'Nother Critter, Pt.4

This is the after-market headlight for the front of the hood. It is not identical to the one on the cab, but it's a dual unit with up/down orientation. It'll float. Besides, most critters are cobbled together in the company's diesel shops with whatever parts are available. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

I added this .010 x .250" strip so the lamp would sit flush with the overhang at the top. Will eventually drill out the holes so light can shine through from inside.

The centered head light meant the grab irons had to be offset. Again, the template from BLMA let me space them perfectly.

After settling on the placement of the cab, I saw there was room for stairs instead of rungs. I marked cut lines at all four corners, and here is the first completed hole. Hmmmmm...... I need to fill that unsightly gap.

Here I've finished preparation for the steps, and filled the spaces in the deck with sheet styrene. You will notice I removed all the molded-on tread work. Like before, too much of it was damaged removing parts of the deck. This time I used a chisel blade to remove most of it first, leaving an easier sanding job. And instead of replacing it with Plastruct tread plate, I am going to use a brass, see-through tread.

Two shots showing the progress to date.

Trying to make four identical step-wells seems a little intimidating, so I've ordered some kits from Walthers. They will probably arrive in 7-10 days, so I may set this project aside til then. But don't worry, I still have plenty of things to work on.  Don