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.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
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.
I'll pick up a piece of smooth tile or such to use.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
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
BigDaddy I got my popcorn and I am watching
I got my popcorn and I am watching
Did you get the double extra large size?
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!
I understand the use of the other stuff but the magnets, steel strips, and tempered glass serve what purpose?
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.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
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'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.
Ed
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.
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.
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.
I'm just curious why such a gon exists
NWP SWP I'll be sure to post pictures of the progress on the car project.
I will be looking for the pictures in Weekend Photo Fun. You have comitted to posting update pictures before and always fell short.
As I said, I do believe this is the perfect project for you to finally "just do it", and I have faith that you can deliver this time.
I gotta cash my paycheck, and I'll order the stuff I need, so far I need two Roundhouse Coal Gondolas, I need a sheet of black styrene sheet, a Zona razor saw, and I tried finding black squadron putty but couldn't so I'm going to get gray. It'll probably be tomorrow afternoon when I order it all, I'm going to get my toolbag to work on the pool pumps at the hotel's right now. It a long story of why both pumps are broken and you probably won't believe me. I'll be sure to post pictures of the progress on the car project.
In the photo of those exotic long hi-side gondola's (leave you to find something exotic to focus on), the left car has 2-axle trucks and appears to be a similar car.
In the end I have to ask, why not just buy freight cars which were more common and save yourself and us a lot of drama?
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
From earlier "projects" I thought you stated that you weren't so concerned about accuracy. Why not just start the project and let the prototype trucks be icing on the cake? Until you enter it into a prototype kitbash contest, few folks are going to notice (or even care) they are "incorrect".
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
riogrande5761We can all give advise till we turn blue but is any of it being acted on in real life?
I have not seen any pictures of previous projects, but they were all way too ambitious that were mentioned before.
I have real hopes for this one. It is a good project for an early attempt, and I am looking forward to the pictures. I am also looking forward to answering questions that will arise, and seeing the final result.
Steven looks like he is on the "right track" with this idea.
Why not used the roller bearing trucks that come with the HO Thrall gondola model. Since the prototypes were produced in the mid-1960's and afterward, I doubt they would have had friction bearing style trucks.
NWP SWPI'm going to detail it a about as well as a Athearn RTR version of a Thrall Coal Gondola, and the biggest consession would be using friction bearing trucks, unless I go brass, if I can find them cheap enough.
If you are going to go with metal replacement trucks, Steven, I would just use Kadees. I've found brass trucks to be very tempermental because they can bend and distort easily.
At least that's the case on a few used brass cabooses that I purchased in the past. When I initially placed them on the track, they kept derailing. I soon discovered that the truck frame that attaches to the bolster was not flat but bent. I had to use some flat pliers to straighten them out; not difficult to do since the brass is thin and fairly pliable.
Kadee friction bearing trucks, IMO, would be more reliable, more readily available, and less expensive than brass ones. FWIW...
Tom
I'm going to detail it a about as well as a Athearn RTR version of a Thrall Coal Gondola, and the biggest consession would be using friction bearing trucks, unless I go brass, if I can find them cheap enough. Another thing I might not do is have it lettered for KCS, maybe Rio Grande or SP.
I found 10 Roundhouse Thrall Coal Gons for 55 bucks, I might bid on them, I don't know if I will go for exact replication of the KCS prototype as far as the stall spacing and count and such.
NWP SWPWhat about cutting two of these and splicing?
That sounds like an A+ great idea.
How about buildng it and posting pictures in Weekend Photo Fun so we can all share in the excitement?
NWP SWP What about cutting two of these and splicing?
What about cutting two of these and splicing?
Sure. It looks promising. There are obvious similarities.
How accurate will the model be? How much work will it take to make it accurate enough for your tastes?
I am impressed with the KCS prototype. It would be a grand model to run!
Are you talking about kitbashing that?
What were you going to make from it?
Also, Hoppers are more W shaped, while gondolas sit lower and have more of a rectangle shape to them.
Styrene or 3 D printing to scratchbuild, or find a rotary dump coal car with similar design and kitbash it.
Now if someone wanted to model this.
How would one go about modeling it?