Virginian EL-2A electrics (3 units): prep and painting.
I believe I bought these last year.
They were made by Alco models in 1978.
If it's 'different' I usually acquire it and these are 'different'.
All 3 units are powered.
6 screws held the super structure to the frame.
I drilled out the sides of the marker lights with a modeling drill press where 0402 LED's will be 'used'.
I used a hand drill to drill out the front of the marker lights.
A hole was drilled next to the marker lights to route the wires.
When manually drilling the front of the marker lights on one unit, they became loose so I re-soldered them from the 'inside'.
I used a #60 drill bit which I purchased from Home Depot, online.
They came with can motors.
The front and back trucks are 'different' so I took a picture so I reassemble it 'correctly'.
I take all units apart with the front pointing to the left.
One of the frame supports needed re-soldering.
The drivers were easy to remove but the 'jack shafts' (railroader told me the 'real' name) were pressed on so I left them attached to the frame.
Also, I left the contacts for the driver's insulated side attached to the frame.
I was going to remove them but the manufacturer soldered wires to the screw heads and I thought it best to leave 'as is'.
I'm keeping all frames and super structures together 'just in case'.
Ditto for the parts not being painted, ie. left side (front engine), middle (middle), right side (back).
The center of the drivers are already black so no need to paint them.
Dish washing soap and aluminum pan to clean all parts.
All parts 'air compressor' dried and put in the toaster oven for about 15 minutes to insure all water is 'gone'.
I used some 'mold release' from my RC planes to cover the contacts to the drivers.
Plate glass and masking tape for those areas I don't want covered with paint.
Using green for the interior. There is no cab detail and I'm not sure if the green will be seen but I plan on putting an LED in the the cab units.
My 50 year old single action Binks 'air brush', paint mask and safety glasses (new 'eye ball' lenses and don't want any paint dust to get on them!).
gloves and 2 'water' filters; H2O and enamel paint don't 'mix' very well.
Just one coat. Not worried about 'full coverage' as no one will see the inside roof!
2 hours at 200 degrees in my toaster over.
Masked off areas I don't want black paint to adhere to.
Kept the frames in the same order in relation to the super structures on the toaster oven's tray.
Masked off the inside of the windows.
Not completely 'masked off' but 'good enough' for the interior where most of it won't be seen.
My choice of paint for many decades.
Unfortunately, they went out of business but I have enough 'stock' to finish my remaining engines.
First coat.
I did the frames first to insure I didn't touch the super structures.
I had to hold one end of the super structure by the top light to rest it in the tray but the paint is 'dry enough' that it doesn't 'come off'.
Another 2 hours at 200 degrees.
Getting late so will put the 2nd coat on tomorrow morning.
