@CBQ_Bill posted:Your TZ FW&D E5 shell looks FANTASTIC !!!
What road number did your model start out as ? Did this start out as a 3rd Rail Run 2 E5 Red Stipe model ?
Did you make your own decals ? If yes, from enlargement of MicroScale HO decals or from use of software (e.g., RailFonts) ?
Did you add the SILVER CHIEF name to the side yourself ? (FW&D's E5A Silver Chief & E5B Silver Warrior had GREAT Silver Names that evoke the imagery of the Old West history !!!).
How did you remove the previous factory-applied road numbers from the cab sides ? Was the original factory silver paint undamaged or did you have to touch it up ?
How did you change the illuminated number boards from the factory-applied numbers to your custom 9980A ? What materials did you use ?
Do you also have the matching "red stripe era" E5B for upgrade to Silver Warrior #9980B ?
Please share the details of your steps, materials< & any photos of your upgrades ?
I plan to Revise 3 of my 5 E5 models:
For my Run 1 Black Stripe E5A #9915A Silver Carrier, I plan to upgrade it to #9909A Silver Bullet with updated illuminated number boards, cab-side numbers, E5 plates, loco name plates, & EMD-EMC builder plates.
For my Run 1 "black stripe era" E5B Silver Power, I plan to upgrade it with painted 9910B numbers, E5 plates, & EMC-EMD builder plates.
For my Run 2 Red Stripe E5A #9914B, I plan to upgrade it to #9910A Silver Speed with new illuminated number boards, painted cab-side numbers, & loco name plate.
Rob, you inspire me to tackle these upgrades !!!
CB&Q Bill
I can tell you are excited. It will take some time for me to finish these conversions since I do not get to work on them very often. My wife and I run a 35,000+ acre cattle ranch, and it runs us most of the time. When I get further along with the project, I will post it all on its own thread, tag your forum name, and try to step through it all. For now, I might say how the name boards on the A and B units were left blank, and I appreciated that. The decals being applied are a combo of new K4 decals printed for the Texas Zephyr and a set of old Microscale O gauge decals made specifically for CB&Q E5's. The latter are possibly out of print and difficult to find.
As with reworking aluminum and silver plastic passenger cars, the more I dink with these models the more battered and weathered they appear. If done carefully it actually makes them look more realistic. We all have different preferences, and I prefer the weathered look on rolling stock.
This is all way-off-topic for this thread...my apologies.
