I have received this engine, with alternative stacks. I have not found a way to change them. The standard stack is FIRMLY attached to the boiler. No instructions from BLI on this. Can anyone provide procedure for this change? On another subject; I think it was on the Atlas forum, were a heated discussion ensued concerning the coloring of these SF locos. They were claimed to be grey. Well, mine are a vaguely, greenish grey. This coloring is in the casting plastic, not a paint coating. It does change slightly under differing light. I am going to use a dead flat spray on it, to see if it improves the look. I have used a "Bronze", standard spray can paint color on some of my locos. It is a dark charcoal, a greyed BLACK. It allows more of the detail to be seen, but is definitely black. I believe whomever cast the BLI Northerns probably got it a little wrong.
There is a PDF download at the BLI site with instructions on changing the stack. Haven't seen a real one yet to comment on the colour.
You know, I participated in that thread on Atlas about the color. It was not a problem for me then, and isn't now. I will weather the 3762 but not the 3751. With all the guff on Atlas, it is interesting that the color was never a concern or topic on the ATSF modelers Yahoo group. What does that say? Oh, I changed the stack on one, but not the other, using their instructions on the website. Bob
Hello, I have found out that the coloring is, in fact, a paint coating, as some of it chipped off in handling. In daylight the color effect is a dark grey. Yes, it is interesting that none of the SF Yahoo group found it objectionable. From ten feet away, the look is blackish. I don't care what it looks like under a microscope. I have two of these now, and am in the process of changing one to #3763. I have a Microscale SF steam sheet, and was able to match the tender side, size, but in all my decals, could not quite match the tender end, size. So, I will use a MP set that is slightly oversize, and then do some judicious reduction with a fine point marker. Thanks Martyn and Bob
I got the stack removed, but it took tools to do it. When placing the alternative stack on the smoke box, I used a little Teflon. The new stack is much easier to remove, now.
Well the color is fine if the the main drivers matched! The drivers are black and the rest of the loco is dark grey. That is fine for anything but the 3751. It was advertised as being painted as it is today---that would mean ALL BLACK! It looks OK, but the drivers look terrible and detract significantly from a great loco otherwise.
On my 3751, I 'weathered" the drivers a bit, which lightened them. If you want the 3751 before it leaves on an excursion, then drivers might be black, when excursion over, they will be dirty and lighter, as well as the rest of the engine. I grew up in a Santa Fe family, and have had the pleasure of riding behind the last of those babies as they ran off the last miles on the Texas lines. And while that has been a lot of years ago, I still don't remember them as shiney or black. Bob
