I would like to create an N scale rail grinder train. I think either the Atlas or Tomix track cleaning car would work for the lead unit. For the second and third cars I would like to kitbash the cars using the old Con Cor 72 ft corrugated baggage cars. Does any fellow member know of a souce for the old cars. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I clicked because I have no idea what a "Rail GRINER" is/was. Can you edit and correct the spelling?
Deano
Same here, but I kinda thought he meant grinder.
As far as the cars, Ebay would my source, and/or swap meets. I don't travel around to swap meets and shows, so it's Ebay.
I think it also depends on which grinding company he's modeling. There are Europea grinders too.
I think Loram is most seen around here. I have a couple of pictures I took while waiting at a crossing, but I have to move the picture to Flickr before I can post. Photobucket is not back yet.
I really don't think any cars in the trains resemble baggage cars. I think it's a scratch build.
I'll go move the pictures I have and post.
The OP can Google Image search rail grinder and get lots of pictures.
Mike.
My You Tube
Pictures I took, Loram rail grinder.
IMG_1564 by WC4ever, on Flickr
IMG_1563 by WC4ever, on Flickr
IMG_1565 by WC4ever, on Flickr
I have seen several rail grinder trains (Loram and Plano) and most of the cars and the locomotive look heavily modified from other things, including streamlined passenger cars, perhaps for the crew to sleep and eat in. I think F40PHs were common fodder for the locomotives.
It would be a kitbashing job to be sure. One Milwaukee modeler I know had made a magnificent Rail Grinder train in N scale that has to be seen to be believed.
There are youtube vids and years ago Trains had a very good article with photos.
The main thing about Rail Grinders that would be fun to capture is the sparks that can be seen even during the day, but extremely dramatic when it is darker, as the grinding stones "dress" the railhead. There is a sort of fringe along the bottom of the grinding cars that presumably keeps stuff from being shot out the side at nearby pedestrians, drivers ... and railfans.
And as the train moves past, the air is filled with a dirty gray dust. There are of course smoke units that could approximate that.
But the really distinctive thing is the aroma of heated metal and hot stones. The heat is intense which is why often the last car on the train is a big tank of water hooked to a fire hose.
Dave Nelson
Indeed the skirts are to keep the sparks from starting fires alongside the row. There are small flashing units that represent welders flashing. One can be added to the cars with LED showing just below the underframe. You can adjust the flasher timing which is good.
Here are some photos of a Loram rail grinder train, in-sequence, as it passed, although I'm uncertain as to the exact location. I do know that it's on Norfolk Southern's Fort Wayne Line (the photos should enlarge if clicked-upon)...
After the rail grinder had passed, this went by....
...but after that, with not much going on, we returned to a location we frequented regularly, arriving in time to see the same rail grinder, not grinding anything, but heading west, as it had on its first run-by....
These trains are also impressive when seen working at night, although I'm not sure where I stored those photos.
I can't see that it would be all that easy to modify baggage cars for this train, but I'd like to see what you come up with.
Wayne