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Ambroid kit

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  • Member since
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Ambroid kit
Posted by NVSRR on Thursday, May 25, 2023 4:11 PM

 

I picked this little ambroid piece up.  Well done craftsman kit.   The bands are coming off on it.  What is a good way to resecure those bands ?

 

Shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
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  • From: Douglas AZ.
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Posted by Little Timmy on Thursday, May 25, 2023 7:28 PM

If I remember correctly, 

The bands were attached on the underside of the tank. You will probably have to disassemble the frame to get to the holes in the bottom of the tanks.

Should be an easy fix, just glue the ends of the bands back into the holes.

 I'm  jealous,  I always  wanted 3 or 4 of those.

Rust...... It's a good thing !

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, May 25, 2023 7:53 PM

I believe that the kit was made by Northeastern Scale Models rather than Ambroid.

The wires were applied as hoops and then the ends twisted together alomg the bottom centerline.  See construction procedure paragraph 2 on the following drawing from the HOSeeker website:

  

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Posted by rrebell on Friday, May 26, 2023 7:20 AM

Could be one of a half dozen that all made a similar car, from the center lader I would guess Northeastern.

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Posted by MidlandPacific on Sunday, May 28, 2023 11:48 AM

Both Ambroid and Northeastern offered versions of this kit; at some point, Northeastern began offering Ambroid kits under their name, IIRC in the mid-1970s.

http://mprailway.blogspot.com

"The first transition era - wood to steel!"

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Posted by kasskaboose on Sunday, May 28, 2023 1:44 PM

Curious what's happening with the metal wires (bands) around the car.  Never seen it.  Thanks!

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Posted by PC101 on Monday, May 29, 2023 12:57 AM

I can see at least six bands at the top of the car that are broke. I would think the bands broke from age/fatigue/expansion and contraction of the wood from humidity over the years.

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Posted by rrebell on Monday, May 29, 2023 8:03 AM

If I remember the instructions, the bands were just glued to the bottom.

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Posted by PC101 on Monday, May 29, 2023 8:13 AM

NVSRR, look under the tanks for the wire ends. Do you see that each wire's ends are twisted together. Look close. I count at least 10 twisted ends. Of course I could be wrong with out having the piece in hand.

Maybe some of the wire band's twisted together ends broke at the twisted together place.  

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Posted by maxman on Monday, May 29, 2023 8:22 AM

rrebell

If I remember the instructions, the bands were just glued to the bottom.

 

I believe that the copy of the instructions I posted above indicated that the wire ends were supposed to be twisted together along the bottom centerline.

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Posted by mobilman44 on Monday, May 29, 2023 8:23 AM

Probably old news here........  the early transportation of bulk vinegar was done in wood tank cars (or wood lined) as the acidic vinegar would not mix well with metals.  So all those rings were holding the wooden slats together.

Later on, glass lined tank cars were used just as they are for other abrasive or sensitive liquids.  

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

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Posted by PC101 on Monday, May 29, 2023 8:37 AM

Without knowing how much open space is between the bottom of the tank and the frame/floor/deck, (see if light will pass between the tanks and the frame/floor/deck). My guess would be to pre-roll new hard wire rings to be smaller then the tanks diameter, slip the new wire rings around the tanks, clamp the wires in place tight against the tank sides and tack glue the hard wire's end tails under the tank.

Or remove the tanks and replace all the wires and twist their ends together as done per the instruction posted above by maxman.

If using the 'twisted' method I would need to use soft wire so the ends can be twisted. You may be able to place the wire and twist the ends then slip the ends down and under the tank.

      

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Posted by NVSRR on Monday, May 29, 2023 11:44 PM

I havent really looked at it much.  Not sure if they are broke or just loose.  Not sure if I have the access to retie the bands.  My quick figure is position and use a small drop of CA to position one end of the band.  Let it sit and cure.  come back later, hold the band tight and put a drop on the othe rend as a solution to resecure it.   As I said  havent really looked at it. 

 

Shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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