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| Model Railroading: Hazelhurst Sub Style |
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| I love model railroading and have been into model trains for as long as I can remember. Every Christmas it was expected that I would get atleast one train item... normally a starter set or soemthing to expand on my collection. Growing up I had quite a few trains, never really took care of them that well. If I had all the trains I've ever been given or purchased... wow! Today I have a small around the room layout at home and am an active member of the Northern Iron Horse Railroad Society in Bemidji. On this page I'll feature various things, but for now I only have a few roster shots of finished highly detailed models I've finished. I'm mainly into HO Scale these days, but have had N Scale, G Gauge, and still have some O Scale items. Please note, models not for sale unless specifically stated otherwise. |
| Tower 55 did an amazing job with their line of engines. A division of Overland Model Imports, a higher end brass importer, these plastic shell models featured numerous brass details and exquisite detail. This pretty much passed the Christopher Muller detail exam. Some custom detail work I did was replace the hidiously oversized ditch lights with more scale appropriate Details West casts. I also removed the stock lighting as they were just too dim for my taste. I replaced the headlight and reverse light with powerful YellowGlow LEDs. The ditch lights still have miniatronics microbulbs. The sound system was also stripped and a more prototypical Soundtraxx sound decoder will be installed as soon as it arrives. I also did a few paint highlights - mainly on areas that most ignore, such as painting the tips and ends of the air hoses. |
| Tower 55; BNSF 7744 ES44DC |
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| Athearn's RTR series is certainly a huge improvement over their blue box kits. The improved motor, mechanism, electrical pick up, previously offered on their Genesis line makes it easy for most modelers to enjoy a quality engine at a reasonable cost. This was an early series RTR engine and didn't have all the features of their current RTR line. I had to add grab irons, snow plow, and lights. All these are now standard on the RTR line. In addition, highly detailed items I added included operating ditch lights, MU cable, air hoses, antennas, coupler lift bars, and windshield wipers. I also relocated the horn to the prototypical location. Some minor painting was also required on some areas of the model. Since this was an early series RTR, it didn't feature a DCC quick plug board. That meant removing the motor and installing a DCC decoder. |
| Athearn early RTR; BNSF 6821 SD40-2 |
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| Athearn's Genesis line of engines is in my opinions the premiere plastic model featuring numerous details and an amazingly smooth running can motor. I own several Genesis locomotives and can't speak anymore highly of them. Their latest release in the Gensis line is the SD60M. These beasts are far over due. Athearn's Genesis line pretty much meets the Christopher Muller standard of detail straight from the box. This was a DCC sound equipped model. I was fairly impressed with the MRC decoder which had realistic sounds. One thing that was flawed with this model was the flashing ditch lights. The BN SD60Ms are not equipped with flashing ditch lights. Early SD60Ms had strobe lights as ditch lights, but that was before 1995 when ditch lights became mandated. The only modification to this model was the ditchlights which were replaced. |
| Athearn Genesis; BNSF 9250 SD60M |
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| Athearn's Genesis line of engines is in my opinions the premiere plastic model featuring numerous details and an amazingly smooth running can motor. I own several Genesis locomotives and can't speak anymore highly of them. Their latest release in the Gensis line is the SD60M. These beasts are far over due. Athearn's Genesis line pretty much meets the Christopher Muller standard of detail straight from the box. This was a DCC sound equipped model. I was fairly impressed with the MRC decoder which had realistic sounds. One thing that was flawed with this model was the flashing ditch lights. The BN SD60Ms are not equipped with flashing ditch lights. Early SD60Ms had strobe lights as ditch lights, but that was before 1995 when ditch lights became mandated. There have been no modifications to this engine, other than installing a DCC decoder. |
| Athearn Genesis; BNSF 9297 SD60M |
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THIS PHOTO IS MISSING! ...coming back soon... |
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| What started out as a fairly well detailed Athearn RTR has been completed into a super detailed delicate replication of the DMIR 406 in the classic maroon and gold arrowhead paint scheme. Built from former SD45T-2's, the Missabe rebuilt these units into SD40-3's as classified by the railroad. There were several of these former tunnel motor designed engines in service on the DMIR for many years. The DMIR didn't care for the tunnel motor design and it was subsequently not included in the locomotive classification. After the CN take over and the invasion of foreign motive power, most DMIR locomotives were put out of service. Some were repainted into the CN red and black scheme and they still exist. Super details include windshield wipers, working ditch lights, coupler lift bars, MU cables, air cables, and the safety cab windows. |
| Athearn RTR; DMIR 406 SD40-3 |
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