The N-Scale U25C Project

I made new horns from brass turnings, added number boards, fiber optic class and nose lights, and replaced the ladder on the other side with brass ladder stock.  I also heavily weathered the model, and put a piece of stock between the cab and battery boxes for a better appearance.

This is the start of the modified Atlas U25B shell. It was a DCC equip unit painted in rock island. (the only DCC equip U-Boat I could find, and the basis of this loco-bash)

I thought about using a U30C as the basis of this project, but the shell required too many modifications to be convincing, and then I would have to modify the loco for DCC too. Also U30C's are just plain too hard to find in N-Scale, and I doubt it would run better than this baby!

I have to modify the trucks from B to C, and will use a fake styrene wheel that will ride just above the rails, yet give the illusion of being a 6 axle truck. (Sneaky Huh?)

Here is picture of the mold form I will use. I will cut the leaf springs out, and cut some truck frame material out to insert the new axle.  Although not shown, I have also replaced the yellow LED's with white ones.

Here is the mold I made for the B to C truck axle modification. The next picture shows the trucks modified and the white LED's installed. I also installed a red LED in the nose.

Here is the modified shell, after painting, and gloss cote, but before decals applied.

Fuel Tank and Handrail extension finish the bodywork off!

This is the Finished Model, except for some fiber optic cable for the red mars light and class lights in the nose. The red LED is installed, but I still need to find a white surface mount LED for the class lights.

By the way, this baby runs sweet! The fake wheels don't pick points, or rub rail. Unless you turn the loco upside down, you cannot tell that the middle wheels are fake. Granted the measurements are not perfect, but the model does catch the flavor of the prototype.