Nachoman's EOY 2010 challenge

[nachoman]

I sprayed the smokebox silver, and attached the end beams to my scratchbuilt frame with 1-72 screws.

The MDC frame was designed a bit differently. The coupler mounting pads were part of the frame, and the end beams simply pressed on to the end of the frame. I attached coupler mounting pads to the end beams, and that required screws to secure the end beams to the frame.
   

The smokebox front is a little rough. I don't know if that is the casting or from my attempt to sand things smooth after a previous grainy paint job. Either way, the roughness does not show up in the photo, so I guess it is not as bad as I think it is, and will disappear with some weathering.
   

I also pulled out a couple of unpainted figures, in hopes of creating an engineer and fireman. I had a fireman, but he is standing in a ridiculous pose. Unless I put him standing and waving from the gangway, he will require reconstructive surgery. The engineer is a mutant created from several atlas LPBs. I don't understand who thinks of these poses, but the atlas unpainted figures are terrible. I've got a couple of guys that look like they are sitting on some kind of toilet, and many seem to be waving. So, I took the head from one because it had a hat on, and glued it to the body of some guy who was sitting and waving. I don't know why LPBs like to wave so much, but I don't envision people in my town being so friendly. So, I cut his arm off, rotated it, and glued it back on to make it look like he is controlling a valve or lever.