This week I’ve been looking at ways to improve upon the progress I’ve made with the Baldwin DT6-6-2000 HO Scale body shell.  With the main bodywork done, it’s attention to all the little details which will greatly improve the model, making them as best as they can be for HO scale.

This particular model is based on Santa Fe’s 2602 as pictured below; this is the N Scale version built by Dirk Jan Blikkendaal.

The 2602 had two single horns which I 3D printed as part of the shell, however several people used the kit to represent other railroads’ DT6-6-2000s with different horns.  So I’ve made the horns separate.  I intend to provide a choice of horns that will fit into the same mounting holes.  This will also make them less susceptible to damage before the model is finished and on the railroad.

For the headlight, I looked at several different ways but I’ve decided to use a simple 3mm warm white LED.  I’ve recessed the headlight surround to allow for a clear lens with a diameter of 4.5mm to be fitted if required.

Inside the headlight, I’ve designed the right shape to receive the LED from inside the shell.

With the LED fitted in as far as it will go, and with the flat spot indicating the negative connection at the top, the front of the LED will be in the right place to allow a lens to be fitted.  My only concern is the light will also travel through the body as the material is translucent.  So it will be important to paint the inside of the model and inside the headlight with a matt black prior to fitting the LED.  I do this on my other N scale locos as well.

The last detail, for this week, is the windscreen wipers in the main windows.  On the real locomotive these are very small but so are the windows.  In order to model these in HO Scale, they will need to be etched in brass.

The actual wiper will be a simple shape with a triangular stop to prevent it from sliding too far into the locating hole.

To ensure the wiper will be in the right place and securely mounted, the locating hole is rotated to the right angle.

I still have a few details that I want to improve or add, but then I think the model will be ready for a test print.  But for now, here’s how it looks.

The Baldwin RT-624, which is the successor to the DT6-6-2000, will also be getting these updates and improvements once I know they work.  The 3D printed parts for the trucks and gears from my earlier post are nearly ready and hopefully will be sent out later this week.  I’m looking forward to testing them and getting the right trucks on the chassis which I will share with you as soon as I can.