DSJ Part 3 and a half. Coupler pondering.

DB Says:

Not much to report other than a few brief visits to the painting chair in recent days.

A structural challenge discovered a few days ago was that the coupler slot in this model is the perfect size for the underslung MicroTrains couplers that I have in the spare parts box, but it is at the wrong height, leaving the coupler face way too high. I have always used the 'MicroTrains standard height', because many of my wagons use their bogies as-is. Even the non-underslung versions won't work in this hole location.

Assuming fixing this was going to make a potentially fatal (to the model, hopefully not the modeller) mess, I pondered a few solutions before trying two tonight.

1. Cut the coupler slot right down to the bottom (including taking out the shunter's step in the centre) by making two cuts with a Dremel disc. I worried this might crack the ends off or break something badly, plus it creates a dusty mess everywhere.
2. Drill a bunch of small holes below the current opening with my Black and Decker drill and use a file or something to square up the enlarged hole. I did this, but didn't have to...
3. ...because I used my tiny jeweller's saw to expand the whole thing downwards about 5mm in an approximately square shape. This was surprisingly easy, really quick, and not wildly messy in terms of dust.

A few pictures as the model stands.... Tamiya Panel Line Accent stuff was used on the end/top grilles at the motor end. There must be some variation in how this model is printed, as the top-port grill was well contained, but the Accent colour seeped out of the top-starboard one. Easily covered with some grey once it had set.

A triangular blob of yellow has been applied at this end, marking where a KiwiRail Fern will split the red and yellow. The DSJs seem to have their grey half at the short hood end, and the red on the motor end on both sides, with a 'reverse Fern' on this port side. 

The copper bogie 'springs' have been capped with a sliver of plastruct rod (about .020x.020 inches size). My big clunky fuel tanks have been removed from the shell. I'll cut them down and mount them on the chassis sides instead.

I've also painted the thick window edge cutouts black to make the cab wall thickness less obvious.

The white below on the end is a reflection! I have been contemplating another coat of the orange, as the grey Tamiya Surface Primer certainly takes some covering. I might try the white version once this grey can runs out.

As you might be able to see in this view, I finally had the yellow cab sides looking OK after four or five coats and touchups, yet the last thick coat obviously wasn't thoroughly dry underneath, and of course I stuck my mitts in it. Gordammit. 

Upcoming items on the agenda include finalising the chassis height inside the shell, adding couplers, and then finishing the shell off with handrails and decals.