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Workshop – SD70M-2 using Evemodel trucks and a custom chassis

Modeling a 3D printable SD70M-2 with good enough detail… what have I gotten myself into?

Well first things first, rummaging through my stuff, I found yet another pair of Evemodel trucks, so that now I have three pairs, that I really should attempt to do something about. I have only two motors, but as I’m not exactly rushing to get things done, I’ll wait, until I finished and tested my „production“ prototype model, before ordering more stuff.

Photo: CN 8951 by Dan from PQ, Canada, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, the real world prototype

I started by accumulating a few 3D printable resources already available on the net like:

These are all free ressources available through the links above. However none is really suitable for direkt use. The „Ho SD70Ace powered or non powered train Engine“ however is a good start. It is a massive (or non-hollowed out) object when importet into Blender and simply removing the bottom area and using „solidify“ doesn’t cut it at all. It is mesh-modelling at its finest reqired from there. Also the proportions are off, when compared to an Athearn Genesis SD70M. After stretching an squishing the mesch, none of the radiators where circular any more and since the radiators also don’t match, I need to remodel most of it anyway. So here comes the progress report on that.

I am somewhat proud, that my radiator fans are see through and have separately applied fan blades printing with a standard 4mm Nozzle with PLA+. Also the dynamic brake vents are see through and the side radiator grilles are see through too, but I didn’t model those correctly. Got distracted by a different prototype photo reference.