In this hands-on tutorial, I’ll show you how to swap out those old friction trucks for 3D-printed roller bearing trucks on your Proto 2000 SW1200. You’ll learn how to clean up supports with an angled nail clipper, wet-sand safely, and even tidy your workspace with a small handheld vacuum. No airbrush required—just a few simple tools you probably already have.
Picked up a $20 thrift store find—an FEC SW1200 HO scale locomotive. In this post, I walk through my power test, check the current draw, and share first impressions before the teardown and DCC upgrade.
Picked up a $20 thrift store find—an FEC SW1200 HO scale locomotive. In this post, I walk through my power test, check the current draw, and share first impressions before the teardown and DCC upgrade.
Picked up a $20 Florida East Coast SW1200 switcher at a local thrift shop and couldn’t pass it up. In this post, I kick off the rebuild project by sharing why I buy used locomotives, what to look for when scouting secondhand models, and my plan to bring this one back to life with DCC, LEDs, and custom upgrades.