Athearn GP38-2 Rebuild - Update

Here's a quick update on progress with the rebuild. I've added grab-irons to both nose ends, some etched brass walkway treads, front coupler lift bar and air-conditioner to the roof.

I'm trying to decide if I want to replace the side radiator grilles, or just go with the athearn detail. Also I need to figure a way to match the different fan types without going too far into drilling and cutting the shell to fit cannon ones.

This is my first time using most of these parts, I never did much more than repaint and add grab irons to any of the engines I had when I was younger!

I've filled the slots in the pilot plates with plasticard and added styrene blocks inside the shell ready to be drilled and tapped to hold the chassis in place.

This project is definitely a lot of fun, but as this is the first time out for me in many years, and this engine is a bit of a test-bed for techniques, I'm probably not going to get too bogged down in creating an exact replica of every last detail on the engine, I just want to get the main elements.

I still have a number of Details West/Cannon parts to add including snow plow, mu hoses, windscreen wipers, lift hooks, airhorns and rear coupler lift bar.