Thomas Yorke - I would like to discuss bolsters

[StarDust39]

I sent this note to Thomas Yorke on March 8 but haven't heard back. I checked the email carefully and it matches the email given for Thomas in the article. Any suggestions about getting in touch with Thomas?

Hi Thomas,

I enjoyed your excellent article in Garden Railways April 2018 about the construction of a flatcar. My current project is increasing the wheelbase on a set of old Kalamazoo passenger cars and my attempts at making new bolsters have not been wholly successful. I am interested in more information (pictures, drawings, dimensions, prices) about the resin bolsters that you sell as mentioned in the article.

Thanks,
David Palmeter

[chocho willy]

   David, I have no knowledge of Thomas's bolsters but I have made several over the years using evergreen styrene strips, each end of th car gets one using .250" x 1/2", retangle piece one end is rounded front to rear and the other side to side, this allows one truck to move up and down front to rear and the other to move side to side adjusting to uneven road bed, this wasn't my idea I just coppied LGB cars.  As far as extending Kalamazoo passenger cars, I just finished making a "drover caboose" using a Kalamazoo combine posted in this forum on the 2nd of March this year. The cars are a little small but look good with smaller engines but they are a fun trip to separate. The body is glued to the under frame and is a pain to take apart. Personally before I would consider taking them appart I think I would invest in some already bigger cars. If after reading my post on the combine and you still have questions as to how to take appart just email me at [e-mail] and I will help as best as possible, good luck, Bill

[Rene Schweitzer]

Hi David,

Mr. Yorke recently had an email hack, and has changed his address. I've emailed him and alerted him of this thread. I hope you hear back soon,

Rene

[StarDust39]

Thanks, Rene.

[StarDust39]

Thanks, Bill. I did see your article and like the idea of battery lights in the caboose. I have avoided that solution in the past but with LEDs and lipo batteries, it should be much less hassle. And I really dislike flickering passenger car lights!

I have also made some Evergreen bolsters but am having trouble getting the post for the truck mounting screw in straight. My drill press is constant speed and the plastic gets very soft, even if I drill in short bursts. If I can't find a premade bolster, I may change to plexiglas or wood.

I am not making the Kalamazoo passenger cars longer but I am moving the trucks outboard closer to the steps for a better look and so they can navigate my tight radius turns.

I have already taken two of the five cars apart. They were old enough to come apart reasonably well. The major project is converting two combines into a baggage car and a coach. I like taking thing apart and frequently can even get them back together!

Regards, David

[Rene Schweitzer]

FYI, David, I have sent you a PM about this.

[chocho willy]

  David I'm with you kit bashing is more fun than taking it out of a box.

   Car size, I would think moving the trucks farther out would make the car more likely to not like tight radius curves, if you look at 2 axel cars they seem to like thigh radius where as longer cars like streamliner cars require bigger radius. Just a thought. 

   Car lighting, I have lite all my coach cars with battery powered LED's ( 2xAAA ) and hid the battery pack in the top, cutting out a little of the patrician at one end and shoving the battery holder under it. Added a very small slide switch in the clearstory area that I got at a RC hobby shop. Used 10mm soft white LED's colored with a yellow high lighter pen. Used copper tape, type used to make stained glass windows with, taped on top of a styrene tube and secured the tube in the stock location of the roof where it is designed for incandescent lighting. Soldered wiring from battery holder and switch to copper strips which I had soldered the LED's to. Easy to turn on and off. Accidently left 1 car on for 3 weeks and found it one night with the lights still lit, and still haven't changed the batteries. No wiring shows and no flicker, Think I might do a post on the form about it.

    good luck with your venture, if I can help just ask, Bill  P S you might try using some styrene tubing the correct size for your bolster stems and maybe a variable drill cement together with MEK or a melting solvent

[StarDust39]

Bill, You are right about shorter wheelbase on modern cars but 1800's passenger cars have step assemblies at both ends that reduce coupler swing, particularly with the conversion to Kadee couplers. (See pictures.) By moving the couplers toward the end, I get more swing. Incidentally, the couplers are not attached to the trucks, but have extensions that pivot independently on the bolster pin so the coupler is not trying to push the truck off the track.

I am very intrigued by your light system, what exact components do you use (batteries, charger and battery box particularly)?

Thanks, David