Well I had a nice chat with PPD on Monday with little or no errors in the art work so off it went to the production line and duly turned up today
Now that's service at one week turn around.
So how did it all go, pretty darn good if I'm honest and all things being equal I could run with this for future models, there are some things that can be fine tuned but overall I'm more than happy. However a sheet of A4 NS isn't cheap not the first one anyway, they do become cheaper once the tool has been made, but it did get me thinking that it might be more 'financially' beneficial to make a core structure in 10Thou brass over which etched NS parts are laid. I am considering just a sheet of detail parts likes battery covers, doors and latches etc, but that's a sub bubble I'll tend to in due course....I've my larger Dash 9 one to tend to very shortly now since these etches have come back.
There are enough spare parts (doors, battery covers etc) on these etches to make several variants and thus are spare once you have chosen your particular model, so for the NS high nose I'll play with a brass core shell and add etched overlays where applicable, sort of a 'lite' version.
This cab etch work will more than likely become a CXS Phase II.....because I saw one on holiday
So to the piccies
First up, an overall shot of the whole sheet.
Note damaged door mid bottom, wasn't happy about that out of the packaging and fairly sure I didn't do it unwrapping it, but it should be salvageable.
Next some close ups and some notes underneath
Mid picture are the Canadian specific classification lights, I did consider daylighting the cores and lighting them up but they're so small so I think a blob of the correct coloured paint will suffice....for me anyway, they can still of course be drilled out and lenses added if one desired. To the left are circular objects, these are the main US nose/or tail classification light fitments. furthest left is an over large circular cover which is often just welded over the hole, next at the top of the column of fittings are the daylight ones which you'd use if you want to light your marker lights, with a suitable cast fitting over the top, not the lower one has a rim around the middle, an error in the tch I will look at in case I need to go to V03. In the middle are half etch flush fittings which wehn soldered in will leave a flush finish with a hint of a circular line and last are the standard rims with just an internal blanking plate. All of these fit into a recessed hole in the nose seen top right.
Of interest here is the battery box cover with tread plate, this is the correctly scaled one and the treads have come out just fine, the idea is to run over them with fine abrasive paper to smooth some of the hard edges off, mid image are the nose equipment covers with stirrup latches, these are probably the worst on the etch with out a full outline around the latch handle but still acceptable I feel. Middle bottom is one of the bolted battery box covers with vents, the lower edge of each vent is half etched in the rear so a slice with a sharp knife will open them up, the idea then is to push out the lower edge a suitably shaper tool....screw driver tip. Although the front part of the vent is half etched it doesn't look too bad, but I will try to blend it in to the cover with some solder (or maybe a fine filler of some sort) along the top and side edges and then sand smooth, not perfection but hopefully passable once painted.
Mid picture are the cab sub compartment doors, phase II above and phase I below, not sure if it can be seen but there's a small half etch on the phase I hinges to let in a thin wire to form the hinge...thanks Richard for the 'light bulb moment'. The two objects above and below are the engine intake snow covers as fitted to Spartan cab CN locos. The two squares are further nose classification light covers and up the top is the CN cab bell bracket.
Finally some more details, mid picture are the brow number board hatches, to the right more battery box covers, CSX bolted with large slot vent and phase II with stirrup latches, on the left are the cab steps and again another niggle in that the holes are a little large, but acceptable. The two long strips are for the cab sides to support the sun visors of which one can be seen. The two tread plate covers are for the engineers side battery box, the mid left is the 'enhanced' oversized tread and is very well formed, the bottom right is the true size one and whilst ok isn't quite as well defined.
The next step is to scan the etch and then mark up the finished image with part numbers and a descriptive text as well as explaining all the internal half etches cut guides, mostly in the nose to allow for one etch to cover both 81" and 88" noses with no headlights, V cut headlights, half V (CN) and deep recessed (BNSF). Clear as it is in my head now, in a few weeks it'll all be a muddle and I'll look at it and go WTH was that supposed to be LOL.
Then....time to build
, backed up by the Phase I taper sided footwell and lack of Anticlimber. Cab door is the heavy thick three hinged winter style door, when closed it completely covers the door seal, these tend to be fitted to locos working in colder climes. CSX 4311 is Ex DH 7403_Ex Reading 3403 and hails from NE USA where it can get pretty cold, the heavy duty door would not normally be fitted to locos ordered for Florida LOL.
Oi !!! I have been known to dabble in the Soldering Arts, y'know.... 
