I'm just curious why such a gon exists
NWP SWP I gotta find special trucks because the prototype rides of three axle buckeye roller bearing trucks.
I gotta find special trucks because the prototype rides of three axle buckeye roller bearing trucks.
Spring Mills Depot says they will be selling these trucks separately from their upcoming DODX heavy duty flat.
Ed
I did a little research on the KCS gon:
One thing, it's a 150 ton car. When new. Which can explain the 6-wheel trucks. I found a caption for the photo that notes that the two adjacent cars apparently had their trucks traded out for 4-wheel. I would think that that lowers the weight capacity of the cars.
Anyway, comparing the KCS car with the Athearn car in the other photo:
I had a look at dimensional data from the ORER. The KCS car is very roughly 22 feet longer, and 2' 8" taller. It is/was a humongous gon: 75' 11" overall length!
One COULD just lengthen the Athearn car out to about 76', and run it with regular 4-wheel trucks. Done that way, it's a pretty simple project; the trick being getting a really nice square and tight join. With a little care, you could use the BN prelettered cars (or maybe one of the other schemes), and just redecal the numbers and some of the data. This would, of course, be a fantasy car. But doing a simplified model is already a fantasy, anyway. If you found some older ones, they came 5 to a box. Two boxes would yield 5 of the longies. A nice block of cars to run in a train.
They were built as 150 ton coal cars, they were relegated to woodchip service when that happened some of the cars lost their buckeye three axles for standard two axle trucks, some cars also received 31" extensions to their sides to increase capacity.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
I'm fine with Steven's enthusiasms. If I feel I'm putting too much time into one of his projects, I just stop.
Maybe he'll build something. Maybe not.
Gentlemen, I just placed an order for two roundhouse thrall 100 ton 50 ft high side gondolas, a Zona razor saw, a miter box, a sheet of evergreen black styrene, grey squadron putty, and a host scale ruler, it all came to 66 dollars. I will post updates as they happen. Thank you!
I got my popcorn and I am watching
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
NWP SWPI just placed an order for two roundhouse thrall 100 ton 50 ft high side gondolas, a Zona razor saw, a miter box, a sheet of evergreen black styrene, grey squadron putty, and a host scale ruler
.
That sounds like a good assortment. There are a lot of things that will make the project better that you might already have.
Sanding blocks, squares, small steel strips and rare earth magnets, a large flat mill file, and a sheet of tempered glass will all help.
If you need encouragement, just ask. If you run into trouble, just ask.
Most importantly... when it starts to go wrong, just finish it.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I understand the use of the other stuff but the magnets, steel strips, and tempered glass serve what purpose?
NWP SWPmagnets, steel strips, and tempered glass serve what purpose?
Steel strips and magnets are very useful for holding parts in alignment. Tempered glass s a perfectly smooth surface to assemble on. A piece of sandpaper on tempered glass can give a very smooth and even finished surface.
No worry if you do not have these... just get it done!
BigDaddy I got my popcorn and I am watching
Did you get the double extra large size?
SeeYou190Tempered glass s a perfectly smooth surface to assemble on.
I bought a polished granite floor tile 12x12 on sale as a leftover at a big box store, serves the same purpose. I usually use wet-dry sandpaper and wet it, then put it on the granite tile to get smooth cut surfaces.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I'll pick up a piece of smooth tile or such to use.
years ago i bought a 12" by 12" by 3" polished granet surface plate ( at the time the plate was under 25$ , think they can still be had for under 40 $ ) and a used starret surface gauge , found them to be a real assest through the years , not just for assembling and kit bashing things , but also for painting stright long lines on models.
j. c.and a used starret surface gauge
A surface gauge is indispensable. It is one of things that once you have used it, you can't go on without one.
I just bought a 12x12 black granite polished tile, #1 xacto blades, 400 grit wetordry, and rustoleum Satin Hunt Club Green, that's the color Imma gonna paint it.
Surface gauge:
Surface plate:
Going slightly fancy on the surface plate, I bought an aluminum one from The Train Shop in San Jose about a zillion years ago. It's 1/2 inch thick, 10 1/2" x 12 1/2", and fully machined. What's especially handy is that I cut two grooves in the plate at HO gage. That makes it SO easy to measure up from rail height.
The tile was only 4 bucks and was the smoothest, not too big piece I could find.
NWP SWP So it's basically a difference in the bottom of the container.
So it's basically a difference in the bottom of the container.
The cars came in today, along with the squadron putty.
I've ordered Athearn Buckeyes and perhaps I can figure out how to replace the friction bearings with roller bearings.
And I bid on a pair of Athearn BB covered gondolas, I'm going to borrow the covers off them for now and I'm going to steal the underframe to bolster the thrall underframes, I'll have to of course file down the rivets off the underframe.
NWP SWP I'll have to of course file down the rivets off the underframe.
Why?
NWP SWP The cars came in today, along with the squadron putty. I've ordered Athearn Buckeyes and perhaps I can figure out how to replace the friction bearings with roller bearings.
https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Shop/tabid/91/c/trucks/p/3080/Default.aspx
I talked to Rod at the club, he wants me to wait and get with him to make resin castings of the part cars so I can mess up a few times and then once I make a single car I can use that as a master to make more single piece cars.
"Messing up" is part of the fun and education of kitbashing, as you hone your skills and correct your "mistakes". Just do it as you originally planned and have Rod give you pointers as you go along. While learning about resin casting might be useful, it's a different medium than styrene.
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
And perhaps I can make resin copies of the car to have a unit train set.
NWP SWPhe wants me to wait and get with him to make resin castings of the part cars so I can mess up a few times and then once I make a single car I can use that as a master
Well, this sounds like you are heading for another stalled project, and this fellow is giving you bad advice.
Excitement is never as high for a new project as when you first get started. You need to make progress as fast as possible in the beginning. This sounds especially true for you and the way you are distracted by the next interesting thing that comes along.
It is foolish to think your first kitbashwill be good enough to make masters from. So again, that sounds like bad advice for you.
I will say this one more time like everyone in here has told you. JUST DO IT!
Seriously, get this one done. Get experience. Learn the tools. Maybe in ten more projects you will make something good enough to duplicate in resin.
I cannot believe someone is encouraging you to stall a project.
SeeYou190Well, this sounds like you are heading for another stalled project... Seriously, get this one done. Get experience. Learn the tools. Maybe in ten more projects you will make something good enough to duplicate in resin.
Totally agree, Kevin.
tstage SeeYou190 Well, this sounds like you are heading for another stalled project... Seriously, get this one done. Get experience. Learn the tools. Maybe in ten more projects you will make something good enough to duplicate in resin. Totally agree, Kevin.
SeeYou190 Well, this sounds like you are heading for another stalled project... Seriously, get this one done. Get experience. Learn the tools. Maybe in ten more projects you will make something good enough to duplicate in resin.
Thirded. The guy at the club is encouraging you to add a higher degree of complexity to the project causing it to grow hair. Based on all the past "too ambitious" idea's, if you let this one get too complex, it may end up in the dust bin of history of projects with high hopes but never completed.
Forget adding extra things to the project. Just do the basic kit bash and follow it through to completion.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Well, may I be the 4th to agree!
Those of us that have built kits, kit bashed or scratchbuilt models started out pretty simple and basic, with typically each successive attempt better than the previous.
I urge you to start slow, keep your expectations reasonable, and just DO IT.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
If you have concerns about how to cut up the plastic bodies, the quick and cheap method is to photocopy or scan and print an image of the car side and then make the cuts on the paper copies. Literally cut and paste.
I do this all the time with buildings, it is waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy quicker than making resin copies (I also do resin casting).