Model Railroading > Athearn Genesis H4 BNSF SD75M #290 PTC/Lead Operable

Recently finished custom numbering, weathering, and update/detailing an Athearn Genesis Tsunami 2 DCC/Sound equipped SD75M painted for BNSF H4. Model was factory numbered for BNSF 260, I changed it around to 290 with some BNSF appropriate Microscale decals. Added a few more 2020/2021+ appropriate PTC roof antennas courtesy ScaleTrains, Hi-Tech Details, and Details West. Horn was then swapped out with a slightly closer contemporary matching brass Details West 3-chime. Chose to also hand paint the front/rear handrails and stanchions (and ditch-lights) black to match the higher no. BNSF prototypes I've seen and photographed (including BNSF 290).

Brushed on and muddled around Testors weathering paint pens (RR Tie Brown, Weathered Black), heavier around the pilots, trucks, fuel tank, intake grills, and roof fans. Then hit everywhere with a water/alcohol thinned Acrylic Roof Brown and Grimy Black wash. Flattened and sealed with Testors dullcote rattle can spray (windows and headlights masked off). Kinda my standard 'medium' weathering treatment.

Took (24) mostly custom numbered Athearn RTR Herzog ballast gons around for another spin on Saturday, with a pair of equally grunged up Athearn Genesis BNSF dressed ES44s. I'm working on custom creating/bashing a ballast spreader for theses gons as I type...

~ Mr. MRL
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/21 19:21 by MrMRL.

---

---

---

As usual (slightly larger 1400x) images posted here...
https://pbase.com/mrmrl/bnsf_stuff

~ Mr. MRL

Very nice work and good research.  Thanks for sharing.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

 290 looks great in addition to the other two!

Great-looking detailing/weathering. Wouldn't #290 be an SD75I with the isolated cab/vertical line near the nose front though, maybe you're well aware of that already?

Really nice work.

Looks good, always happy to see one of those leading a train.
 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

exhaustED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great-looking detailing/weathering. Wouldn't #290
> be an SD75I with the isolated cab/vertical line
> near the nose front though, maybe you're well
> aware of that already?

I'll admit these days I don't pay much attention to the I or M symbol but I think all my wheels have shown these as SD75M's. I don't recall seeing a I for sometime. BNSF may still have what used to be a SD75I but I think they call them all SD75M's now.

exhaustED Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great-looking detailing/weathering. Wouldn't #290
> be an SD75I with the isolated cab/vertical line
> near the nose front though, maybe you're well
> aware of that already?

Yeah that was something I noticed about 3/4 through the weathering process. I'm considering cutting out some thin black decals to recreate the rubber gasket type seal found on these units right across the nose.

~ Mr. MRL

Trip Optimizer qualified? On a EMD?

Posted from iPhone

MrMRL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> exhaustED Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great-looking detailing/weathering. Wouldn't
> #290
> > be an SD75I with the isolated cab/vertical line
> > near the nose front though, maybe you're well
> > aware of that already?
>
> Yeah that was something I noticed about 3/4
> through the weathering process. I'm considering
> cutting out some thin black decals to recreate the
> rubber gasket type seal found on these units right
> across the nose.
>
> ~ Mr. MRL

Prototypical modelling is a real challenge! Nice work with this SD75, a great-looking loco!

290 looks great.  I really like that 2nd photo.

Jim