# Lionel 2343 Project



## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

Another project from my father's "too far gone bin". 

First thing first, if Dad your reading this, read no further, your going to ruin Christmas. 

So here photos from the start. The units were complete but in rough shape. Had obviously spent alot of time unprotected probably in a basement. Strong odor of mice. Some mold, some wear from use some from maybe heat or having something spilled on them. Internal picture after I cleaned out the mice nests. 

Always surprised at how robust the electrical/mechanical components on these are, but after a little clean up seems to function fine. 

Then stripped the bodies down with super clean. 

My plan is to change the line from santa fe to another line. Hard decision since this is a classic post war model but Im just not that into santa fe. 

So I filled the stamped santa fe letters with squadron green.


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

First coat of paint, will need to sand over the santa fe letters againa and a few more coats to the base color. First time spraying pollyscale, clean up is nice.


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## NYC 5344 (Dec 26, 2012)

Very nice. I'd love to see these "Too far gone" locomotives be brought back to life.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Santa's elves are talented busy bees on this one! Nice!


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Big improvement! Did you manage to save the side windows? I could only find flat replacements for mine, not concave. Like the progress so far! What else is in that junk box?!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Do those windows come out as a unit, or are they individual pieces?


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

porthole windows were missing when we got the set. The cab window are all one piece of molded plastic. just did another coat, need one more sand and then the last coat of base color.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm sure the porthole windows are easy to get from folks like Jeff at The Train Tender.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Jeff at the train tender has them but the new ones are flat and not bubbled out like the original ones. I'm missing two from my train. On a custom job I guess it doesn't matter but I wanted to keep mine original. I left them out for now!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'd probably consider replacing them all with the same type. You might find someone that has the originals, never actually had to look.


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## callmeIshmael2 (May 28, 2012)

I'm guessing you've got Jersey Blue to go with that orange? Or, are you creating your own Family Lines scheme?


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

You can find lots of porthole replacements on eBay. I bought some once that were the same design as the originals.


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

Not jersey, but still an established roadname. It will be more obvious once the next color goes on.


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

Nice start with the paint job. Gotta love an airbrush. 

Dan


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

Patience and lots of tape! These photos should make what rail line these are going to be more apparent. Photos turned out a little fuzzy. Will take better set when I get the decals on. Need to do a thin black pinstripe around the edge of the maroon section. Not sure how to do that, may check out the local artist supply store for some sort of thin felt marker.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

What a difference! Very nice. Some people here use sharpies, but wait for there advise as I never tried it. They look great!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

BNSF?
Edit,
I didn't see the maroon, Milwaukee road?


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

Looks like 10ml Tamiya masking tape. Great stuff. I agree about a lot of patience. I usually spend 3-4 times as much time masking as I do painting.

Dan


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

Milwaukee Road. I will get some clearer photos when I get done with the frames and decals.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Micro scale has a bunch of O decals, there are stripes.
The paint looks good. :thumbsup:

http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=OSCALE


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## callmeIshmael2 (May 28, 2012)

Thanks for the great tip on Micro Scale decals, Ed. Lots there to choose from; beats looking for partial sets on eBay!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Even fuzzy they look great.


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

More work on the shells. Used a fine tip sharpie felt pen to outline the maroon section with a black pinstripe and filled in the "Built By Lionel" text. Free handed the pinstripe so not perfect but pretty good. Will have to learn a new technique sometime. Put on the first of the decals. Just have to complete the decals and dull coat over everything and the shells are done. Working on the frames but have a ways to go there. Another fuzzy iphone snap with poor lighting. Will have to use the fancy camera when I get it all together.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Looking good. :thumbsup:
I don't really see a black line?


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Looking good!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice transformation-in-the-works! :thumbsup:


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

Update, 

Waiting for parts to arrive. Need repro GM decals then spray with dull cote and reassemble. Heres some better pictures.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

They look Really nice!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Ditto on the thumbs-up ... great looking color scheme!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Very nice painting! :thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Impressive, I put them in-line so everyone can see them.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Nice paint job, :thumbsup: is this a gouge/chip here? (red arrow) 

How come you made the lettering black? 
Kind of hard to see.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Eds being a little too critical today.
They still look great.


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## AG216 (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice Work!
Milwaukee Road was my favorite until I saw the B&M schemes.
Andre.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

sjm9911 said:


> Eds being a little too critical today.
> They still look great.



I am not being "critical". 

I asked a question, well actually 2 questions.
I said nice paint job.! 


If that is a chip, I wondered if he knows he could have filled it in with some body filler before he painted it?

If you think that is being too critical so be it.
You need to know I won't sugar coat my responses, sometimes that is good and I guess sometimes that is bad.
But that is me, I say what is on my mind. 
Not trying to be critical, just helpful. 

I still like the paint job. :thumbsup:


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Ed, sorry, I didn't mean to ruffle you feathers. I wouldn't have noticed it, in fact I didn't.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

sjm9911 said:


> Ed, sorry, I didn't mean to ruffle you feathers. I wouldn't have noticed it, in fact I didn't.



I don't have any feathers to ruffle. 
Just telling it like it is.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Ed is more of a feather ruffler than a rufflee!


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## mcshabs (Jan 22, 2011)

Yes many chips and scratches on these old bodies. My thought was too many to fix them all plus body filler is hard to get surface too look perfect anyway.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

eljefe said:


> Ed is more of a feather ruffler than a rufflee!


I am more like a feather fluffer upper. 



mcshabs said:


> Yes many chips and scratches on these old bodies. My thought was too many to fix them all plus body filler is hard to get surface too look perfect anyway.


A little body filler and a little sanding would have got rid of the bigger ones. (the smaller ones too) But it looks 100% better then the first pictures you posted of them. :thumbsup:

Well.....after you get done weathering it, those will look right at home. 

Why the black letters?


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