Sunset Models 3rd Rail Santa Fe 2-10-4

An in depth look at upgrading a 3 rail Sunset Models Santa Fe 2-10-4. Full ERR electronics, new speakers, enclosure, smoke unit, Super Chuffer, Chuff Generator, new decals, re-numbered to 5021, and then weathered for appearance around 1956-57.

[@NormanSilv]

I'm impressed with the Sunset quality and performance.

[@henryszubielski8601]

Wow! What a change. Excellent work!

[@superwarp12]

Awesome job, can’t go wrong with GRJ products

[@mitchcornacchia968]

Nice work.

[@Cessna-er4je]

I love these locos, this was a big time mainline powerhouse for it's time, nice job

[@Laidoffsick]

Thank you

[@Cessna-er4je]

@@Laidoffsick Of corse

[@mitchcornacchia968]

Great work beautiful engine bravo!!!!!

[@nickltrains6952]

Awesome how to do video. Great job Upgrading your Santa Fe 2-10-4. Greetings from new Jersey

[@mamanbear1]

I have the same engine. Love what you did to it. Let's see more of your beautiful SF layout sometime. Keep up the good work.

[@TouchoftheBrushModelWeathering]

Awesome Doug - stellar job! love the weathering dude

[@jamesmarek5468]

Nice work Doug. Love the sound and the weathering is awesome. Thanks for sharing. I gonna pass this link along to several of my friends.

[@trainroomgary]

Very cool electronic project & finish work.

[@whirlpool851]

Beautiful weathering job!

[@Laidoffsick]

whirlpool851 thank you

[@mamanbear1667]

Love what you did - great attention to detail. I have the same engine but your upgrades really make it come alive.

[@byates59]

WOW, fantastic work Doug!!!!!!!!! Man, she looks, sounds, and smokes great! I like your choice for the electronics and you can't beat Fat Boy speakers in a speaker box! I love projects like this, I need to do something like this myself, it has to be a lot of fun! Anyways, great job bro, enjoy, and thanks for the video, have a great one bro!

[@AGHRMatt]

Great work, Doug. Thanks for the post. GRJ's super chuff is a great upgrade. Thinking it would be nice to have that done to my 3rd Rail CNW H1 Northern.

[@dep92]

I'm a new subscriber, just found your channel. I'm an "HO guy". You my friend are an artist! Thank you for sharing and I can't wait to see what's next!!

[@Laidoffsick]

thank you... everything I did to that engine I learned from watching other KZbin channels and reading forums.

[@dep92]

+Laidoffsick I only have one steam engine on my layout, the rest are diesels. I'm planning on making that steam engine appear overworked and past its prime working timber. I've gotten good at weathering but I've been somewhat intimidated about going all out on this one locomotive. But after seeing your video, I now know where to start. Thank you for posting as well as the video showing how you weather your track! Forget the pens, I'm using the airbrush!!

[@ColoradooscaleOrg]

Amazing work Doug!

[@Laidoffsick]

thank you

[@vincentvanpaepeghem4844]

Great video with a lot of information! Thanks for sharing!

[@bobbyriggs9581]

Great job on it Doug looks great

[@DjsOgaugeTrains]

Great job! Been meaning to do this upgrade to a brass Pennsy Q2 that I have.

[@eriklindgren1980]

Awesome !

[@normstrains]

Hope things are well LOS! I have one of these on its way to me. I’ve been looking for one for a bit.

[@Laidoffsick]

Can't wait to see what you do with yours. All is well, just workin on the RR... 1:1 that is.

[@normstrains]

@@Laidoffsick good to hear. Just unpacked mine today. Got to un-spring the center drivers as they like to dip behind the rail even on 99” curves. Got some decals on the way for the back of the tender too. Will probably dink with it later this summer. There’s a nice pic of the 5022 on a turntable in Columbus when PRR was renting them: www.columbusrailroads.com/prr%20santa%20fe.htm

[@kenmunozatmmrrailroad6853]

Amazing work!

[@jamesmarek5468]

Doug... I should have included this in my post. I am SantaFeJim.

[@Laidoffsick]

oh I know who you are ;-)

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Nice work!

[@Laidoffsick]

Thank you

[@samharv8076]

Well done.

[@trainmantim99]

What a nice transformation to the engine Doug. Top notch job. GRJ does some pretty nice stuff. So what's the plan to the 2900 class? Same upgrades or a bit different? Anyway the engine turned out great. Thanks for posting this video.

[@Laidoffsick]

haven't decided for sure on the 2925, other than speakers and enclosure. its a lot newer than the 5021 anyway, so many things are better from the start.

[@DjsOgaugeTrains]

I tried your idea of adding 50% alcohaul to some testors decal solution and it worked! Thanks, but 1 question: how do you achieve the "painted on" look. When I try Micro sol it ruins the decal. Thanks.

[@Laidoffsick]

DjsOgaugeTrains I never use Micro Sol. Dont use Testors and Micro Sol...theres no point. One decal setting solution is all you need. I prefer Solvaset. Once it has dried completely, gloss coat it. I like Future Floor Wax, airbrushed. Let that cure and then flat finish the whole model. That is you make the film disappear.

[@DjsOgaugeTrains]

Laidoffsick thanks! Do you have a preferred flat coat?

[@Laidoffsick]

DjsOgaugeTrains Testors Dullcote, there is no substitute. Airbrush it thinned 50/50 with laquer thinner. 10-15 psi, a couple thin coats. Tried it all, and always go back to Dullcote in the bottle.

[@SidsTrains]

Did you take the s3 apart to get to that box

[@Laidoffsick]

Sidney Flumbaum no I didnt

[@1940limited]

I had one Sunset/3rd Rail model of a PRR steam locomotive. It didn't pull or run worth a damn so I got rid of it. As expensive as Sunset models are, it's surprising how poorly they perform.

[@Laidoffsick]

g bridgman How old was it? All mine perform great.

[@1940limited]

Laidoffsick This was at least 15 years ago and I don't know how old the locomotive was at the time I bought it. I don't think t was brand new. It had a lousy smoke unit, didn't pull worth a damn (the tender coupler would open up a lot) and derailed easily on switches. It was beautifully detailed, but was not enjoyable to run. I haven't bought a Sunset since. I've had very good luck with MTH locomotives.

[@Laidoffsick]

g bridgman oh yeah they have came a long way since then. Even this 2-10-4 was from many years ago, before they started using ERR. Thats why I upgraded it. The new ones still don't smoke like Legacy stuff, but 3rd Rail is about detail, not smoke.

[@1940limited]

Laidoffsick I'd like to have a D&H Challenger. I believer 3rd Rail makes one, or did, but I haven't seen one in a long time. I also hesitate because I know it won't run worth a damn. It will need major upgrades to make it perform properly.

[@1940limited]

You cut the video short! I wanted to see it go by with cars attached at the very end.

[@Laidoffsick]

It was just about the upgrade. I had other videos of it running at speed with cars behind it.

[@1940limited]

@@Laidoffsick I'll look at your channel for more.

[@paulsmith1899]

Like

[@thecurtray]

oh doug that looks terrible.-- just wanted to be different from crowd below.-- you a heck of a modeler

[@Porschedude8]

Awesome!