# Too cheap fer me own good...



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Got this Dash 8-40CW that's gutted, making it a great dummy loco...it even has working directional headlights...:thumbsup:

It was otherwise complete ('til I knocked the horns off..._sigh_...), missing only a fuel tank casting. These have a unique tilted tank arrangement that, at first glance, looks like they were put on in the factory after a wing dinger of a party. The casting from Bachmann is only $4 but, shipping is another 5 and I just couldn't justify that.

So...I made one with some styrene sheet and air tanks pieced together from Athearn Geep parts...



















Ready for paint...


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## N scale catastrophe (Nov 18, 2012)

Very resourceful, looks great! There is no shame in pinching pennies, it's an art more people should practice.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Shay stricks again. Good job.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

:thumbsup::thumbsup: Excellent :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Amazing what you can do to save $5.  I'm awed by the talent I see here. :thumbsup:


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## Conductorjoe (Dec 1, 2011)

So ive been gone for months , I come back only to have Shay impress me with his expertise in less than two days  Luv it.
You always remind me of that one guy at the train show going thru all the boxes on the floor under the table, finding something classic, or very usefull, the seller thinks its junk and you walk away with it for pennies.


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Very nice modeling :thumbsup:


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## lears2005 (Feb 26, 2010)

Shay your work amazes me


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

As usual, great work Shay! :thumbsup:
Just curious, what is your system for cutting styrene?


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## dannyrandomstate (Jan 1, 2012)

Awesome!!!


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks guys...I really do appreciate the kind words.



raleets said:


> Just curious, what is your system for cutting styrene?


I do what's called "score and snap"...basically mark my line, then score it with an Xacto knife, then bend it 'til it snaps clean. It actually is a much cleaner cut and avoids the "plowing" of the plastic, where it raises up a bit along both sides of the cut.

BTW...my styrene is simply salvaged store signage--read that _"free stuff_"--, it works and glues just like regular styrene.:thumbsup:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I wonder why they made them tilted?
I guess they had a drain valve on the tilted end to drain off water better?

No epoxy used?


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

shaygetz said:


> Thanks guys...I really do appreciate the kind words.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Shay,
Many thanks for the response. I've been doing it the same way but just wanted to know if you had a better mouse trap. :laugh:


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

big ed said:


> I wonder why they made them tilted?
> No epoxy used?


I think it has something to do with the union label...:thumbsup:****

No epoxy, just straight Testor's cement.

****just kidding union guys...



raleets said:


> Shay,
> Many thanks for the response. I've been doing it the same way but just wanted to know if you had a better mouse trap. :laugh:


...no need to change the mouse trap if it works...:thumbsup:


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

O NICE!!! very good work shay!!


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

big ed said:


> I wonder why they made them tilted?
> I guess they had a drain valve on the tilted end to drain off water better?


Not so much water Big Ed, but for total fuel drainage in case of damage or leakage. Even the tanks on your truck aren't truly level for the same reasons. Whether it be air, fuel or otherwise. Imagine leaving about 20 gallons of fuel loose while trying to remove that monster  Get it sloshing and could be real ugly real fast. Bad enough with a few in a 25 gallon tank, been there done that.

Carl


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks for the kind words guys...I've since painted it Krylon Smoke Gray, then flat coat....


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## lears2005 (Feb 26, 2010)

Very nice work shay you can not tell that you made it it looks like it came from the factory


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

It DID come from a factory ... Shay's factory!

Nice handiwork, Shay!

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Kwikster said:


> Not so much water Big Ed, but for total fuel drainage in case of damage or leakage. Even the tanks on your truck aren't truly level for the same reasons. Whether it be air, fuel or otherwise. Imagine leaving about 20 gallons of fuel loose while trying to remove that monster  Get it sloshing and could be real ugly real fast. Bad enough with a few in a 25 gallon tank, been there done that.
> 
> Carl


The tilted tanks are air tanks you know? 

The fuel tanks on my trucks are level.
Drain the fuel from a center plug, the air tanks might just be a hair off towards the back where the spitter is. But they look level too.

But the tanks we are talking about are air tanks on his engine.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I would imagine the tilt is there to direct condensation to the drain cock or valve. Otherwise water will build up in the tank and displace the air to the point that there is no air in the tank. I hate it when that happens. pete


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I would imagine an air dryer is somewhere on those to, not only does it collect the moister but expels it in a blast of air every once and a while.
But most have a petcock valve to to manually drain the tanks, that is most likely why they are tilted.

Heck you know that anyway, right Pete?


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks guys...my display cases were filled over the years just like this...cobbling together a missing part or detail or beating life back into a drive train...they're all my pets. The lack of a drive in this one makes it an especially quiet one in an MU setup...:thumbsup:


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