70,000+ views!! Amazing!!
Does anyone know if someone manufactures HO scale coal scuttles, or has in the past? It dawned on me that having a wood pile in the Cook Car probably wasn't logical. I'm guessing that it would be more likely that the stoves would have used coal.
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Maybe one of the 3D printing sites, like Shapeways?
Mike
Water Level RouteMaybe one of the 3D printing sites, like Shapeways?
Hi Mike,
Great suggestion!
Thanks,
hon30critterDoes anyone know if someone manufactures HO scale coal scuttles,
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Good Grief, Dave!!!! You’re trying to do my head in!!! Scratch build one!!!
Hi Bear,
That's exactly what I'm going to do. I think I will try it with the modeling clay first. If that doesn't work I will use your suggestion to carve one out of wood. Styrene is a possibility too.
I'm going to put the cars aside for a little while and get the locomotives finished so I can honour Rich's request to see the train running.
I got a few more details installed in the Crew Car. I'm debating whether or not I should put some privacy screening around the commode.
My hands are too shakey to work on the coal scuttles or the mattresses so I'm going to pull out the locomotive tenders to figure out how to mount the speakers. I doubt that I will be doing any soldering tonight.
I have modified the floor of one of the tenders to accept a Scale Sound Systems square speaker. The tender came fitted with a round speaker which performed very poorly even after I put a sealed enclosure over it. I had to grind away the mounting tabs for the round speaker.
The speaker now fits quite nicely into the opening.
The size of the speaker dictates that the decoder be hard wired. That's going to be a bit of a challenge since all of the wires leading from the locomotive to the tender are black.
The other thing that I will do while I have the tender apart is to add all wheel power pickup. The existing axle wipers look to be very well designed, but I can do better.
While not an MOW bunk car, though it does show one set of bunks, it clearly shows an enclosed commode complete with handwash basin. It also shows a coal fired water heater,
Hi Bear!
You are not raining on my parade at all! I was just having a little fun with my speculation about whether or not the commode would have been 'private'. Of course it would have been. I just wanted to see if anyone was paying attention. I will add some partitions (and a sink if I can fit it in). I may have to shorten the tables a bit or perhaps remove a table and a couple of the chairs.
I also have planned to include water heaters in both the Cook Car and the Crew Car, although I haven't a clue about what they would look like. I am imagining an upright cylinder with a small stove underneath it, but that may be totally out to lunch.
I'm not sure if I still have access to the MR archives but I will try to look up the article to which you refer.
I greatly value your input! Sometimes it seems to me that you might be worried about offending me. You needn't be concerned. Please don't hesitate to speak your mind. Same goes for everybody else.
hon30critterSometimes it seems to me that you might be worried about offending me. You needn't be concerned. Please don't hesitate to speak your mind.
hon30critter I got a few more details installed in the Crew Car. I'm debating whether or not I should put some privacy screening around the commode. My hands are too shakey to work on the coal scuttles or the mattresses so I'm going to pull out the locomotive tenders to figure out how to mount the speakers. I doubt that I will be doing any soldering tonight. Cheers!! Dave
You could always do the Greenwich Village Boho Shower thing. Hang a rail from the ceiling around the space for the commode, and hang a blanket or canvas from it on hooks, surrounding the Cosmic Utensil. When not in 'use' you could take the blanket down to open up the space.
hon30critterI'm debating whether or not I should put some privacy screening around the commode.
Most of the 'camp cars' and baggage or RPO cars I've seen over the years never seemed to show much effort by the railroads to provide any kind of attempt to protect the modesty of their 'valued' employees.
ACF Lot 2765 61205-N by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
While this is an express messenger car, you can get the idea. At least the Union Pacific wanted you to keep warm while on the hopper:
lot 379 004 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed
Hi Ed,
Thanks for the images of the work car interiors, especially the water heaters. I already have a water heater started but now I know how to finish the details. It appears to me that the coal for the heater was stored in the angled front cabinets under the heater, but I think I would like the look of a coal scuttle better.
I also suspect that the cars that Ed shows would have used the water heater as a heat source for warming the car as well. It would make sense to only have to fuel one apparatus.
I see that they used proper porcelain toilets as opposed to the outhouse style wood box that I modeled. I'll see if I can come up with something more professional looking.
Hi rrebell,
I just purchased some brass shim stock which is extremely thin. I'm going to see if I can build a couple of coal scuttles out of that. It will be easy to cut and shape, and I can use CA instead of solder to hold the parts together.
Regarding Eds first interior photo, you may have to have the reach of an orangutang but I find it interesting that you can be sitting on the loo yet reach up to grab the cord thar activates the emergency brake.
As well you can reach into the electrical works to mend a fuse if the lights go out before you're done with the latest issue of Model Railroader
ACF Lot 2765 61205-O by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
Very resourceful those designers were! Don't wanna know what that sledge hammer is for
Good morning
The Bear Regarding Eds first interior photo, you may have to have the reach of an orangutang but I find it interesting that you can be sitting on the loo yet reach up to grab the cord thar activates the emergency brake. At least you wouldn't be caught with your pants down!
I discovered that there isn't enough space left in the tender for a regular sized Loksound 5 decoder after I installed the Scale Sound Systems speaker. That left me with two choices. Either I could order a smaller speaker or switch to a Loksound 5 Micro decoder. I decided to go for the Micro decoder in order to maximize the sound quality. Hopefully it won't take too long for the decoders to arrive (I ordered two).
I am considering changing my approach to installing the track and the wiring on my layout. Namely, I am thinking about having the work done professionally. Doing that will be expensive because I couldn't find anyone in Canada who is in the business. If anyone knows of a Canadian layout builder please let me know.
Up until a few days ago the thought of having the track and wiring done for me was out of the question. However, circumstances have changed. One of my uncles recently passed away and we were pleasantly surprised to discover that he had included me in his will.
I am in the process of getting quotes. One company made an interesting suggestion to save me some money. He proposed that we ship the layout to Detroit where he could pick it up and work on it in his workshop instead of spending a small fortune for travel and accommodations to come here. The layout is already on casters and is quite solidly built so it wouldn't be likely to suffer any damage in transit. I am not going to get them to do any scenery or structures so all that would be needed is that a shallow box be installed to protect the track on the return trip.
We shall see.
Regarding having the track and electrical work done professionally, I have received two estimates.
The first was quite expensive and I was not willing to spend that sort of money.
The second was much more affordable and it comes from a builder who has posted many videos of his work on You-Tube that I have watched. He is terrifically talented. I have asked him to send me a contract.
To say that I am happy would be a huge understatement. The work won't be done until next summer. I have been waiting for 18 years to have a layout so waiting an additional year is peanuts.
I have started a separate thread about the resumption of my layout construction. You can follow it here:
https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/295966.aspx
I'm waiting for some parts so that I can finish work on the two steam locomotives. I need two Loksound V5 Micro sound decoders. They are on their way from Tony's Train Exchange.
I also need some delrin arch bar trucks. I managed to misplace the trucks for one of the tenders and I need several sets to equip the Crew Car and other cars in the train. I have a bunch of old metal sprung archbar trucks but it is difficult to add all wheel power pick up to them. I also have a box of Tichy arch bar truck kits but, while they are nicely detailed and the bars are closer to scale, they are way too fragile to add power pick ups to, at least for me.
I also need to change the trucks on the plow itself. The trucks that I have on it now are too modern for 1900. Also, the front truck on the plow is not sprung. It has a plate with a hole in it where the springs would reside and the side frames are mounted solidly on the cross beam. I tried to modify a Tichy truck but, again, it proved to be too fragile.
I haven't decided what to do while I wait. Somebody kick my butt!
hon30critterSomebody kick my butt!
Kick by Bear, on Flickr
Okay Bear, how about at least a little nudge?
To be honest, I am enjoying the distraction from the plow project that is being provided by my renewed attention to the layout. I will share my time between both threads, but please don't be irritated if there are a few days between posts on either thread.
Another senior's moment:
I am working on putting decoders and new speakers into the two steam engine tenders. While I am waiting for the decoders to arrive I decided to reinstall the trucks so I could route the wiring up through the frames. Problem was that I couldn't find the trucks! I spent an hour searching through the clutter on my workbench but no trucks.
I decided to add pick up to a couple of pairs of new trucks but I discovered that I only had one pair of delrin archbar trucks that were not in use. I actually had several pairs of archbar trucks but all the others were Kadee self centering trucks and they are not suitable for adding pickups without destroying the self centering properties. I liberated a pair of non-self centering trucks from another car and I will replace those with the self centering variety.
That still didn't solve the mystery of where the original tender trucks went. Tonight I finally figured it out. I realized that I had used the tenders' power pickup trucks on the crew car and the cook car.
I need to pay more attention to what I am doing!
Hi everyone,
I'm going to be away for a few days so there won't be any work done on the snow plow train until I'm back.
YOU'RE NOT TAKING THE TRAIN WITH YOU?!?!?
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Hi Mark,
We take so much stuff with us when we travel that there is no room for trains!
hon30critterWe take so much stuff with us when we travel that there is no room for trains!
Hi gang,
I'm back from cottage country. I want to tell you that the snow train will be put on hold for a little while. I am having knee surgery next Friday so I might not be able to get to the workshop or the computer for a week or so after that. In the interim, before my surgery, I will be working on some details surrounding my layout construction.
I haven't abandoned this thread. I just haven't been able sit at my work table because of the discomfort from my knee. I can sit at the computer(the chair is higher) so I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks working on my control panel designs.
Stay tuned,