While working on the cab roof, you can also install the whip
antenna base from the SD45 detail kit and the Details West 157
firecracker antenna just to the right of the horn. Bend two grab
irons from .008” brass wire, one for above the right number
board and one for below the number board. This one goes in
the holes you drilled in the bottom of the number board cast-
ing earlier.
I chose to replace the original Proto 2000 underframe bell with
a Detail Associates 1202 bell. If you also want to do this, drill the
mounting hole with a #55 drill and glue the new bell in place.
The final step on the shell is to glue the cab sunshade in place.
Looking at pictures online, it seems MEC 610 had two cab sun-
shades in 2010 but by 2011 the right side sunshade had been
35
36. View of finished rear pilot.
36
Pan-Am Railways SD45R - 18
37
37. Finished model
removed. I used one brass sunshade from the Details West
SD45 detail set. The set also comes with mounting tracks, but
these are already on the Cannon cab. You can, however, use
the Details West tracks as a reference for where to drill the
holes to mount the sunshades. Drill two #78 holes and glue the
sunshade in place.
Next month I will modify the frame and finish the loco.
MRH-Oct 2014
