I bought a Kit-bashed SD26 from a friend intending to only use the trucks for one of the SD38s I am building.
After looking at photos of SD26s and finding an article in the Aug. 2001 MR on bashing an SD26, I decided to rebuild the loco.
I realized I could put the shell on an Atlas SD35 chassis I had.
This was a modified Athearn SD9.
I stripped the paint, removed the cab and nose, then replaced them with Tyco GP20 parts. Coupler mounting pads were glued in the pilots, a filler plate added below the Coupler pocket and the foot boards removed.
The long hood was cut off at the walkway, the top and end removed and from the dynamic brake blister forward was removed.
Spacer strips were added in the walkways to narrow the long hood, A new top was added, and the hood end was reinstalled. The SD9 dynamic brake fans were used.
The walls of the mid section were made by splicing sections from an Athearn SD40-2T and styrene filler pannels. The top of the mid section was built from scratch with parts from the SD40-2T added.
After looking at photos of SD26s and finding an article in the Aug. 2001 MR on bashing an SD26, I decided to rebuild the loco.
I realized I could put the shell on an Atlas SD35 chassis I had.
This was a modified Athearn SD9.
I stripped the paint, removed the cab and nose, then replaced them with Tyco GP20 parts. Coupler mounting pads were glued in the pilots, a filler plate added below the Coupler pocket and the foot boards removed.
The long hood was cut off at the walkway, the top and end removed and from the dynamic brake blister forward was removed.
Spacer strips were added in the walkways to narrow the long hood, A new top was added, and the hood end was reinstalled. The SD9 dynamic brake fans were used.
The walls of the mid section were made by splicing sections from an Athearn SD40-2T and styrene filler pannels. The top of the mid section was built from scratch with parts from the SD40-2T added.