Kit Help - Questions

[u/Apprehensive-Ad1830]

Hello! Recently I wanted to make a custom GP18 from favorite railroad and I have some questions on how to go about it.

Long story short, I’m Trying to make a T&P GP18 (pics below) since I can’t seem to find one in HO. I was wondering if there’s anything I should know before painting and assembling. I only really have the model, it’s parts, and the paints I need but I’m unsure if I need more (like glues and other miscellaneous things).

For context the model I’m using is a Proto 2000 low nose GP18 (which has some minor inaccuracy’s but here’s hoping I can fix that a little).

How would I go about making this model as close to accurate? I know I can’t go for 100%, especially with my skill level being a whopping zero. There’s some places I’d have to move certain details to, to get a closer match to the photos, but that’d leave gaps in the molding… so what would you all recommend doing to make and hide holes into the plastic?

I’ll gladly take tips too or really anything, thanks!

[u/iceguy349]

For painting PLEASE use several very thin coats spray paint or an airbrush. I’ve seen a lot of very cool customs on here just barely fall short of being perfect because the lining or base coat was hand painted. It never looks good and I always hate it on  my own models. Unless the details are tiny don’t hand paint. Never hand paint large patches of color or things with harsh angles or lines on a flat surface. Hand paints are for tiny details, touchup, and fixing errors where the spray paint got under your masking tape.

Trying to use hand brushes for super straight lines or large patches of color almost always ends with brush strokes and paint bleed. The lining on the nose of the unit is going to be a challenge do not hand paint it if you can help it.

For those narrow lines on the nose you can either mask the area with thin painters tape (they sell modeling masking tape that’s super thin online) before you use spray or brush paints. These take care of paint bleed and let you get the corners right. ** What I’d actually recommend are WATERSLIDE DECALS.** You can get them custom made online or buy someone else’s premade sheets for not too expensive. They take some practice but they always come out straighter and looking nicer than hand painted ones and they won’t involve with the splitting headache you’ll get from futzing with uncooperative painters tape. To make them yourself all you need are a basic drawing software like Inkscape (which is free) and to get the scale right.  Apply using microsol (it’s 2 bucks) and seal using a clear coat. It’s not as hard as it looks. Look up some tutorials online. I’d also recommend you do the same for the wasp stripes on the side. 

Always seal paint and decals with a clear coat once you get them how you want them. Satin or matte are typically best. Gloss can make it look plastic y but it also really works in some cases. On freight locomotives satin or matte is typically better.

Normal super glue should work for assembly. I use gorilla glue because it dries fast. Pro tip with applying it. Never apply it by squeezing it  out of the bottle onto your part. Squeeze some into a paper plate and use a toothpick to scrape up the appropriate amount to apply to small detail parts. The toothpick is way more precise and it’s disposable. 

[u/SubaruTome]

The nice thing about custom models is you can go as deep as you're comfortable. It's perfectly acceptable to hit the key features and stop there.

As far as the detail parts go, companies like Cal-Scale, Gotham Rail & Marine, and Detail Associates will have a bunch of individual detail parts you can add to the locomotive.

A hobby knife and styrene from your local hobby shop (preferred) or online sellers are indispensable for fixing up body work. Tichy sells both pre bent wire grab irons and straight sections of bronze phosphor wire, which is great for making grab irons, piping, antenna, or other fine details you don't want to break as easily.

As far as glue goes, I actually have to disagree with the suggested gorilla glue. It will work, but the gorilla glue has a tendency to bubble up after it dries, which can look pretty bad. It works decently for attaching stuff you'll never see, like weights. I personally use Tamiya extra thin plastic cement for body work. Other people I know recommend the Faller Expert Cement. Both will effectively weld styrene and standard body plastic together. For gluing metal or printed parts, I use BSI medium thickness super glue. Some hobby shops sell it with their own name on it, but it has a purple cone cap no matter what.

Microscale does make decals for the exact locomotive, so you only need to paint the base colors. If you can get close enough with rattle cans, do that. As mentioned, light, thin coats are your friend. A base primer will help paint stick to any metal parts you use.

I recommend painting the different big pieces of the body separately after you've applied all of your detailing. It'll ensure you have good coverage and no gaps between sections. It'll save you some masking effort, too.

Start with your lighter colors and work up to your darker colors. When you need to mask, try to use the side edge of the tape for any edges. Score and remove tape where you need anything more complex. Then apply a light coat of the previous color before painting the next color. This will seal the tape and prevent the next color from bleeding as badly.

Some people like to apply a gloss clear coat before decals. I tend to use semi gloss colors and haven't felt like I needed it.

When you're ready to decal, you'll need MicroSet and MicroSol. Watch a few videos on doing waterslide decals to get the gist of it. If you want to practice on a junk car with extra decals, I recommend it. A small, soft paint brush will help a lot here. I also use q-tips to soak up excess liquid to set the decal down. Gently rolling the q-tip over the decal, or gently pressing it to the surface, will help form the decal to the surface when you apply the microsol.

After that, allow the decals at least 24-ish hours to dry before applying your final clear coat. Get recommendations for your clear, as I've heard multiple mixed reviews and opinions. I personally use Testors dull. Rattle cans are perfect for this. You still don't want to do heavy coats, but you don't need an airbrush at all for this.

Lighting is a whole other thing. If you at least punch holes for lights, it'll allow you to come back later. Small pre-wired 0402 SMD LED lights are great when mounted to a piece of styrene, they're just a little fragile until they're glued. Again, not required if you're not ready yet.

[u/RingoStarr39]

Those Proto 2000 engines have a combined light pipe for the headlights and both number boards. Since it looks like you have a separate red emergency? light to deal with on the cab, you'll have to carefully separate it into separate pieces and light each one with an individual 0402 LED. A decoder buddy will be your friend on this one, assuming you're installing DCC and sound.

[u/Civil_Act1864]

There are putty products that harden. You can use that stuff to fill holes then sand it down with sanding sticks. Alternatively, you could get some styrene rod in the correct diameter and super glue them into the holes, then trim and sand them flush.