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

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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

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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.

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Posted by SandyR on Saturday, October 18, 2008 9:45 PM

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

SandyR 

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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.
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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

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Posted by hoofe116 on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 7:13 PM

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

Les

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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

 

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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
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  • From: Jones County, Georgia
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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.
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  • From: Smoggy L.A.
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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

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