Loco building in O scale part three

The weather gifted me another chance to get some work done on my DS499 model today. I have been cutting away at the chassis weigh block for days and days, trying to remove it. It was a slow job. and four sessions and four track cutting discs later it was gone. Which meant that I could move on to the next task. The construction of the bonnets.

Weight block. Gone at last!

Having spent four days trimming that weight down, there was no way that I was going spend any further time on removing any more of it to get a more accurate shape for the bonnet over the engine. The first task was was to create the radiator. This was some simple laminations of styrene and plastruct HO scale chain link fencing for the grille. Once painted, I'm sure they'll look quite passable.

After that it was a simple task to cut the bonnet to shape and size. Overall, I think it looks OK. Though a simple extra detail like some louvres on the side of the bonnet would help lift the model a tad. I might be able to fashion something for that out of quarter round styrene rod, if some can be found that is the right size.

A little fettling to get the bonnet fitting properly and all should be good.

I think the locomotive will end up with the requisite character ,
even if it's not a slavish copy of the original.

Next job then, will be to make the bonnet for the other end. Now I've done one, the other should be a piece of cake. I really do hope that once I have a crew inside the cab they will hide that other piece of weight. Because I'm most certainly not keen on cutting it off too.