DXR 8007 part I

As I mentioned a while back, I brought an Athearn FP45 chassis with the intention of marrying it with one of Peter's DXR shells off Shapeways.

Here's the result:

Fresh from the printers.

Please ignore the upside down ZP...

The chassis looks like it will fit snugly, but the fuel tank needs to be modified.

From here, the process is:

1. Clean the shell (most people seem to dip their models in lukewarm water)
2. Dry it off, removing the powdery crap
3. Prime the shell
4. Drill holes for handgrabs, handrails, side ladder, horn (mounted at the top of the cab in this version), ditch lights and air hoses;
5. Fabricate all the above (I'm going to use a horn from a DX I salvaged for parts, I might create a airhose in Shapeways);
6. Add all the above parts
7. Undercoat in grey
8. Mask and spray NZ Rail yellow on cab, running boards and long hood end
9. Mask and spray NZ Rail blue
10. Add directional lighting circuit (stolen from DFT 7008 when I converted it to DCC) to LEDs (the holes are slightly too small for 3mm LEDs from the looks of it)
11. Decal shell (I've got some Tranz Rail decals from Car & Wagon Graphics)
12. Add glazing
13. Have a beer.

For the chassis, I need to:

1. Grind down fuel tank to match the DXR in length
2. Disassemble bogies
3. Isolate motor from chassis (to make DCC conversion in future easier - also add in connecting wire)
4. Connect to the lighting circuit (mentioned above)
5. Paint bogie frames
6. Re-assemble bogies, add to the shell
7. Have a beer.

Righto... lots to get on with!