Need help with a compatable O scale part

If you have not tried Precision Scale, they are worth a look.   They do a lot of detail parts.   

Also P&D Hobbies does some parts on their own plus stocks some small lines.   However, I have never seen anything like that in their shop.

I went through the PSc catalog and saw nothing similar.

Mark,

There looks to be a comparable panel cast into the dynamic brake housing on the Atlas SD40. I suppose you might see if you could get the housing from Atlas and either use the entire housing or cut out the piece you need. (I'll email you a photo).

Otherwise, it doesn't look to be too hard to scratch build the panel from sheet plastic. I think PSC has diesel door panel latches that probably would be close enough. Good luck with your project and show us the end result.

RM

I started typing this up earlier in the evening but had to run out.  Most of it agrees with what Rich says above.  But I'll include it anyway.

I've tried finding a good shot of a prototype locomotive to see what type of latches those are.  At first I thought they were standard knuckle busters as found on the hood doors and battery box covers.  But they are not.  See this close up of the hatch door.

At this point I would say your best option is to scratch the part.  It appears to be a flat plane, so a piece of styrene or brass would work well.  PSC makes a set of knuckle buster castings in both brass and plastic.  While the shape isn't quite right, perhaps the casting could be modified to reflect the smaller size of these latches, and also some wire or styrene round tube could be used to simulate the latch handle.

The picture you show looks like an HO model using a heavy dose of Cannon and Company parts for the hood doors, cab, sub-base, blower duct housing, inertial air filter, and so on.  I would give anything to have C&C or someone similar provide the same type of parts in O scale.  I'm pretty sure the DB hatch door is a part made by Plano, Details West, or Detail Associates.  If you could identify the manufacturer, you could try and entice them into creating the same detail in O scale.

After typing all that I too thought about the Atlas sd40 hatch.  I have one here so I checked it out.  It has the hatch you want, but I personally feel it is poorly rendered. The hatch is done flush with the adjacent surfaces, unlike the hatch in the picture I included.  I think a scratch version with some relief would more successfully model the detail you want.

Btw the Atlas part number if you pursue the sd40 hatch is #150021.

Jim

I have plenty of styrene supplies...contact me offline and I'll make a couple and slip them in an envelope.

Or, locate someone that has an O scale shell with the hatch then make a mold using Kleen-Klay and fill with resin, epoxy...etc. for copies.

Contacting Old goat!