SUNSHADES FOR DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES
By Rich Harder
MOST REAL DIESEL locomotives have sunshades over the cab side windows. No commercial detail part is available in any scale but sunshades are extremely quick and easy to build. All you do is cut a rectangle from sheet or strip styrene, trim the ends, and cement the parts to the cab of your locomotive.
Cut a strip of Evergreen .020-inch thick by 1/4-inch wide styrene to length. It is already the correct width. Then trim off the corners but save them. You'll need those little triangles to support the shade when it is on the locomotive.
Attach the sunshade to the locomotive. Unless your model is made from brass, use a solvent type liquid cement such as Plastic Weld, Testor's Liquid Cement for Plastic, or Tenax. Apply the cement to the shade rather than to the cab. Place the shade parallel to the top of the roof, just above the window. Before the cement dries, cement the small triangular supports under the shade. The supports will angle in toward the window.
When all three pieces are in place, apply a little more cement to all joints from the inside. Add the sunshade to one wall, let the assembly dry for about an hour, then do the opposite side.
Paint the sunshades an appropriate color and you're finished.
