This week’s post is about completing my set of Union Pacific EMD DD35 locomotives and making one of them look like it’s about ready for the scrap man’s torch.

My N Scale DD35 kit comes with 3D printed handrails and although they are strong and fit well, they are a bit on the thick side, as you can see in the image below.  This is one of my early DD35 dummy locomotives.

When running a DD35 along with a Con-Cor U50, as shown in the next image, this is less of a problem as the U50 also has oversized handrails so they work well together.

To further improve the DD35 I released an Additions kit of brass handrails and as you can see below they greatly improve the locomotive.

The DD35 above has been painted as if it was a new locomotive and is ideal for running with a pair of GP35s as shown in the following image.

Ideally another DD35 is needed to complete the set but as you can see from the image below the 3D printed handrails tend to stand out.

Weathering a locomotive always improves the appearance, even if it’s a little soot around the exhaust stack and grills, but to really make a DD35 look like it’s had a hard life you need to go a step further.

The DD35 shell used for the locomotive below was actually a damaged shell.  It had suffered damage which had left the surface very rough and some of the detail had been obliterated.  This made the shell perfect for a heavy weather.

Not only has the paint been darkened and discolored but rust streaks have been added along the sides; this has been done with decals.

Very close up you can still see the roughness of the shell but you have to look for it.  Overall the effect of all the rust and corrosion blends in with the roughness to create a great-looking loco.

Putting all three DD35s together you can see the differences.

I am planning on running both the heavily weathered and clean DD35s together as if one has been refurbished.

Although it’s difficult to see, my GP35s are not actually the same.  One is a Phase 2 and a later model so I have one new and old GP35 and one new and old DD35 to complete my set.

My older GP35 Phase 1, on the left, will get some heavy weathering too.  This line up would have produced 15,0000 horse power at the draw bar and even for the long trains we run on our N Scale layout, Solent Summit, that’s a lot.  So only the weathered DD35 is powered and the refurbished one is a dummy locomotive.

All the painting and weathering on these DD35 locomotives was done by Bob Norris who has also painted and decaled Southern Pacific DD35 locomotives.

In fact we can offer DD35 locomotives in SP, UP & EMD Demonstrator liveries.

If you wish to read more about my DD35 kit for powered and un-powered models here is a link to their page in the shop and here is a link to their gallery page.  If you are interested in getting a ready-to-run model in any livery, in new or weathered condition, please contact me though the contact page.