Last week I showed you how I added lighting to my C-855s.  The final details to add to the locos are the window glazing, and to keep those clean, the windscreen wipers.  In this post I will share with you what I did.

The glazing is fairly simple.  A use clear plastic sheet which can be cut with scissors or a sharp craft knife.

I designed the inside if the window areas to be flat so the plastic need only be larger than the window and glued in place. For the front four windows I use one strip of plastic measuring 18mm by 6mm.

For the two side windows you will need one square piece each measuring 6mm by 6mm.

And don’t forget the windows in the doors, that piece needs to be 5mm by 3mm.

Before you attempt to glue anything test fit each window with a pair of tweezers to make sure it fits.  This also helps to work out the best angle to put them in at because it’s a bit tight on maneuvering room.

I like to use Gel Control superglue made by Loctite.  Not only does this superglue give you about 12-15 seconds before it sets it also doesn’t run allowing you to get it where you need it.  However if you simply try to put it around the window frame or on the actual plastic with the nozzle it wont go well.  You will get two much and in the wrong place.  It’s best to put a drop into a bit of scrap paper, then use a toothpick to put an even smaller drop on the window frame.  You don’t need much as it will spread out under the plastic.  Also you don’t need to go all the way around, two or three places will be fine.  The more glue you put on the higher the risk of it spreading out or smearing over the part you want to be the window and that doesn’t look so good.

Once all the windows are in place, and stuck, its time to add the windscreen wipers.  I sprayed the brass parts before removing any from the fret, it’s much easier that way.  The wipers are in pairs and handed.  Looking from the front of the fret, the wipers below are for the right hand side, the longer one is for the outer window.

Once the wiper is removed you will notice a small half etch on the back of the arm.

This is where you bend the arm to fit it into the hole in the shell above the window.

Then it’s simply a matter of adding some glue to the arm and pushing it into the hole.  As the glue sets you have a few seconds to rotate the arm, the normal resting place is on the out side of each window.

The last thing I wanted to share with you is a little fix to solve a problem that has been annoying me.  Because the fuel tank on the C-855 is sloped on the under side, not square like the Turbine or U50, the peg on the back of the trucks has to be cut off.  When the loco is on the tracks this causes no problem at all but if you pick up the loco the trucks swing out and hit the ladders.  It also makes it a pain to put back onto the track.

To solve this I have used a piece of plastic sprew from an old kit.  Any thing of a similar size will do.  In the shot below you can see the lug protruding out of the back of the truck with out its peg.

I simply glued a short section of the plastic onto the top of the lug.  This will still allow the trucks to move freely but wont allow it to swivel out.

In order to get the truck in without unscrewing the chassis you can simply unscrew the truck and separate it from the geared section.

Once everything is reassembled the loco is ready for service.

And just as the C-855 cab units were completed the postman delivered the next bit.  Here is the 3D printed C-855B kit in its raw state. The plastic parts will shortly be going into their cleaning bath and later this week will be off to the painters.

The C-855B brass Additions have been ordered and will also be arriving this week so hopefully I will be able to show a bit more in next weeks post.