K-Line S2 (Again)

Jonathan, I'm so glad you posted this.  I used Atlas O GP9 pilots when I did my Air Force repaint.  I'm not thrilled currently and need to do some work on it.  I cut all the steps off the chassis and did not want to remove the trucks to attach the pilots so I used double sided mounting squares to affix the pilots.  I need to fill the gap and remove the trucks to mount the pilots more securely.

My modeling and decaling skills do not match my imagination and often the results do not live up to my vision.  I've come to grips with that and learned how to be happy with my results.  I decided to redo this S2 in Air Force colors because my daughter did a 4 year stint in the USAF Security Forces after graduating from high school.  Trying to get the correct color was an issue because the color in pictures of USAF switchers looked anywhere from black (extremely dark blue) to gray depending on the degree of fading and weathering to the paint.  Forum members suggested Pantone colors but I just settled on a commercially available rattle can color that looked good to me.  I do not recall if it was Rustoleum or Krylon.  It took a while to find decals,  with the exception of the SR-15 not too many Air Force planes had white lettering.  Finally Microscale came out with a set for USA and USAF diesels.

I shaved off all the cast in grab irons and replaced them with staples for the add-on look.  I shaved off the rolled up window shade but after the re-paint I realized they were still visible.  more sanding was needed.  I replaced the K-Line "fuel tank" with some Atlas air tanks and a craft foam "marshmallow" painted black for a fuel tank.  I used an icing cup from a package of cinnamon rolls to  screen the motor and make an interior with a photo of an engineer.  Lastly I added a winterization hatch on the hood just to be different.

Now I need to follow your lead on mounting the pilots and closing the gap.

Coach Joe

That's awesome! The pilots and air tanks really improve it's appearance. The "Always Be Careful" decals are a nice touch too! Thanks for sharing!

-Jonathan Vincent

I'm a little worried about drilling hole in the pilots, these are metal.  I do have a couple of plastic Lionel ones but the Atlas are so nice looking.  I've got so many projects in the que, for every one I finish I come up with three more.  When I get around to the S2 I hope I remember to post it here.

Looking at yours, I wish I had left the top step.