CV #8027 - Bachmann S-4

CV 8027 heads back to WRJ with some local traffic.

Central Vermont S-4

No. 8027

Q-6-d

I finally finished my CV Alco this fall. I began working on this project back in June but it sat on my workbench idle till early September. My original post of March 30, 2012 is a lead in to this project. The Bachmann engine is a great running and sounding unit. One will find that it is not that hard of a project to complete. This engine can be completely detailed or built with minimal details added and still look great. I am somewhere in the middle by adding a decent amount of details. I guess what I am trying to say is anything done to this engine adds greatly to the final appearance.

CV 8027 was the second S-4 that the Central Vermont purchased. It was built in 1953. Many of the photos I have seen of CV 8027 with the square herald were taken in 1957. Photo locations do vary...such as Essex Jct, White River Jct. and St. Albans. Photos with the CV round herald are from the next era, the 1960's.

CV 8027 seen here as delivered .

I began by pulling the cab and body off the frame. I also removed the roof walkway over the front roof vent. The CV engine did not have this detail. The printed on lettering was removed with Pine Sol, which did not completely come off, even with a ton of scrubbing. When repainted it does not show through.

The shell has been removed from the frame. The walkway on the lead end roof will be removed shorty.

 The model came with dual headlight but the CV engine had a single beam. I drilled out the duals to accept a single casting which was very simple. I had two single beams in my parts box. I do not know the origin but one can find these in the Walthers catalog parts listing or on-line. I added Details Associates lift rings #1107, Juneco C-33 re-railers, Kemtron L-359 marker lamps, Miniatures by Eric N3 CNR number board, Detail West SL-172 step lights. I also added Kadee true scale #58 couplers, cab window wipers, and a Details West BE-128 bell and two engine crewmen.

The bell during most of the 1950's was located under the frame but was later moved onto the roof near the cab. The photos I have seen of the square herald seem to all have the bell underneath except one taken by Jim McFarlane. It is not a clear photo but it appears the bell might have been moved to the roof in the late 1950's and before the round herald was added. I wanted to mount my bell on the roof so I just went for it using Jim's photo as my inspiration.

One can see the single beam rear headlight which was added. The engine came with twin beams. The handrails are painted Floquil DRG&W yellow which is a good match. This colour can also be used to touch up any missing decal film.

The engine was painted Floquil engine black followed by a coat of gloss coat. I decided to use up what lettering I had on hand and not purchase anything new. I began with an old Accu-cal CNR 5808H set. I did have to coat the decals used so they would stay together. As it turned out they still fell apart and took some work to piece them together. I had started by doing the number boards and front and rear end numbering. I decided after I applied the long CV banner on the car body to find an alternate for the cab numbering, square herald and running board stripe.

For the square herald I colour copied the decal  then cut and glued it on. The herald's edges are rubbed with a lead pencil so the white edges do not stand out. CV 8027's square herald was a metal plate that was attached. The cab lettering in the Accu-cal set does not really match what was on the engine so I took a look at my B&M gold lettering. The MicoScale 87-909 set which is for E and F units had a better match for the style of lettering and the colour was a great match. I also used the large striping in this set  for along the running boards also.

The handrails I painted  yellow-gold with Floquil DRG&W yellow as seen in the photos. It also is a good match for touch ups on the decals. The step lights are painted Floquil old silver. The engine got a coat of Floquil flat finish followed by an over spray of  Floquil grimy black. I then used my chalk weathering to give it that Alco look of grit and grime.

There are always extra details one can add to an engine or as in my case once  the project is almost complete you notice is missing. For me it was the lack or hand rungs or grabs that give the shop staff access to the roof. These are found on the front of the engine plus on the fireman's side, mid body. Normally these are molded on and I would be scraping them off and replacing. With these missing from the shell, I was at the end of the project before it came to mind. I must be getting old. I decided to just leave them off but may add them at a later date...happy modelling...George Dutka

My CV switcher got more weathering than most of my other engines...it's an Alco, it needs it.

To make my switcher more life like, I added  an engineman and fireman.