Trains.com

Silk Purse from a Sow's Ear? El Cheepo Scientific Boxcar reduex

696 views
9 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 209 posts
Posted by SandyR on Sunday, October 19, 2008 8:16 AM

Well I'll be darned...Big Lots...How did I ever miss that? And 50mm gauge, that's an odd one for sure! Thanks for the info...gotta keep my eyes peeled for interesting cheap stuff...

SandyR

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Saturday, October 18, 2008 10:56 PM

These were from a super cheap battery toytrain set I got at Big Lots 2 xmas ago, I got a bunch of sets, kept the trucks and chucked all the rest, it was a useless set other than these trucks, but they were 50mm gauge! so I had to modify them with spacers inside the journal boxes, never seen those sets again.

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 209 posts
Posted by SandyR on Saturday, October 18, 2008 9:45 PM

Vic, nice job!! What trucks did you use?

SandyR 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Jones County, Georgia
  • 1,293 posts
Posted by GearDrivenSteam on Thursday, October 16, 2008 12:07 PM

Please do, Vic. I was about to ask for that very thing. I think I'm going to do one as well. I need a small boxcar and was thinking 4 wheel, but I like your version better.  

vsmith

Works better with 1/22.5, 1/20.3 these would be small. I think they were nominally scaled closer to match LGB.

Someone on the GSM site asked for a "how to" to switch out the trucks, I'll try to show this on a gondola I still have to convert if I can find another pair of trucks for it.

It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:25 AM

Works better with 1/22.5, 1/20.3 these would be small. I think they were nominally scaled closer to match LGB.

Someone on the GSM site asked for a "how to" to switch out the trucks, I'll try to show this on a gondola I still have to convert if I can find another pair of trucks for it.

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Florissant, Missouri
  • 493 posts
Posted by hoofe116 on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 7:13 PM

Would that be 1:20 scale in NG, then? Nice job.

Les

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 1:09 PM

Vic,

My idea.....

Paint Oxide Red, new couplers, and call Stan to make this "Smith's Lumber" "Explosives"

IMHO - Toad

 

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: NJ (Kittatinny Mountains)
  • 436 posts
Posted by SNOWSHOE on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 7:04 AM
Vic: that looks really awsome.  Im going to have to start looking out for these and doing the same.  I love the narrow gauge look.
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Jones County, Georgia
  • 1,293 posts
Posted by GearDrivenSteam on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 6:15 AM
That's some silk purse, Vic! Nice work!   So....that was a 2 axle boxcar to begin with? I need one of them.
It is enough that Jesus died and that he died for me.
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Silk Purse from a Sow's Ear? El Cheepo Scientific Boxcar reduex
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 12:49 AM

Being very poor hobby wise at the moment I did my best to modify a Xmas tree trainset Scientific boxcar into a reasonable narrow gauge car, I changed the single axle wheels to bogie trucks and added Ozark link and pin couplers, the rest is just paint, it still has the original cast plastic color and original decals. This will be a guide for other El Cheepos.

She cleans up rather nicely methinks... :D

   Have fun with your trains

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Garden Railways magazine. Please view our privacy policy