At this point you can also install the truck lights from the De-
tails West SD45 detail kit. One goes under each side of the side
sills just behind the front jack pad. You can install the Cannon
1903 electrical cabinet air filter box behind the cab on the left
side. Make the handle on the top from a piece of .008” brass
wire. Install the original Proto 2000 steps behind the cab on
the right side.
I am a huge fan of brass handrails on my models; usually I add
Smokey Valley stanchions and bend my handrails from .015”
brass wire after I paint and decal a model. On this model the
handrails are mostly the same blue as the rest of the locomo-
tive and they do not interfere with decal placement, so I decid-
ed to install the handrails before painting.
I like to complete one handrail section before moving on to
the next. I started with the left side handrail behind the cab,
33
33. Handrail stanchions installed.
Pan-Am Railways SD45R - 16
34
34. Using pieces of styrene to hold the horn in place
while the glue dries.
then the right side, then the handrails in front of the cab,
then finally the end handrails. First I gave the Smokey Valley
stanchions a scrub with a toothbrush to removed the white
powder that is on them, then I used a small file to clean any
mold flash from the sides and top. Starting on the first hand-
rail section, you can glue all the stanchions in place as shown
in [33]. Notice on this model on the fireman’s side, the fourth
stanchion from the rear is a tall stanchion where there would
normally be a short one to match the step-down in the walk-
way where the blower duct ends.
Once you have the stanchions installed, you can install the
wire handrails. Your two options are to use the pre-bent .015”
MRH-Oct 2014
