Kato SD80 rebuild - Conrail Cadillac rides again.

When I got the replacement shell for my SD80 (link) it came with a partial set of detail sprues, and it turned out to be missing some of the key handrail sections.   The Kato website was out of stock as it's been years since these models were last available, so I couldn't get spares to complete the shell.

Luckily Kato have just reissued the HO SD80, including the Conrail version, so the handrails are once again available from them.  I ordered a couple of sets, along with various parts for the other Kato project locomotives I have to hand.

The new handrails are an exact colour match, but interestingly the cab grab irons are moulded in white on this new set, where the previous release grab irons were blue.  I looked at a few prototype pictures and it appears that real locomotives use a combination of white and blue, seeing as I had both I was able to do the same.

I find these Kato handrail a bit fiddly, especially with the multi-piece design that uses small extra pieces for the step rails, these parts are push-fit and I find they spring loose easily like the rear step grab has done here.

This shell is fitted to the frame from the dismantled Candian Pacific SD90mac I bought a few months ago, and this frame had a defective lighting board, so I also replaced the board with a cheap secondhand one from eBay and fitted an 8pin DCC chip.

The locomotive is now ready to join my NS SD80 hauling coal gondolas on the club layout, and I will definitely need to get some more gons to justify such massive motive power!  I will give the model a light weathering at some point, but for now its going to remain factory fresh.