Lone Wolf and Santa Fe dragonriversteel What company manufacturers wooden deck for these flat cars ? I'll be darned if I can remember. I think you are looking for Modeler's Choice laser cut wood decks. I have them on a couple of bulkhead flat cars and they look really nice. The ones I have I bought on eBay, but you can order them directly from their website: http://modelerschoice.com/
dragonriversteel What company manufacturers wooden deck for these flat cars ? I'll be darned if I can remember.
I think you are looking for Modeler's Choice laser cut wood decks. I have them on a couple of bulkhead flat cars and they look really nice. The ones I have I bought on eBay, but you can order them directly from their website:
http://modelerschoice.com/
Thank you Lonewolf for the link. Never heard of Modelers choice before. Might give them a whirl.
Patrick
Fear an Ignorant Man more than a Lion- Turkish proverb
Modeling an ficticious HO scale intergrated Scrap Yard & Steel Mill Melt Shop.
Southland Industrial Railway or S.I.R for short. Enterchanging with Norfolk Southern.
dknelson I have been weathering plastic "wood" flatcar decks using techniques in an article by Matt Snell article in the November 2014 issue of Model Railroader (I also recommend Lou Sassi's flatcar article in the June 2009 Model Railroader). I have added a few refinements of my own. After masking the car sides and ends, I first paint the decks using rattle cans of Krylon Ultra-Flat Camouflage Khaki (8141), followed by a flat gray primer, with Testors DullCote following that. Snell distresses and chips the outer edges of the "wood" deck boards by dragging an angled sharp edge of a rough wood workshop type file against the edge of the deck boards, and makes deep scratches into the deck by pushing the tip of that file parallel to the deck boards. It sounds violent and in a way it is; for delicate kits such as Proto2000 and Intermountain this is best done before assembly before the fine details are added. For some flatcar models, but not the MDC 60 footer, the decks are a separate casting from the car body itself. I wanted a bit more control over how the edges of the deck boards were distressed, particularly when weathering detachable decks. Remembering from benchwork construction how (painfully) sharp the threads are on #6 coarse thread black drywall screws, I gave one a try, and found that scraping the threads against the edges of the deck boards gave them a very plausible "chipped" appearance. I then tried using the sharp end of the screw to create the gouges on the deck surface and the results seemed not only comparable to what Snell achieved using the hard tip of the large file, but more practical in scales smaller than HO. The remainder of my weathering involves vigorous brushing parallel to the deck boards with a wire brush and even a swipe or two with coarse sandpaper stapled to a block of wood. A dental pick then is run through the slots between the deck boards to revive the seams. Any bits of plastic debris are brushed away with a stiff bristle brush. A final coat of DullCote, then a wash of alcohol and india ink to emphasize the texture; perhaps even some weathering powders, ending with a final coat of Dullcote. What you do is get down to the levels of those two differing paints that you started with, so the end result is "damaged" sun bleached wood (grays) and hints of fresh wood uncovered by the damage. Dave Nelson
I have been weathering plastic "wood" flatcar decks using techniques in an article by Matt Snell article in the November 2014 issue of Model Railroader (I also recommend Lou Sassi's flatcar article in the June 2009 Model Railroader). I have added a few refinements of my own.
After masking the car sides and ends, I first paint the decks using rattle cans of Krylon Ultra-Flat Camouflage Khaki (8141), followed by a flat gray primer, with Testors DullCote following that.
Snell distresses and chips the outer edges of the "wood" deck boards by dragging an angled sharp edge of a rough wood workshop type file against the edge of the deck boards, and makes deep scratches into the deck by pushing the tip of that file parallel to the deck boards. It sounds violent and in a way it is; for delicate kits such as Proto2000 and Intermountain this is best done before assembly before the fine details are added. For some flatcar models, but not the MDC 60 footer, the decks are a separate casting from the car body itself.
I wanted a bit more control over how the edges of the deck boards were distressed, particularly when weathering detachable decks. Remembering from benchwork construction how (painfully) sharp the threads are on #6 coarse thread black drywall screws, I gave one a try, and found that scraping the threads against the edges of the deck boards gave them a very plausible "chipped" appearance. I then tried using the sharp end of the screw to create the gouges on the deck surface and the results seemed not only comparable to what Snell achieved using the hard tip of the large file, but more practical in scales smaller than HO.
The remainder of my weathering involves vigorous brushing parallel to the deck boards with a wire brush and even a swipe or two with coarse sandpaper stapled to a block of wood. A dental pick then is run through the slots between the deck boards to revive the seams. Any bits of plastic debris are brushed away with a stiff bristle brush. A final coat of DullCote, then a wash of alcohol and india ink to emphasize the texture; perhaps even some weathering powders, ending with a final coat of Dullcote.
What you do is get down to the levels of those two differing paints that you started with, so the end result is "damaged" sun bleached wood (grays) and hints of fresh wood uncovered by the damage.
Dave Nelson
Hi Dave,
A we bit worried about scratching or etching marks into plastic. Truthfully, I would screw it up certainly.
With these old stock 60' foot flat cars. At this time my best bet is stick on wood decks. These I can weather using using the Model Railroader method you discribed. Thank you for chiming in Dave I appreciate it.
wp8thsub The stock trucks work fine with ExactRail or Intermountain wheelsets. You can use undersize 33" wheels to prevent rubbing on the underbody. If you want to use 36" wheelsets, you may either have to shim the bolsters or remove material from under the car, probably regardless of which trucks you choose. You might also have to adjust the coupler height. On the above car I used dry-brushed acrylics to weather the deck. It's a suggestion if you can't find the wood decks, or want to try a lower cost option for finishing the model.
The stock trucks work fine with ExactRail or Intermountain wheelsets. You can use undersize 33" wheels to prevent rubbing on the underbody. If you want to use 36" wheelsets, you may either have to shim the bolsters or remove material from under the car, probably regardless of which trucks you choose. You might also have to adjust the coupler height.
On the above car I used dry-brushed acrylics to weather the deck. It's a suggestion if you can't find the wood decks, or want to try a lower cost option for finishing the model.
Thank you Rob,
Gonna have to give acrylics a whirl apparently. Flat turned out great. That's an old school Roundhouse kit ? Geez, i've been painting with rattle cans kinda defeats the purpose.
What other HO treasures do you hold ?
jrbernier I used I-M metal wheel sets on mine. I have no problem with the stock trucks. I did ream out the journals with my Micro Mark 'tool'. And for the decking, I use American Model Builders #325 wood deck kit. The cars are rather light, is I weighted them with #9 birdshot... Jim
I used I-M metal wheel sets on mine. I have no problem with the stock trucks. I did ream out the journals with my Micro Mark 'tool'. And for the decking, I use American Model Builders #325 wood deck kit. The cars are rather light, is I weighted them with #9 birdshot...
Jim
Thank you Jim. That's the company that eluded me. Not familiar with #9 birdshot. Is it smaller in diameter than say BB's ?
I like your idea using birdshot. I've been using BB's for extra weight.
dragonriversteelWhat company manufacturers wooden deck for these flat cars ? I'll be darned if I can remember.
Rob Spangler
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Just picked up three Roundhouse 60' trailer train flat cars. I haven't had these in years but remember the trucks rub the frame.
What brand of metal wheel trucks fit old run Roundhouse cars with no frame rubbing problems ?
Yet,another question.
What company manufacturers wooden deck for these flat cars ? I'll be darned if I can remember.
Thank you.