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: