Hi Gang,
I think I've come up with a real neat way to improve loads for hoppers. The example I'm going to describe below is for upgrading "stone" loads, in this case, for my hoppers coming in from an interchange track, filled with stone from a distant quarry. While I started with an existing commercial load that I bought years ago, you could probably use my approach by cutting a piece of Masonite cut to the size of the inside dimensions of the hopper. I've done that myself for making "scrap" loads for my gondolas.
The first photo shows my "empty" hopper. Note that there is some gravel in the bottom. It's there to hide the lead shot I use to weight the hoppers because as we all know, manufacturers don't provide enough weight to meet NMRA standards when the cars are running empty, without loads.
The second photo shows how I place the commercial load into the hopper with plastic wrap under it. I simply cut a piece of wrap larger than the opening and set the load down into it, being careful not to make any holes in the plastic. The plastic wrap leaves just enough of a gap along the edge of the completed load so that it will slip in and out of the hopper easily.
Now, I spread diluted Elmer's glue over the whole installed load and sprinkle on my crushed stone (I used "Woodland Scenic's" Medium Gray Talus, Item No. C1279) which I think looks like stone that would be coming from a quarry. After I'm happy with the amount of stone and have pushed it carefully along the edges of the hopper, I then drip more diluted white glue all over the "stone", being careful not to "flood" it too much.
It takes around 30 hours for the glue to dry enough for me to remove the load. I simply pull the plastic wrap up carefully, removing the load. Photo 3 shows the completed load, after the plastic has been pulled off around the edges. Don't be hasty....If you take the load out too early, the glue won't be dry and the stones along the edges will fall off. Actually, even after a day and a half, sometimes the glue is still wet along the edges of the load after you pull off the plastic wrap. Just be careful and wipe off any wet glue along the edges and underneath and let the whole thing dry. I set the load on a couple of blocks of wood, rather than laying it down flat where it might stick. Once dry, the load will slip easily into your hopper.
The last photo shows the load reinstalled into the hopper. I brush some Bragdon's Weathering Powders over the stones to vary the color and to create the dusty appearance of stone and to cover over any shiny or waxy-looking areas left by the white glue. I think you will have to agree that the finished load looks very realistic.
Don't forget that this approach works just fine for coal loads (I use "Woodland Scenic's" lump coal and scrap loads, as I mentioned earlier. For scrap loads for my gondolas, I use "Johnny's Junk" http://www.johnnysjunkheap.com/. If you go to his website, please note that he included a link to my approach and photos for making gondola loads. Just go to the bottom of his home page and click on the button "Removeable Loads".
I wish you luck, if you try my approach. Have fun because that's what it is all about.
Mondo
Mondo,
Thanks for some useful techniques and tips on making custom loads.
I do have a suggestion. Loads of stone traveling in hopper cars typically aren't filled to full cubic capacity, as this would exceed the weight capacity of the car. Sometimes hoppers are even marked with a line on the side indicating the limit line for stone that is within the car's capacity. You might want to build your stone loads so that don't fill the car so near the top as it would be with coal, which is considerably lighter than stone.
Other than that, it looks great!
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
mlehman wrote: Mondo,Thanks for some useful techniques and tips on making custom loads.I do have a suggestion. Loads of stone traveling in hopper cars typically aren't filled to full cubic capacity, as this would exceed the weight capacity of the car. Sometimes hoppers are even marked with a line on the side indicating the limit line for stone that is within the car's capacity. You might want to build your stone loads so that don't fill the car so near the top as it would be with coal, which is considerably lighter than stone. I forgot to mention that the stone is limestone, which is pretty light.Other than that, it looks great!
I do have a suggestion. Loads of stone traveling in hopper cars typically aren't filled to full cubic capacity, as this would exceed the weight capacity of the car. Sometimes hoppers are even marked with a line on the side indicating the limit line for stone that is within the car's capacity. You might want to build your stone loads so that don't fill the car so near the top as it would be with coal, which is considerably lighter than stone. I forgot to mention that the stone is limestone, which is pretty light.
Thanks for the prototype info but it's a little too late....I already built 4 hoppers with the stone at that level. I guess I'll just have to hope the excessive weight doesn't get me fined or cause my cars to "crash". I forgot to mention that the stone is from a limestone quarry and is therefore fairly light.
I cut out blocks of floral foam the size of the car. Sand and shape it to the desired load. Brush on a coat of white glue and add ore or coal.(or stones and ballast) You can add BB's under the load to achieve the proper car weight.
loathar wrote: I cut out blocks of floral foam the size of the car. Sand and shape it to the desired load. Brush on a coat of white glue and add ore or coal.(or stones and ballast) You can add BB's under the load to achieve the proper car weight.
Loathar,
Thanks for not making one comment about my method and sharing YOURS. However, your thing about the weights fails to consider the fact that I add the BB's so the car will run "empty". Adding weight under the load will only help when the car is "full".
It would have been nice, if you're going to take the time to reply to my posting and share YOUR method, if you would have at least commented positively or negatively on mine. Even a negative comment would have been appreciated. I guess as a poster, we always run the risk of taking the time to take photos and write up a tutorial, just so someone will ONLY USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR IDEA.
Mondo:
You read my mind. I've been thinking about ways to make some realistic loads for a couple of dump cars. Your idea is just what I needed. Thanks for posting it. I just hope that my work turns out as nice and realistic as yours.
Joe
Sorry.
OK. I'll comment. You may want to consider using smaller stones. Those look a little large. Have you tried using plaster or hydrocal instead of glue? It would cut down on the drying time.
loathar wrote: Sorry. OK. I'll comment. You may want to consider using smaller stones. Those look a little large. Have you tried using plaster or hydrocal instead of glue? It would cut down on the drying time.
The stones are the right size, considering they are chunks of limestone mined from a quarry. Using an HO scale ruler, the stones are anywhere from 5" to 9" in size and that's about what comes out of a quarry, before it is broken down. Even ballast starts out in large chunks and gets crushed down to size. By the way, I guess I didn't make it clear when I said that I was upgrading existing loads. My approach is to take EXISTING loads that I had bought and had been using and make them look more realistic than they did with the molded-on stones. And no, I didn't consider plaster or hydrocal because the commercial loads I have are cast out of resin and I don't think plaster or hydrocal would stick very well.
JoeinPA wrote: Mondo:You read my mind. I've been thinking about ways to make some realistic loads for a couple of dump cars. Your idea is just what I needed. Thanks for posting it. I just hope that my work turns out as nice and realistic as yours.Joe
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the note. Your comments made the time I spent taking the photos and writing the tutorial worth while. If even one person can use my idea, I'm glad.
Thanks again,
Nice job! Two things I would add:
When I start 'loading' my unit trains, I'll be using your system. Thanks for the details.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Build a track scale and have the overload cars on a sideing with another empty to trim the loads. I built my stone hopper loads using styrene painted sandy colored and covered with scale size 4 inch minus and scale size 1&1/2 inch minus and also silt from the retention pond that scales out close to washed sand. My gravel plant only deals in three sizes of product that only serves rail. Sometimes it pays to model what you work. I have access to sieves from work that screens to the proper size stone.
Washed sand is only filled about half way up the slope sheats on a GLa hopper.
Washed 1 & 1/2 inch stone about 2/3 up the slope sheats on an H21
Washed 4 inch is about 3/4 up the slope sheats on an H21.
Hope this helps Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Looks good to me, a lot better than the originals.
You never see a pile of loose stone so compressed that there's no nooks and crannies leading down ito the pile, but that's how the commercial loads are.
That gravel nmight be a little rounded to be fresh from a quarry, blasting tends to leave jaggeder rocks, but you have to be within an inch or so to notice that, at normal viewing distance it looks great.
You should be aware...nobody EVER overloads trains cars...or trucks...or bridges...or levees...and they never EVER fail and come crashing down in the river, or let the ocean in, or get fined $1500 bucks, and there's never even been ONE SINGLE case where a rock from an overloaded gravel truck or train car came smashing into a car's windshiled, that just doesn't happen, uh-uh, no way, not a chance.
Anyways...
If you do something like this for coal, here's a tip. Either use real coal, or if you use ballast and paint like I do, paint it all dead flat black first, the blackest black you can find, spray works good, and then, use a tiny brush and daub little highlights of the shiniest, glossiest black you can find, because from just the right angle, real coal is shiny. In a carfull, at least some of the pieces will almost always be at just the right angle and the sparkles coming off as the train moves look pretty nice, worth the extra step in painting.
Like the idea of using the car itself for a mold, efficient, but I'd have never though of plastic wrap to protect the car from the glue.
Nice work!
Wow! those hopper loads look great!
Thanks for sharing.....
Have Fun.... Bob.