Modeling rolling stock in wood?

[Ray Dunakin]

A few questions for those who have scratchbuilt rolling stock using real wood...

1. Is it necessary to add any weight to the car, or will the metal wheels be enough to provide good stability and tracking? I know this can be an issue in the smaller scales, but not sure about Large Scale.

2. If weight should be added, where and how? For instance, if you were building a stock car, flat car, etc, would you put a metal plate into the floor to provide extra weight?

3. Do you prefer to:
A. Build up the sides board by board;
B. Use scribed siding; or
C. Apply wood (either individual boards or scribed siding) over a plastic sub-structure?

Any other tips/advice for modeling rolling stock would also be appreciated.

[cabbage]

Well in answer to your questions:

1: If you have a double bogie wagon then there is no need to add weight -the weight of the bogies and wheels is sufficient to pin it to the track. However if you are building something like a coach or a guards van then I would add weight to the underside of the coach to lower the Centre of Gravity and thus stabilise the coach. Believe it or not the wind can actually cause it to derail.



2: The weight blocks for my coaches are simple lengths of 3mm flat stock steel epoxied to the underside between the sole bars -they weigh about 100 grammes.

3:
A) The method I use is the build plywood tubes and the hack them to shape as required!!! Thus I put in the window frames then punch out the windows. I have never used scribed wood planking as the coaches that I am used to all had veneered sides.



B) No

C) Not me personally -this is because I feel that I can get a stronger bond and build if I use an all wood substructure and "plate" over it as required with textured ABS sheet.

regards

ralph

[trainboy414]

I find it easiest to build the sides first and place them and then do the ends. and i don't use scribed sideing.i don't know if the plastic sub shell works good because i have never used it. but i have put a wall together board by board. it is very time consumming but has avery good finished look.i find it not nessisarry to put weigits in my cars but do sometimes for better tracking because i use newbright wheel set and they don't track very good.

 

[whiterab]

For scratch building rolling stock, I use all metal trucks and wheels.  These give you more than enough weight very low to get better tracking than just about anything you can buy.

I build from the bottom up, that is the frames first and then the sides.  I do use wood exclusively but then the era of the layout calls for wooden cars.

For freight cars, I use individual planking to achieve a more weathered look by painting and then wire brushing some of the paint of to expose a bit of the wood.  For passenger cars or cabeese I use scribed wood as the planking is usually much smaller wood and the cars will be fully painted.

For your first car how about a kit to get your feet wet?  If you are doing 1:20.3 Hartford Products makes some wonderful kits.

 

 

[kstrong]

1. Is it necessary to add any weight to the car, or will the metal wheels be enough to provide good stability and tracking? I know this can be an issue in the smaller scales, but not sure about Large Scale.

I've not found it to be an issue. I use plastic trucks and metal wheels. I've not added weight to any of my cars. I do occasionally have one blow over, but the wind is generally strong enough to blow me over at that point, too.

2. If weight should be added, where and how? For instance, if you were building a stock car, flat car, etc, would you put a metal plate into the floor to provide extra weight?

If I found a car to be light, I'd add it between the floor timbers. This keeps it as low as possible, and out of sight. I've also used a "subfloor" made from masonite, which is pretty dense, heavy stuff. I'll cut fit inside the two side sills and end beams, and then use shallower wood for the underside beams between the side sills.


You can see the masonite between the side sills in this photo. The decking will be laid on top of this.

3. Do you prefer to:
A. Build up the sides board by board;
B. Use scribed siding;
C. Apply wood (either individual boards or scribed siding) over a plastic sub-structure?

I've done all three, depending on what I'm building. For flat cars, I'll do flat car decking board-by-board. If I'm doing a box car or passenger car, I'll use the scribed siding. In almost all cases, I apply the scribed siding over a sub-wall structure of either styrene or masonite. It's much stronger that way, and the sub-assembly adds weight.


This is a Bachmann box car that I rebuilt. This is the sub-wall structure, prior to laminating the scribed styrene. For laminating, I use 3M spray adhesive. Either the #45 or #77 will work.


Here's another box car I built--you can see the masonite floor and sub-walls on the inside, with the wood scribed siding laminated on the outside.

Later,

K

[Snoq. Pass RR]

I will try to post a photo soon, but for me I built a wood frame.  Then added each "plank" on individually.  This really gives you a good feeling when you see your car rolling down the track.  This also allows you to have the car half-finished in a siding as this was very similar to how wooden rolling stock was really built.

[FJ and G]

I use individual planking on some rolling stock and scribbing on others. I don't think it's a big deal. I like my weight low so use metal wheels and build the truck straps out of steel (strap iron steel). Lead weight can always be added on the underside (you can melt it to shape). I'm melting slugs (outside of course and after taking out the gunpowder).

[Ray Dunakin]

Another question: Where do you get your wooden scribbed siding?

[kstrong]

Midwest Products. They're available from most hobby shops, or online. http://www.midwestproducts.com

Later,

K

[Snoq. Pass RR]

Another idea to scribbing is to buy a sheet of Basswood and use a x-acto saw to "cut" the planks.

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

I've got to see this one. I like the scribed wood, just cut out the shape from cardbord and lay it on the sheet (its almost idit proof) I don't think they put sidding on at a 45 degree idi they? anyways if you rilly need to add weight use the smaller scales fail-safe, lead putty! (warning never make snowballs out of this stuff!!!!!) Its heavy, eazly spred into nooks and cranniesand the best part dries hard.