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40' Ortner Aggregate Car Upgrades

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  • From: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:51 PM

richhotrain

 

 
OldSchoolScratchbuilder
 
richhotrain

Are you keeping the GRR road name on the hoppers? 

Yes. I'm not keeping these cars. I am going to trade them for other model railroad stuff. DJ 

 

 

OK, now you have really raised my curiosity. If you are not going to keep the cars, why make all those changes to them? What may please you about those modifications and "detailing" may make them too difficult to trade or sell since others may not agree with your changes.

 

Rich

 

This car is already taken by a friend who grew up and lives in Springhill, Nova Scotia and knows very well the history of the mining disasters that eventually closed the mines. I am making a nice wood/stained-glass display case for him.

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:22 PM

OldSchoolScratchbuilder
 
richhotrain

Are you keeping the GRR road name on the hoppers? 

Yes. I'm not keeping these cars. I am going to trade them for other model railroad stuff. DJ 

OK, now you have really raised my curiosity. If you are not going to keep the cars, why make all those changes to them? What may please you about those modifications and "detailing" may make them too difficult to trade or sell since others may not agree with your changes.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, July 20, 2017 5:07 PM

richhotrain

Are you keeping the GRR road name on the hoppers?

 

Yes. I'm not keeping these cars. I am going to trade them for other model railroad stuff. DJ

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, July 20, 2017 4:54 PM

Are you keeping the GRR road name on the hoppers?

Alton Junction

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, July 20, 2017 4:45 PM

Two last pictures to wrap up this thread. First hopper loaded with bituminous coal from the mine at Springhill, Nova Scotia is ready to roll. In total I will do the same with six hoppers, so the second one will be broken down this evening. After that I will move on to barite and manganese ore Ortner hoppers. DJ

 

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, July 20, 2017 3:43 PM

OldSchoolScratchbuilder

 

 
maxman

Who made those Ortner car models originally?  Walthers, or someone else?

Thanks

 

 

 

if you go to eBay and search 'ho scale ortner' you'll see Walthers cars so I assume Walthers for this particular car. DJ

 

Yes, definitely Walthers.

 

Alton Junction

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, July 20, 2017 3:04 PM

maxman

Who made those Ortner car models originally?  Walthers, or someone else?

Thanks

 

if you go to eBay and search 'ho scale ortner' you'll see Walthers cars so I assume Walthers for this particular car. DJ

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, July 20, 2017 2:37 PM

Who made those Ortner car models originally?  Walthers, or someone else?

Thanks

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, July 20, 2017 1:07 PM

All components installed on the car. Coal dust applied and adhesive spray drying. After drying I'll clean up loose coal then put the trucks and couplers back on. Finally, a load will be added and then onto the track. DJ

 

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, July 20, 2017 6:38 AM

The inside of the hopper looks pristine. You better dirty it up.  

Alton Junction

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, July 20, 2017 4:23 AM

Once the cement spray dries, the excess coal dust will be brushed off the end of the car - there will not be loose bituminous coal falling onto the track (just if you are wondering). DJ

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Thursday, July 20, 2017 4:13 AM

Working on 'downgrading' one end of the car. Real coal from the mine in Springhill, Nova Scotia was sprinkled onto the end of the car from above as though it was being loaded. Note that a ladder is now in place on this end of the car. Lots more to do on the ends and sides.

 

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 9:12 AM

On my way home had a new idea for a jig. This HO ladder fits perfectly onto a breadboard so this will be my new jig. DJ

 

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 7:02 AM

You’ve probably finished the railings, but if not, I would suggest a small jig might help. Here’s my HO scale ladder jig.
Cheers, the Bear.Smile
 

 
Put a quick jig together as per your idea. Excellent advice. I'll modify the jig later today to get the dimensions closer to the ladders on other HO cars. Thank you. DJ
 
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Posted by mobilman44 on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 6:04 AM

Ooops, I guess my questions struck a nerve.  

They are legitimate questions, harmless in intent, and they seemed OK to post them here, rather than going back to the original threads.....

What could possibly be wrong with that? 

 

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

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

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 5:47 AM

mobilman44

Ha, I need to revert to my Chicago educated directness in my communications....

To rephrase my oblique questions:

  - What is the status of the contracted layout to be built in/at the "silo"?

  - How is your personal layout coming along (i.e. design, benchwork, etc.)?

  - What has stalled the loco painting?  I don't understand why - unless the results were less than satisfactory and not up to supposed "forum expectations".....

 

This thread is about a hopper car. Got something useful to contribute like the Bear?

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Posted by mobilman44 on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 5:31 AM

Ha, I need to revert to my Chicago educated directness in my communications....

To rephrase my oblique questions:

  - What is the status of the contracted layout to be built in/at the "silo"?

  - How is your personal layout coming along (i.e. design, benchwork, etc.)?

  - What has stalled the loco painting?  I don't understand why - unless the results were less than satisfactory and not up to supposed "forum expectations".....

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

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

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 5:26 AM

You’ve probably finished the railings, but if not, I would suggest a small jig might help. Here’s my HO scale ladder jig.
 

Cheers, the Bear.Smile

 

I was just thinking about how to do this! Nice job, I'll do the same! DJ

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Posted by "JaBear" on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 5:24 AM
You’ve probably finished the railings, but if not, I would suggest a small jig might help. Here’s my HO scale ladder jig.
 

Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 5:33 PM

BigDaddy
 
mobilman44
Looks like my questions of the contracted layout in the silo, personal layout, and outcome of the custom painting of the loco are being ignored..........

Uh oh, maybe Scratch is being monitored.   Laugh

Alton Junction

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Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 5:06 PM

mobilman44
Looks like my questions of the contracted layout in the silo, personal layout, and outcome of the custom painting of the loco are being ignored..........

I think you missed his response to your question about 4 posts up. It happens, I read Jeffreys Diner regularly and I swear new posts seem to appear in the middle of old posts.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by mobilman44 on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 4:40 PM

Looks like my questions of the contracted layout in the silo, personal layout, and outcome of the custom painting of the loco are being ignored..........

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

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

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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 4:07 PM

Excellent, keep us posted.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 3:45 PM

richhotrain

 

 
OldSchoolScratchbuilder

So, if you want perfection, you may want to tune out of this thread because things are about to get nasty for these cars. Muhahaha ... DJ 

 

 

I'm not looking for perfection. I could care less what you do. Just trying to offer some helpful critique. If this is going to be a community layout, as you say it will be, I would think that you want this to look good. If nothing else, I would straighten the posts because no amount of falling aggregate would bend them that severely.

 

Rich

 

 

The car was involved in a mishap. I purchased an HO scale welding team that will be working on fixing the railing. It's going to look awesome.

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 3:42 PM

mobilman44

Are these cars for the "contracted layout" you are going to build in the silo or your personal layout to be built? 

While I'm here, you left us hanging with the custom loco paint job.  I've thought of doing that myself but never felt I could manage it to my satisfaction.

 

 

These cars are experimental. At only $15/ea I can give them the same look as similar real cars in my area and not worry that I am wrecking $40+ cars.

Paint scheme has been moving forward on an old loco. The shell of a second identical loco will be cut to pieces for additional parts for the other loco - read a nice article on this in an old railroad modelling issue (old school). Painting the WRMR scheme's details have to wait until the parts are transferred - the four fans for example will all rotate so lots of handling will still be needed before the outside of the shell can be painted beyond the NATO black. I have been buying small motors with gearboxes and working on installing a long shaft that will turn all of the fans simultaneously. The shaft will have worm gears under all four fans.

 

 

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Posted by mobilman44 on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 2:38 PM

Are these cars for the "contracted layout" you are going to build in the silo or your personal layout to be built? 

While I'm here, you left us hanging with the custom loco paint job.  I've thought of doing that myself but never felt I could manage it to my satisfaction.

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

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

  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 2:31 PM

OldSchoolScratchbuilder

So, if you want perfection, you may want to tune out of this thread because things are about to get nasty for these cars. Muhahaha ... DJ 

I'm not looking for perfection. I could care less what you do. Just trying to offer some helpful critique. If this is going to be a community layout, as you say it will be, I would think that you want this to look good. If nothing else, I would straighten the posts because no amount of falling aggregate would bend them that severely.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 7:49 AM

Second end railing installed with brake wheel and its mount. Next up - metal ladders. Then the fun begins.

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Posted by OldSchoolScratchbuilder on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 6:39 AM

richhotrain

 

 
chutton01

Is the last image of the updated end railing? Close up, the leftmost solder joint looks good, as does the 2nd from the right (maybe a little filing is needed). The far right solder joint looks wonky - do you want it to look like that?

 

 

Gotta agree with chutton01 here. Those are good looking hopper cars so if you want to detail them or replace missing or broken parts they ought to be commensurate with the quality of the rest of the car.

 

Rich

 

 

The quality of the rest of the car will be brought down to the imperfect, well-used ore cars like those that exist in my area of Nova Scotia. Not the other way around. Every car will look different, I don't want uniformity. I'll deliberately bend metal that should be straight, add real rust collected from the railyard in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and much more after I add all the components that I want. After the end railings I am adding ladders that didn't come with these cars.

The cars carrying coal will be weathered with small pieces of coal and coal dust. Those carrying iron and manganese will have lots of rust and dark gray dust etc. So, if you want perfection, you may want to tune out of this thread because things are about to get nasty for these cars. Muhahaha ... DJ

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