HO Hand Rails

[Stevee617]

Hi All,

I am new to the hobby and I dug out my old AHM "Spirit of '76" EMD GP-18 Locomotive. Well, when I got this(when I was 5 years old) I did what every typical 5 year old does with new toys and completely tore the handrails off of it.

Well, now I am 34 and I would like to restore this old locomotive, which runs great by the way, to it glory. Looking at the local hobby shop, I've notived the new locomotive are more to scale that what they were in the past.

How do I go about restoring the handrails on this project??

Thanks.

Steve E

 

[Russ Bellinis]

There is a detail manufacturer who's name escapes me right now, that makes stanchions for both older EMD "pipe style" and later EMD. I think the gp18 would have the late style stanchions. Get a picture of a gp18 to see where the stanchions go, how many long, how many short, etc. Then get some piano wire (probably .015" if I remember right) and bend up your handrails and put them on the stanchions. Install the stanchion/handrail assemblies on the locomotive.

 

[shaygetz]

Welcome to The Gauge, Steve.

My first effort would be to look up any AHM GP18 body shell on Ebay. They usually can be gotten for about $5. Then I would carefully strip them off, reapply them to the other shell and paint them to match. Scratchbuilding a set is tedious enough for someone whose done it before, unless you're interested in this degree of modeling.

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Smokey Valley may be the manufacturer Russ is thinking of.
I have used the old Kemtron posts (kind of hard ti find now) and Athearn posts and >015" brass or steel wire as Russ mentioned to form the railings.
Here's an AHM GP18 with railings I made and a Model Power RS11 that I am working on.

 

[Don]

I've been looking for a bell like the 1 on that C&O GP. Can you give me any info about it? Never had much luck w/the SV stanchions. Found them about 3 scale "'s too short which just does'nt look right to me. Also the lip on the back did'nt fit Athearn's GP38/40 etc.
Don

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Don,
The bell on the C&O GP is a Detail Associates bell on a scratch-built bracket. Details West makes one similar but it didn't look close enough to the C&O style.
I haven't used the SV posts. I was thinking of getting some for a few RPP shells I have. I'll have to look at a set before I order them.

 

[Canopus]

There is a detail manufacturer who's name escapes me right now, that makes stanchions for both older EMD "pipe style" and later EMD. I think the gp18 would have the late style stanchions. Get a picture of a gp18 to see where the stanchions go, how many long, how many short, etc. Then get some piano wire (probably .015" if I remember right) and bend up your handrails and put them on the stanchions. Install the stanchion/handrail assemblies on the locomotive.

Smoke Valley is the company you're thinking of. :thumb:

I'm having a similar problem at the moment in that I've got an Atlas U23B which is missing some handrails. I put them down somewhere and, that was it, gone! Any ideas? I tried emailing Atlas, but they're clearly not interested in responding. I tried signing up to their horrible filthy little forum of sourpusses (excepting all those on Atlass RR forums who post here too) to ask for help but I guess they've denied my request because I've not gotten a response email yet and it's been ages.

 

[Don]

Ray - thanks for the reply. Guess I'll have to go that route. FWIW, PIA (Precision Investment Associates) has their #158 stanchion set for an SD40. Set includes .015 wire & can be used for GP38/40's etc. List is $14.95. Stanchions are the right shape for later EMD GP9 & up.
Don

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Smoke Valley is the company you're thinking of. :thumb:

I'm having a similar problem at the moment in that I've got an Atlas U23B which is missing some handrails. I put them down somewhere and, that was it, gone! Any ideas? I tried emailing Atlas, but they're clearly not interested in responding. I tried signing up to their horrible filthy little forum of sourpusses (excepting all those on Atlass RR forums who post here too) to ask for help but I guess they've denied my request because I've not gotten a response email yet and it's been ages.

I think I saw some stanchions listed for u-boats, but again I'm not sure who made them.

 

[LongIslandTom]

I don't know what I'm doing right, but I have very good results using Smokey Valley stanchions.