes on
one side and a slot on the other. As I said, on this particular kit bash, this strap fits behind the legs of the frame
that the journal box fits into. All this goes together well. The problem rears it ugly head when you fit the side
frame back onto the gear box. The adjuster strap I am referring to interferes with the wheels and does not let
the frame fit back into the gear box properly. If I decided to live with this and set the frame out a bit, then I would
have a model akin to the Atlas SD35 with super wide side frames. I did not want this. I tried some other methods
with this same basic idea, but did not like the way it was turning out and will not even go down that road here.
I then came up with another idea. Why not re-engineer the existing Type I side frame. The photos below tell the
story of how I accomplished this. Though they are not 100% dead on, I would say they are in the upper 80%ish
to 90%ish range of being close and represent what is supposed to be there a lot better than the incorrect Type
I side frames.
Above is pictured your standard Type I Flexicoil side frame. It is basically what you will find on an SD9, SD18,
SD24 and pretty much anything else modified from one of these models. The basic differences between the
Type I and Type II are the bolster mounts, the frame holes, the brake clasp hangers and the two frame
structures between the axle journals. These are the items that need to be modified. There is one other
difference, but I am going to leave that up to you to find. I do not think it is a big deal leaving it the way it is and
in most cases except the extreme RPMer, it will go unnoticed. I will tell you this. It is plain as day and not hidden
in the above photo. The side frame shown above is either the front right or the rear left. This is the side frame
that comes on their EJ&E SD38.
SD24 and pretty much anything else modified from one of these models. The basic differences between the
Type I and Type II are the bolster mounts, the frame holes, the brake clasp hangers and the two frame
structures between the axle journals. These are the items that need to be modified. There is one other
difference, but I am going to leave that up to you to find. I do not think it is a big deal leaving it the way it is and
in most cases except the extreme RPMer, it will go unnoticed. I will tell you this. It is plain as day and not hidden
in the above photo. The side frame shown above is either the front right or the rear left. This is the side frame
that comes on their EJ&E SD38.
The first order of business is to remove all the offending parts. Compare this photo to the one above and you
will see that I have cut off the bolster mounts, I have deepened the frame casting holes, I have filled the three
frame casting holes above each journal and I have cut out the area between each brake caliper. To fill the
frame casting holes, I drilled them deeper with a #53 (0.0595") drill. I then partially filled the hole with liquid
cement, let it stand for a few seconds and then worked in a piece of 1/16" plastic rod. I then sealed around it
with liquid cement and let it dry. Once dry, cut and finished the surface. The above side frame has been grit
blasted.
will see that I have cut off the bolster mounts, I have deepened the frame casting holes, I have filled the three
frame casting holes above each journal and I have cut out the area between each brake caliper. To fill the
frame casting holes, I drilled them deeper with a #53 (0.0595") drill. I then partially filled the hole with liquid
cement, let it stand for a few seconds and then worked in a piece of 1/16" plastic rod. I then sealed around it
with liquid cement and let it dry. Once dry, cut and finished the surface. The above side frame has been grit
blasted.
Next step is to remove the bolster mounts from the Athearn Type I Flexicoil side frames. I used a pair of Zuron
side cutters and simple nipped them off.
side cutters and simple nipped them off.
Now I need to remove more of the frame structure. Using the same Zuron nippers, I cut the frame away a little at
a time. If you take to large of a cut, you may end up breaking the part of possibly cutting something you do not
want to. Once I got it close to what you see, I used a #11 blade and trimmed it flat to set it up for the next step.
You want to try to reduce as much angle off the bottom as possible so when you sand it, it sands true and flat.
a time. If you take to large of a cut, you may end up breaking the part of possibly cutting something you do not
want to. Once I got it close to what you see, I used a #11 blade and trimmed it flat to set it up for the next step.
You want to try to reduce as much angle off the bottom as possible so when you sand it, it sands true and flat.
Here I need to take the rest of the frame off to the bottom of the spring. For this I use first a rough sanding stick
and then end with a fine sanding block. Taking care to check for trueness frequently, I sand till the plastic is
extremely thin and translucent. I then peel the plastic off and the result is what you see above.
and then end with a fine sanding block. Taking care to check for trueness frequently, I sand till the plastic is
extremely thin and translucent. I then peel the plastic off and the result is what you see above.
Here the side frame is about 90% done. You can see that I have glued the bolster mounts in place, I have
added adjuster holes to the brake clasps, I added the journal keeper bolt heads, I added a new lower frame
support between the brake calipers and the part you cannot see (I just noticed that) is behind the actuator arm
on the middle brake. It is an actuator arm keeper. It is simply a sheet of 0.020" styrene glued to the back with
the top at the same height as the top of the frame. There is a piece of 0.020" x 0.060" strip glued to the top like
a little roof. It appears in the same fashion as the brake actuator arm keepers on the outside brake cylinders.
The brake cylinders are from Athearn's HT-C side frames (SD40-2). Hands down, they are the best looking
brake cylinders on the market.
added adjuster holes to the brake clasps, I added the journal keeper bolt heads, I added a new lower frame
support between the brake calipers and the part you cannot see (I just noticed that) is behind the actuator arm
on the middle brake. It is an actuator arm keeper. It is simply a sheet of 0.020" styrene glued to the back with
the top at the same height as the top of the frame. There is a piece of 0.020" x 0.060" strip glued to the top like
a little roof. It appears in the same fashion as the brake actuator arm keepers on the outside brake cylinders.
The brake cylinders are from Athearn's HT-C side frames (SD40-2). Hands down, they are the best looking
brake cylinders on the market.
The side frame is almost done. I have bent the brake cylinder air line from 0.012" brass wire. The center brake
cylinder now has the air line coming out, but not yet attached to the main air line.
cylinder now has the air line coming out, but not yet attached to the main air line.
In this photo you can now see the brake cylinder actuator arm keeper. What I really wanted to show you in this
photo is the black mark on the center cylinder air line. This black mark is where I will insert the wire into a
machinist vise and smash it flat. First I trim the brass wire to just above the black mark. Smash it flat at the black
mark. Slightly make a curved bend in the flattened part.
REMEMBER: Before soldering, rough up both surfaces
I then insert the wire into the brake cylinder, put flux on both parts and rest the bent flattened portion over the
main air line. I dial my soldering iron up to the highest setting. Tin the tip and put a small blob of solder on it. I
then touch it to t the joint and instantly the solder flows and creates the "tee off" joint. Nothing is affected by the
heat because it happens so fast. I then use a pair of PBL nippers and cut off the excess flattened brass wire. I
then lightly sand the edges round to represent a small fitting.
photo is the black mark on the center cylinder air line. This black mark is where I will insert the wire into a
machinist vise and smash it flat. First I trim the brass wire to just above the black mark. Smash it flat at the black
mark. Slightly make a curved bend in the flattened part.
REMEMBER: Before soldering, rough up both surfaces
I then insert the wire into the brake cylinder, put flux on both parts and rest the bent flattened portion over the
main air line. I dial my soldering iron up to the highest setting. Tin the tip and put a small blob of solder on it. I
then touch it to t the joint and instantly the solder flows and creates the "tee off" joint. Nothing is affected by the
heat because it happens so fast. I then use a pair of PBL nippers and cut off the excess flattened brass wire. I
then lightly sand the edges round to represent a small fitting.
This is the finished side frame after grit blasting one last time. It is now ready for paint. I currently have one set
of side frames done and need to build two more. I am not going to fret about not having the outside brake
calipers mounted. With the current model offerings, this feature is impossible because of the step wells.
Basically just like how Kato did their HT-C triple clasp side frames. Kato's side frames would not be so bad if
they were just not so flat and lifeless. This is why I like to use Athearn's side frames. They have lots of depth
and detail.
of side frames done and need to build two more. I am not going to fret about not having the outside brake
calipers mounted. With the current model offerings, this feature is impossible because of the step wells.
Basically just like how Kato did their HT-C triple clasp side frames. Kato's side frames would not be so bad if
they were just not so flat and lifeless. This is why I like to use Athearn's side frames. They have lots of depth
and detail.
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