CEFX 3136, who left the door open?

CEFX started life as SP 8845, built in 1967. The unit was later rebuilt by SP to a SD45R and renumbered to 7416. The unit then found it's way to CEFX leasing where it was rebuilt once more to a SD40M-2 (basically a SD40-2 in a SD45 car body). The unit is still in service today, being leased by CSX for the time being. 

For the model I started with a Kato SD45 painted in CNW.

The shell was disassembled and stripped using 91% isopropyl alcohol. After stripping I started detailing the loco using the following parts, mainly from BLMA:

snow plow

MU hoses

air hoses

windshield wipers 

lift rings

grab irons

see-through fans

air line on top of cab 

relocated horn

painted cab interior

open door (aka, the air conditioner for those hot, humid Indiana summers)

I airbrushed the model using a custom mix of Polyscale Conrail blue with some reefer white added to it. I used a combination of Highball Graphics and Microscale decals to letter the model. 

For weathering I used a combination of airbrushing, oil paints, and weathering powders to give it a well worked look. 

Finished model:

   

NS 3459, a one of a kind.

Built in 1978 as BN 7125, then sold to CEFX where it became #3180, NS 3459 has had a very colored pass. It was purchased in late 2011 and has retained it's nose mounted headlight, making it the only NS loco on the rails like this. Being a modern Norfolk Southern modeler this loco had to be done.

I started the build with a stock Kato SD40-2 that I completely stripped down.

I wanted this loco to be a standout on the layout, like it wouldn't be anyways, so I decided to add every detail I could think of to it. Those details include:

sunshades

lift rings

grab irons

MU hose

trainline air hoses

windshield wipers

see-through fans

sanding lines on the trucks

AC unit

snow plow

ratchet style hand brake

speed recorder cable

rear view mirrors

Most of the parts are from BLMA but, all the grab irons on the loco were bent by hand from 0.007" wire. The sanding lines were also hand bent. The ratchet hand brake was made out of strip styrene. 

I painted the unit with Polyscale engine black and lettered it using various Microscale decals. Being a relatively   new unit, I only lightly weathered the trucks with AIM powders. The paint and weathering was sealed with a final coat of Krylon dull clear coat. 

Completed loco: