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San Francisco Belt Railroad S2s - A "Weekend" Project

Still in Progress - final details and weathering yet to come.

A weekend project.. or so I thought. But with a 15-month old lil' toddler around the house, this project took up a few minutes every night only when our little one was finally asleep and the chores were done.

At first glance, this seems to be a simple project of applying the correct details to a pair of stock Atlas Alco S2s, but there was a bit of extra detail that I had never seen tried before - converting the radiator shutters on SF Belt #23 to have a horizontal shutter configuration per the prototype. Lots of little Evergreen styrene strips dedicated their lives to the completion of this project, and for that, I am grateful! LOL! I also used Archer rivets for the first time, applying them in pairs of two to each radiator shutter. What's left is building a set of "canvas" sunshades for each side of the cab, installing the rooftop warning beacon and some weathering.


Details applied:
- Scratchbuilt radiator shutters (SF Belt #23)
- Archer Transfers N scale rivets applied to radiator shutters.
- BLMA .008 Grabirons
- hand bent roof grab, lift rings and curved corner grab irons using .008 phosphor bronze wire.
- scratchbuilt beacon platform & conduit
- Details West P3 air horn
- Details West #306 rotary beacon (to be installed).
- scratchbuilt canvas cab awning brackets (coming next)

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The real SF 23 - looking great in 2010. Recently repainted with her sister 25.
The real SF 23 - looking great in 2010. Recently repainted with her sister 25.		 The 25 (rear) has the stock Atlas shutters, the 23 has the scratchbuilt horizontal shutters.
The 25 (rear) has the stock Atlas shutters, the 23 has the scratchbuilt horizontal shutters.		 The pair of 'em
The pair of 'em		 Two cabs, two sets o' details. The white block on the roof is the beacon platform.
Two cabs, two sets o' details. The white block on the roof is the beacon platform.
The point of no return! Drilling out the existing radiator shutters on the 23.
The point of no return! Drilling out the existing radiator shutters on the 23.		 punching out the old radiator shutters
punching out the old radiator shutters		 New set of shutters - take 1. - not enough shutters.
New set of shutters - take 1. - not enough shutters.		 Take 2: 1/3 of the way done on the fireman's side.
Take 2: 1/3 of the way done on the fireman's side.
13 horizontal shutter vanes - per prototype.
13 horizontal shutter vanes - per prototype.		 N scale rivets from Archer Transfers added to the shutters.
N scale rivets from Archer Transfers added to the shutters.		 Two pairs of two rivets per radiator shutter.
Two pairs of two rivets per radiator shutter.		 Overall view before rivets were added.
Overall view before rivets were added.
Rooftop details - sans beacon yet to be installed.
Rooftop details - sans beacon yet to be installed.		 Overall view - BLMA .008 grab irons added.
Overall view - BLMA .008 grab irons added.		 Overall view - SF Belt 23 prior to adding rivets and touch up painting.
Overall view - SF Belt 23 prior to adding rivets and touch up painting.		 SF Belt 25 - with stock atlas vertical radiator shutters - just like the real #25.
SF Belt 25 - with stock atlas vertical radiator shutters - just like the "real" #25.
The stock molded-on grab irons and lift rings were carved off in favor of separate .008 wire grabs and lift rings.
The stock molded-on grab irons and lift rings were carved off in favor of separate .008 wire grabs and lift rings.		 walkway removed from top of radiator section per prototype photos.
walkway removed from top of radiator section per prototype photos.		 New separate grabs installed on the long hood. Wish it was an undec. =(
New separate grabs installed on the long hood. Wish it was an undec. =(		 Areas modified have been touched up via airbrush.
Areas modified have been touched up via airbrush.
Top of hood repainted after removing catwalk above radiator, and addition of lift rings.
Top of hood repainted after removing catwalk above radiator, and addition of lift rings.
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