This started as a decorated Bowser SP U25B. I started by stripping the paint from the model and disassembling it. One of the features of the Bowser model that I didn’t like is that it seemed to “float,” I think in part due to the lack of any detail, or really anything, below the side sills. As I usually do, I milled the frame so that it could fit inside frame rails constructed of styrene strips. That immediately gave it bit of that “squat” look characteristic of U25Bs. I added as much traction motor cabling as I could discern in various photos. The fuel tank was too small for the SP version so I cut it in half horizontally and added some styrene to increase the height of the vertical section. I scratch built the air reservoirs using styrene tubing, turning the ends in a drill. End caps from Cannon air reservoirs were sanded down and glued to the ends.

I cut out the cast-on radiator screens, and installed some radiator cores made from styrene. The raise section contains piping for the cooling system, and I cobbled together a representation of that based on photos, using mostly detail piping intended for fuel tank vents. The radiator screens are the same Aber etched material I used on my U30C and U33C models. I replaced etched screen on the radiator/dynamic brake opening, which was too opaque, with chiffon. I bought some for the opening on the U30C, it’s also been handy for making the screen SP sometimes applied to the radiator fans on GP/SD9s. I rebuilt the draft gear and foot boards, and cut the steps out so that I could use etched material for a see-though look. I could find a ladder with the correct rung spacing, so I built one from styrene strips with 0.010 brass rod for the rungs. Looking at photos, it appears the bottom steps were occasionally replaced with a new style with a later style, so I used a Cannon step at the left rear, and it’s painted a primer color on the finished model. The equipment door on the left rear came from a spare Atlas U33C deck.

I added various details from Detail Associates and Details West. The brake wheel on these units was fairly small, I modified a Cannon brake wheel and used 0.010 styrene rod. That turned out to be less fun than I feared it would. I also made new class lights, the originals were cast a little to far inward. The handrails were made from 0.020 brass, I dreaded it because of the butt-soldered joints needed because the stanchions were just sections of pipe. Because the Bowser deck has an incorrect diamond pattern tread cast in, I sanded that off and used Archer tread plate.