I have a Walthers 90' non-motorized turntable that I pulled out of storage today. I am considering selling it, but the bridge handrails are warped. I removed them and laid them on a flat surface, and the handrails are not flat. They are thin styrene plastic and they are somewhat twisted.
Are these types of handrails available as detail parts or would they need to be scratch built? Any ideas, suggestions, solutions?
Rich
Alton Junction
Rich,
I had the same issue with mine so I replaced them with Central Valley #1601 pipe railings. They look great and don't warp.
Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works
Roger, thanks for that reply. That is pretty much exactly what I am looking for.
Hope it helps. I have a friend that found some PRR pipe rail in brass but I don't know any more about it. I like the looks of the CV pipe rails.
check out Tichy.
Thanks, j.c., I will check out Tichy.
Rich:
I sent you a PM.
Here are the ones I recently made from .015" phosphor bronze wire for my 90' Walthers turntable:
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Dave, your work is superb. Love those handrails.
Those look great, Dave. Do you use the silver solder paste like Frank (Zstripe) uses? I have some of that coming for some handrails I want to do for a tank car.
Mike.
My You Tube
I used handrail stanchions from Athearn Blue Box diesels for my scratchbuilt turntable's railings, while the railing itself is .020" music wire.The "foot" of each upright is a short piece of brass tubing cemented to a square of styrene, while the upright itself is epoxied into a hole drilled into the tie beneath the decking...
Wayne
Wayne, I'm curious. Is your turntable motorized?
Mike:
I use Kester solder which has a 2% silver content. I buy it from Ngineering:
(Scroll down a bit.)
http://www.ngineering.com/soldering.htm
richhotrain Wayne, I'm curious. Is your turntable motorized? Rich
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Nice work, Bear.
doctorwayne richhotrain Wayne, I'm curious. Is your turntable motorized? Rich No motor, Rich, just a finger from the big 0-5-0 will turn it, as it's only a few inches from the layout's edge: Wayne
No motor, Rich, just a finger from the big 0-5-0 will turn it, as it's only a few inches from the layout's edge:
I made my handrails from Tichy phosphor-bronze wire and K&S brass stock. Drilled holes at the top of the stanchions and soldered it up with Radio Shack silver-bearing solder.
A close-up (with a critter for Dave ):
Lots of great pics (and work) here, BTW. Good job, fellows.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
mlehman I
I
I like the looks of the 28, Mike. It reminds me of one of my favourite diesels, the CNR's RSC-24s....like a little kid wearing his big brother's shoes.
Wayne,
Thanks!
Some of it's family, I'm sure, since while built in Australia IIRC, she's at her heart an Alco/MLW. The "big shoe" look is also a favorite of mine.
While many narrowgaugers hate on diesels, I like them. In fact, diesels might have been the end of steam, but if they had appeared, the investment in them might have been a sign that the narrowgauge would survive. We can only imagine, of course, and model, if we choose.
Nice handrails! Nice critter too!!
#28 looks like a power house!
Dave,
As another suggestion, consider using stripwood. I suspect it was more common to use wood posts and handrails unless your era is fairly modern. That is also the case with bridge handrails, if they even had them back in the day.
richhotrain I have a Walthers 90' non-motorized turntable that I pulled out of storage today. I am considering selling it, but the bridge handrails are warped. I removed them and laid them on a flat surface, and the handrails are not flat. They are thin styrene plastic and they are somewhat twisted. Are these types of handrails available as detail parts or would they need to be scratch built? Any ideas, suggestions, solutions? Rich
If you feel that the plastic handrails are a lost cause, you could try to straighten them with a hair dryer. Setting the dryer on high and and holding it an inch away from the handrails will definitely melt them. Go slow and you might be able to work out the twist with your hands and slavage the factory parts.
You might try placing them in between something straight, like pieces of glass or metal rulers and see if you can heat them up enough.
They need to cool down in the straight position or else they will just return to their pre-heated shape.
- Douglas