PROJECT EJ&E SD38-2 (PAGE 2)
After taking the measurements off the Kato sill/ walkway, I transferred them to the Athearn deck.
You will see a small cut mark where the blade point is at marked "A". Just to the right of that mark
is another cut mark "B". This mark is spaced 0.030" from "A" to give a reference for the back
edge of the inner step well when I need to make the angle cut on the deck.
You will notice in the is photo that I already cut the angle.
You will see a small cut mark where the blade point is at marked "A". Just to the right of that mark
is another cut mark "B". This mark is spaced 0.030" from "A" to give a reference for the back
edge of the inner step well when I need to make the angle cut on the deck.
You will notice in the is photo that I already cut the angle.
Next up is to transfer the angle to the Athearn deck and cut
the angle. In the photo you can see the scribed line for the
angle. You can see that is lines up with the mark at "B".
the angle. In the photo you can see the scribed line for the
angle. You can see that is lines up with the mark at "B".
Here you can see the angle is cut. Just take your time and
make a straight cut. The only real critical part is to make sure
your angle is cut at the correct angle. Most of this part is
going to get cut out again as you will see later in the step
building process. You will only be keeping the angled portion
that comes out to the face of the top step.
make a straight cut. The only real critical part is to make sure
your angle is cut at the correct angle. Most of this part is
going to get cut out again as you will see later in the step
building process. You will only be keeping the angled portion
that comes out to the face of the top step.
The two photos above here go together. After I made the angle cut on the deck, I had to make the inner step well piece. The length of the piece is not
important as long as it is either even with the outside sill edge or is longer. What is important is the height. You want it to be from the underside of the top
deck to the bottom of the frame rail. In the photo you see what appears to be two deck surfaces. That stepped piece under the top deck will be removed after
all the glue is dried. After seeing this photo it is apparent that piece needs to go.
In making the inner step well piece, I beveled the mating edges so it would blend in better when glued. They are not perfect beveled edges, but they serve the
purpose of helping to set the angle. Once glued in place I made sure the part was square both vertically and horizontally. I then applied more glue to melt the
joint together and give a welded look to the joint. I oozed just a little plastic out of the joint.
important as long as it is either even with the outside sill edge or is longer. What is important is the height. You want it to be from the underside of the top
deck to the bottom of the frame rail. In the photo you see what appears to be two deck surfaces. That stepped piece under the top deck will be removed after
all the glue is dried. After seeing this photo it is apparent that piece needs to go.
In making the inner step well piece, I beveled the mating edges so it would blend in better when glued. They are not perfect beveled edges, but they serve the
purpose of helping to set the angle. Once glued in place I made sure the part was square both vertically and horizontally. I then applied more glue to melt the
joint together and give a welded look to the joint. I oozed just a little plastic out of the joint.
| ********** TEST BUILD ********** |
Just to wet your appetite, this is NOT what the completed
step well looks like. If you were going to build a modern
rebuilt EJ&E SD38-3, then yes, this is what the completed
step well would look like. Lucky for me, I was still early in the
step well construction and a fellow EJ&E list member posted
an as built step well photo. The difference is the bottom
step. There is not the angled sheet metal piece at the
bottom as shown in the prototype photo on the previous
page. Instead the bottom step is rectangular just like the
phase II GP38-2. Since I am modeling the mid 70's, I had to
remove the bottom step and angle piece. It is now corrected
and done. I will go through each step on building this. I
wanted to make sure I could build one before I went about
explaining how I did it.
It took from Friday night to Sunday morning to complete.
There is a lot of gluing and then let dry thoroughly so you
can come back and cut, scrape and shape. Important to
make sure each gluing session has COMPLETELY dried.
The top step is Cannon & Co. SS-2003 middle step and the
bottom step is SS-2004 bottom step. The middle step is
SS-2003 top step cut and filed to fit. I modeled the middle
step piece like this to give the impression of an anti-skid
plate type surface for this step. Otherwise it would just be a
piece of formed plastic. I was thinking of using a piece of
etched skid plate, but it was to thick. I like the effect and the
way it looks.
Up under the deck plate is a Cannon & Co. light which
should not be there :-). A light should be there, but not that
kind. It should be a larger round cylinder type light. It kind of
looks like a utility light.
step well looks like. If you were going to build a modern
rebuilt EJ&E SD38-3, then yes, this is what the completed
step well would look like. Lucky for me, I was still early in the
step well construction and a fellow EJ&E list member posted
an as built step well photo. The difference is the bottom
step. There is not the angled sheet metal piece at the
bottom as shown in the prototype photo on the previous
page. Instead the bottom step is rectangular just like the
phase II GP38-2. Since I am modeling the mid 70's, I had to
remove the bottom step and angle piece. It is now corrected
and done. I will go through each step on building this. I
wanted to make sure I could build one before I went about
explaining how I did it.
It took from Friday night to Sunday morning to complete.
There is a lot of gluing and then let dry thoroughly so you
can come back and cut, scrape and shape. Important to
make sure each gluing session has COMPLETELY dried.
The top step is Cannon & Co. SS-2003 middle step and the
bottom step is SS-2004 bottom step. The middle step is
SS-2003 top step cut and filed to fit. I modeled the middle
step piece like this to give the impression of an anti-skid
plate type surface for this step. Otherwise it would just be a
piece of formed plastic. I was thinking of using a piece of
etched skid plate, but it was to thick. I like the effect and the
way it looks.
Up under the deck plate is a Cannon & Co. light which
should not be there :-). A light should be there, but not that
kind. It should be a larger round cylinder type light. It kind of
looks like a utility light.
| ****AFTER RETURNING THE BOTTOM STEP TO ITS AS DELIVERED CONSTRUCTION, I AM BACK TO MODELING THE REST OF STEP WELLS**** |
This is how the as delivered step well should look. The bottom
step is a modified Cannon & Co. GP60 step. On page 3 I will go
through the steps to create this. I am sorry, but I forgot to take
some of final step pictures. Actually about half of the construction
I forgot to take photos of. I do not know what happened. Maybe I
got distracted or something. I wanted to capture all the steps.
When I run out of photos, I will use this one again and see if I can
explain it. Very sorry for that.
For a while I have been curious as to why the angled piece of
sheet metal was welded into the notch at the middle step. A
fellow EJ&E list member gave me a hint to it as well as a photo in
the January/February Diesel Era, page 41. A color photo of unit
668 in bicentennial paint. If you look at the rear step well, you will
see on the inside a silver piece of sheet metal, then there is a
gap and then the sheet metal again. Also on the next page you
will see a photo by Lee Stewart and you will see this gap very
clearly just below the front brake cylinder. I guess by now you
can all figure out why the angled piece of sheet metal is welded
in the notch. It is to reinforce the step well for the notch cut out to
allow clearance for the outboard clasp brake calipers.
And I thought EMD just had some spare sheet metal pieces
laying around :-).
step is a modified Cannon & Co. GP60 step. On page 3 I will go
through the steps to create this. I am sorry, but I forgot to take
some of final step pictures. Actually about half of the construction
I forgot to take photos of. I do not know what happened. Maybe I
got distracted or something. I wanted to capture all the steps.
When I run out of photos, I will use this one again and see if I can
explain it. Very sorry for that.
For a while I have been curious as to why the angled piece of
sheet metal was welded into the notch at the middle step. A
fellow EJ&E list member gave me a hint to it as well as a photo in
the January/February Diesel Era, page 41. A color photo of unit
668 in bicentennial paint. If you look at the rear step well, you will
see on the inside a silver piece of sheet metal, then there is a
gap and then the sheet metal again. Also on the next page you
will see a photo by Lee Stewart and you will see this gap very
clearly just below the front brake cylinder. I guess by now you
can all figure out why the angled piece of sheet metal is welded
in the notch. It is to reinforce the step well for the notch cut out to
allow clearance for the outboard clasp brake calipers.
And I thought EMD just had some spare sheet metal pieces
laying around :-).
A
B
B