Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Turning a cheap railcar into something better

12624 views
40 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2018
  • 39 posts
Posted by JohnnyB on Monday, January 8, 2018 5:29 PM

Yes and I think that's where the problem was. I uploaded that last picture from my blog, so that's where I will upload from now on.

Thanks everyone for the input.

John is retired and loving it!

https://jmrailroad.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, January 8, 2018 5:03 PM

I see it.

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, January 8, 2018 4:51 PM

We can see it.  If you are using the picture icon, the link has to end in some sort of picture extension like .jpg  .bmp .png or the like.  Google photos don't usually have those extensions

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    January 2018
  • 39 posts
Posted by JohnnyB on Monday, January 8, 2018 4:34 PM

For those who have not been able to see the pictures, can you see this image?

John is retired and loving it!

https://jmrailroad.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, January 8, 2018 3:23 PM

mbinsewi

OK, I looked at this right after he posted it, and there were pictures!  Not now!

Mike. 

 SInce you can still click the links and get the same thing, I suspect the original source location was only a temporary file name. Sort of like BEFORE Photobucket changed and people would sometiems just post the URL that appeared in their browser while viewing their photo, instead of the actual link provided in the box next to the picture.

                                       --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Monday, January 8, 2018 1:55 PM

Much of my rolling stock is used stuff from my LHS or even from garage sales.  Even with new cars, kits or r-t-r, modifications are normal practice.

This is an Athearn Blue Box 50' flatcar....

I removed the original plastic deck along with the floor (an integral part of the deck) and the underframe.  Because I no long scratchbuild using wood, I decided to use-up the stripwood which I still had on-hand, to create a new deck.  The bulkhead ends are from a Walthers kit for a 53' GSC flatcar. 
I built simple bolsters from sheet styrene onto which the trucks could be mounted, allowing the car to ride more prototypically lower, then modified the endsills to allow proper coupler height.
The underside of the car shows why the frame was removed....

...so that even empty, the car, at 6.5oz. tracks well.

I generally paint the decks on plastic cars, like this Walthers GSC flatcar...

...but could have replaced the stock deck with pre-painted strip styrene, as I did on this loading dock...

The advantage of styrene over wood is that it can be installed using solvent-type cement, whereas the best choice for affixing wood to styrene is contact cement.

Wayne

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, January 8, 2018 1:52 PM

OK, I looked at this right after he posted it, and there were pictures!  Not now!

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2018
  • 39 posts
Posted by JohnnyB on Monday, January 8, 2018 1:46 PM

Okay Steve Otte, what did I do wrong that the pictures can't be seen?

John is retired and loving it!

https://jmrailroad.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • 967 posts
Posted by michaelrose55 on Monday, January 8, 2018 1:43 PM

Nope, no pictures at all...

  • Member since
    January 2018
  • 39 posts
Posted by JohnnyB on Monday, January 8, 2018 1:33 PM

SeeYou190

It sounds like a great project, but I cannot see any of your pictures.

.

-Kevin

.not sure what to tell you, Kevin. Perhaps our sys admin might have an idea.

John is retired and loving it!

https://jmrailroad.wordpress.com/

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, January 8, 2018 1:15 PM

It sounds like a great project, but I cannot see any of your pictures.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    January 2018
  • 39 posts
Turning a cheap railcar into something better
Posted by JohnnyB on Monday, January 8, 2018 12:02 PM

One of the great things about this hobby is that if you get tired of working one one thing there are always all sorts of other aspects of the hobby to dive into. Case in point.

I bought this very low cost Tyco Bulkhead Flatcar off EBay a few weeks ago knowing that there would be some modifications.

First step was to disassemble it so I could see what I had to work with. The car also came with a "lumber load" but it was way, way out of scale. The boards were a scale 18' wide and nearly 6" thick. They gotta go.

I was going to use the deck that came with it but decided to just scratchbuild my own using the out of scale lumber. 18" wide boards would not be out of scale as the deck. First up, a sheet of .015 styrene to give a flat surface. Then .060 styrene to make the bulkheads on either end.

Cut the deck boards a scale 7 feet wide but not all of them. This is a hard working car after all and some boards will get damaged or broken. So I left the edges a little uneven. But I sanded the tops nice and smooth.

Now I could have left the boards in the lighter colors but I wanted some wear and tear. So a mixture of raw umber and burnt umber were dry brushed on.

But as you can see, they came out a little too dark for my liking. So some fine grit sanding sticks went to work and sanded a lot of the paint off, leaving a much better look. Then a couple of scrapes of the hobby knife across the deck to add a bit of character and I think she is ready to go back together.

Next up will be building the lumber loads using scale basswood. Until next time...

John is retired and loving it!

https://jmrailroad.wordpress.com/

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!