Well, it’s been a while since I’ve worked on this. My modeling generally jumps between various projects and the time I put in, is inconsistent to say the least. The work featured in this post was done 2 years ago, last fall I painted, decaled and weathered the shell, so it’s progressing. Let’s see if I took enough photos to remember how I constructed this model. This part will focus on building the Cannon & Co cab.

Part 1 https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30210 

Lets pick up where I left off last spring.  While I mull changes to the Athearn frame, let's start cutting the shell and adding improvements. A mix of old and new photo etchings and details will vastly impove the old tooling.   

After years of not finishing a 555 timer circuit for this cabin car I decided to try an NCE Light It lighting decoder. For this application, it performs very well on the test track. I added a 5.5v 1f super capacitor as a keep alive. The 1f capacitor is overkill. It keeps the decoder led interior light and 0603 marker light led for a few minutes (I was hoping for 10 seconds) and according to my power cab, only draws a maximum of 0.08 amps inflow. Adding the decoder to the caboose took only an hour or so but the truck pick ups and 0603 led light were already on the caboose.

I found a pair of abused Blue Box SW7's that need a lot of attention but with some detailing, could be a nice model.  I'll strip the paint, clean, lube and tune the mechanism and get the shell ready for details. 

I plan on making one into a Conrail SW9 with a Cannon & Co cab and sound. The other will probably become a Lehigh Valley switcher but I'm not sure yet. Only one works as is, the other has it's shell glued on and a truck that spins freely.