I added the cover in place of a load temporarily.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Is there any reason you have the covers? Those were designed to protect coil steel and the gons that had them were assigned to coil steel service. The gon you have built is definitely NOT a coil steel gon. Its designed for relatively light commodities (coal and wood chips)
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
You could leave it like it is. I was just stating what would be typical. In freelancing a model railroad, being typical makes it more "believable" when viewed.
.
The actual layout of air system parts can be virtually anything. The connecting pipes just need to be routed correctly to the correct ports on the real things.
For your model for publication you should use as many parts from the Tichy brake system kit as possible and run the piping and actuating levers.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I was following the instructions from the kit. That's why the air system placement is such.
I omitted stirrup steps for 2 reasons, 1 the trucks don't clear them, 2 they break off too easily.
I'll probably paint it hunter green and the lid moss green an eventually letter it NWP SWP.
I just corrected the details placement.
The weights are two 20 penny stacks for each end of the car. I used pennies because they weigh a smidge under 1 Oz so they're really precise. I glued them together with guerrilla glue and I'll put them in in the morning.
Steven,
I believe to be more typical, you should turn the air reserviour 90 degrees and swap the brake cylinder and triple valve.
Also, you should install the stirrup steps before you paint it.
Are you going to letter it for the NWPSWP?
Here's the latest pictures, scroll to the bottom for the finalized photos.
http://imgur.com/a/YYHZQDm
I weighted the car to 8 Oz. And my standard will be 8 ounces per car, period, regardless of length, my reasoning is that if you have a cut of cars and there's a few shorter cars thrown in with longer ones they will be more likely to derail due to the NMRA length based metric making them lighter, if all cars weigh the same then sorting cars in the right "order" is less imperitive.
That's what I'd do.
Ed
So I'll just put all the stuff in the holes dictated by the instructions and closest to the end with the brake wheel.
NWP SWP Now I need to figure where to put the underframe details (photo below) I essentially have two sets of underframe mounting holes so where should what go?
Now I need to figure where to put the underframe details (photo below) I essentially have two sets of underframe mounting holes so where should what go?
Just do one set, and put the pieces where the directions say.
Next project will probably use the left over parts, the two (no longer covered) covered gons will lose their sides except for over the trucks, kinda a low end bulkhead flat with short walls at each end to buttress the ends, why will I cut off the sides well one car is pretty messed up because when I went to remove the covers half the side came with it.
And the two extra thrall coal gon ends might make a ore jenny, maybe but they're really in bad shape from all the cannibalizing I did to them for parts.
And the next super gondola I do will probably use the sides and underframes from a fishbelly gondola and the sides of the thrall coal gons to get the look right, it'll be a bit more involved and less straightforward that way but it will hopefully come out a bit closer to the prototype.
Here's my progress,
I cut off the extra brake wheel/mounting box and the end ladders (I will be replacing them but I didn't get to it tonight)
I solved the coupler issue.
Beefed up the underframe.
Made a cover for it (it's just a temporary fix till I make a load (and I had the parts laying around)
NittanyLion Those MDC/Roundhouse gons had alignment issues with the underframes and the side stakes
Those MDC/Roundhouse gons had alignment issues with the underframes and the side stakes
Thankfully, Athearn corrected the misalignment issue with the bottom and side stakes when the upgraded the MDC gondolas for the RTR series.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I think I'm going to mod a flat for the next car, why well the nice thing about a flat (especially a higher tonnage one with 36" wheels) is the new trucks should slide under pretty easily while retaining proper coupler height.
Right now I'm having to cut the gearboxes off the extra underframes to get the couplers perfect.
The problem is I am having a time trying to cut styrene straight.
But yeah the undertakes don't align very well.
Those MDC/Roundhouse gons had alignment issues with the underframes and the side stakes When I repainted a few last year as scrap service gons, I built new underframes. From their thickness and how the crossmembers align with the side stakes, it makes more sense to fabricate them instead of trying to modify a flat.
Your car, you can try it, but I think it will look better if you just add some strips of styrene to the underside to create the fishbelly and then extend the side stakes.
I think the approach you are heading toward will look like you glued a hopper shell on a flat car.
The alternative is to cut the floor of the hopper out, trim the sides, but not the side stakes and replace the bottom couple feet of the hopper sides with the fishbelly off the flat car, keep in the flatcar truck bolsters and coupler mounts.
What I probably will do is take two flat car kits (probably around 62 ft or so) sand down the deck, cut the cars, then glue the spliced gondola body on top of them and thereby splicing them.
Now I hope the flat cars I use are a little narrower than the gondola so the little side supports can be extended (via styrene strip) down the side of the of the flat car which I'll have to sand down as well.
Okay I'm getting ready to call NWP-SWP shops car #001 complete and begin the next one.
Only thing I'd like to change is use a 76 foot (or two shorter ones spliced) as the chassis and mount the gondola bodies atop that.
This change is because I just don't find the first cars underframe beefy enough for the length of the car.
7j43k Sometimes one makes a "proof of concept" car, as a test. And then makes the real one. And the next......
Sometimes one makes a "proof of concept" car, as a test.
And then makes the real one. And the next......
Ed,
Exactly. I did that with a NYC emergency war caboose that I kitbashed from a MDC 40' wood boxcar and Walthers wood caboose. It turned out decent but I'd like to make another that's better and more accurate.
Right now I'm working on detailing a Kato NW2 switcher with photo-etched parts. I purchased a used Kato NW2 shell off eBay to experiment with first. After I've completed the mock-up and I'm happy with the results, I'll detail the undecorated shell that I'll eventually paint for the NYC.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Don't worry about it Steven. I want so many different cars and I meant they look so good that I would want them. I have so many other projects I need to finish though...
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
True.
OK I did not get a chance to photograph the bolster, I made a boo boo, one of the guys at the club suggested filing down the bolsters a little, well I barely filed any off and the trucks now sit at an angle because they're catching on the underframe, now I tinkered some more and I think I fixed it, if not I will put a washer to make up the difference, and I ordered long shank couplers, I might have to just cut the draft gear boxes off the extra lengths of underframe I have and glue them on top of (under) the existing boxes to get the coupler height corrected.
Also the underframe is going to be slightly beefed up via the addition of fishbelly runners. Overall I'm pretty satisfied with the overall result.
Two things I need to do, study some of the GACX (ex-KCS) cars to see some of the end details and I need to order something to cut the styrene sheet better like a paper slicer or something (insert your suggestions here)
I am considering leaving this car unpainted being it's my first car, I will be building another and documenting the construction in detail in both photos and text for my article.
As my oldest brother says, "Do something, even if it's wrong."Teaching myself to weather, I did a LOT of horrible weathering jobs. That's why I bought a bunch of 99 cent junk cars at flea markets to practice on."Hey, Cabbie, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?""Practice, practice, practice!"Also -- your craftsmanship is quite good. The car is straight and level, and there is no obvious external seam where you made the join. Nicely done.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
Wayne, well said and thank you for the defense. This is Mr. Otte's forum of course, but looking at the big picture, I don't see things as dire as I was called out for, rather I see positive good things as evidenced by this latest topic. And where before, there was a lot of pushing needed, now we are seeing the fruits and young Steven is to be applauded and encourage here.
BNSF/UP, I'll PM you some specifics of what I did if you're interested.
I'm going to also be writing up an article for MR on the next car build.
I just emailed MRs article submission email about writing an article and I am now awaiting a response.
I wants some of those now. Keep up the good work!
I'll post a picture in a while, it might not be till this evening, I have a lot of stuff to do today.
Steven Otte doctorwayne Steven Otte ....Unconstructive posts in this thread, and posts that reply to them, will shortly be deleted. While I agree that derogatory and overly negative remarks do need to be moderated (I moderate on Big Blue), I don't see any of what's been posted in this thread fitting into that category. The discouraging posts I was referring to were deleted.
doctorwayne
While I agree that derogatory and overly negative remarks do need to be moderated (I moderate on Big Blue), I don't see any of what's been posted in this thread fitting into that category.
The discouraging posts I was referring to were deleted.