Sunday Photo Fun September 11th, 2022

[fr8kar]

I don't know what it is about banana containers that fascinates me, but these things have had my attention for a few years. Earlier this year after not being able to find decals or containers decorated for Chiquita I created the artwork and had decals printed. I applied the decals to some Atlas reefer containers and they turned out pretty good.




Dole is the other brand I wanted to model. These containers tend to move on Dole's own chassis, which typically have a genset attached to the frame. Early versions of these chassis-mount gensets have a separate fuel tank compared to modern versions which have the fuel tank included in a single unit that can be demounted from the chassis. In my modeling era the older style is appropriate so that's what I modeled and 3D printed.

The deeper I've gone down this rabbit hole the more I've realized some things I'll have to compromise on, such as proper reefer containers, and other things I won't compromise on, like the Fruehauf container chassis (it's easy enough to draw and print those). Decal availability is also an issue, but if I could come up with an inexpensive solution to a standard height 40' reefer container I'd push forward with the decals. Microscale makes the correct decals but I can't find them anywhere.

So here's the wrong container (Walthers high cube reefer) on the wrong chassis (American Limited 40'-48' adjustable chassis) with a 3D printed ThermoKing genset and fuel tank. And here is a photo showing a similar prototype:

www.matts-place.com/intermodal/part1/ref/dfiu6042413.jpg

[riogrande]

Cool trailer!

[sd40dash2]

Incredible skill, research and photography on display here, thanks for sharing with us Ryan!

[Donnell Wells]

I shared this on the N-scale board, but I wanted to show it here as well since this is SPF! So, I finally printed something after acquiring an Elegoo Mars 3 resin printer last November. The first print was a generic span bolster for a 100-ton Micro Trains roller bearing truck to be used on Deluxe Innovations Maxi-III and Twin-Stack well cars. It was patterned after the one used on the Athearn HO scale Gunderson Maxi III. They were painted and installed by Henry Baez. Here are some pics to enjoy!

Donnell

[drolsen]

Great stuff, Ryan! I’m a fan of those colorful logo reefers and containers but wouldn’t know where to begin to model them. I continue to be impressed how you’re cranking out both parts and decals now to model these interesting subjects.

Donnell, that part looks great! The photo of it mounted on the trucks looks like it could be the HO version if you hadn’t mentioned N scale.

I’m on the verge of diving into buying a 3D printer but want to spend some time with TinkerCAD and a couple other programs to see if I can successfully design the things I want before I invest in the printer. The driving force for me is not train parts (although I’d eventually want to make those too), but tunnel portals. The tunnels along the CSX Old Main Line in Maryland are brick or stone, but nearly all of them have the tunnel name above the portal, either carved in stone or built out with brick. I was contemplating how to model that with brick sheet, but after watching a few videos, I realized that resin printing is the answer. It will be a bit more complicated than just applying brick pattern, since some of the portal designs are pretty intricate, so I want to see if I can pull it off with the software first. Here’s an example of the Henryton east portal on the Old Main Line:

www.trainweb.org/oldmainline/oml/262henry.jpg

Probably don’t know what I’m getting myself into, but I have to give it a shot!

Dave

[simulatortrain]

Putting the finishing touches on a Speedwitch NH flat kit:

[12bridge]

I need about 8 shorty, 20' open top containers for my incinerator ash train.  I figure the chances of ever seeing these in HO are slim to none, so I reverse engineered a container and drew up a super basic one.  No interior detail, these will be tarped after all.  When I get ambitious I need to do the normal height 20' open top.  

We have every container style ever made under the sun, yet nobody has done open tops.  

[cemr5396]

Had these units done for a while but never got pics before now. Apologies if the pics are not great, I'm great at shooting the real thing, but the little ones not so much, LOL 




I wasn't planning on building one of these - I was hoping someone would make a better version RTR, but I found this Atlas unit at my local train show last year and the price was right, so I bought it. Work done included: Amputating the radiator wings and replacing with a KATO Dash 9 radiator, replacing the stack with one from Hi-Tech, a Details West snowplow, various rooftop antennas and new horn (also from DW), AMB Laser Kit windows, DA windshield wipers, adding all the frame and step striping, and new LED lighting all around - including adding the nose markers. I just noticed I did not get around to adding wind deflectors, I will have to check some of my photos and then add them if they are needed.




Rapido C40-8M,  this one was much less of a project. Added, filled in, and colored in the included etched metal class light housings, added MU and trainline hoses each end, replaced the horn with an appropriate Cal Scale offering, and added a DW cone antenna and mini Sinclair EOT antenna. At some point I will need to add the step stripes and get some metal sunshades to replace the plastic ones.


Both units also got Soundtraxx TSU2 sound decoders and Athearn dual cube speakers.

[dti406]

Here is what I finished this week.

Front Range 1944 AAr Boxcar kit, substituted a 7' Superior Door to match the prototype along with A-Line Sill Steps. Car was painted with Scalecoat II Boxcar Red #2 and lettered with Mask Island Decals. The DT&I used these cars in general service then gradually added insulation and a 8' plug door to make the 19000 series for Campbell Soup Service.



Next an Atlas 3960CF ACF Covered Hopper kit (with see through walkways). Car was painted with Scalecoat II MofW Gray and lettered with Mask Island Decals. I always thought this was one of the prettiest paint schemes put on a covered hopper. The cars were used for grain hauling out of ADM in Decatur, IL.



GP35-C424B and U25B with a general freight train on the Strongsville Club Layout.



Thanks for looking!

Rick Jesionowski

[Funnelfan]

Seeing Ryan H's photo of this reefer containers and chassis is much like my own modeling efforts. Starting in the mid 1990's, SP and then UP started hauling a large amount of bananas in reefer containers on chassis aboard the priority PCX intermodal trains running between LA and Portland. Most of those were painted for Dole, but other reefer containers were painted for Genstar and Cronos. There was also Bonita Banana trailers for a short time. Below are some photos I caught of the prototypes, admittedly bad photos taken from the dark side of the train that I've lighten to try to show the underframe details. I added A-line fuel tanks and scratchbuilt reefer units to chassis (I forget the brand) in 2011.

[fr8kar]

That's what I'm talking about, Ted! Nice work! I really appreciate the broadside view of the Fruehauf chassis in the last photo. I'm working on the CAD for that right now.

[slowfreight]

On that Bonita box, why does it look like the chassis is longer than the container?

[stevef45]

Sept 11, 2022 13:07:27 GMT -8 12bridge said:

I need about 8 shorty, 20' open top containers for my incinerator ash train.  I figure the chances of ever seeing these in HO are slim to none, so I reverse engineered a container and drew up a super basic one.  No interior detail, these will be tarped after all.  When I get ambitious I need to do the normal height 20' open top.  

We have every container style ever made under the sun, yet nobody has done open tops.  

What car will you be using to haul these? Are these the same as the epic 20 foot containers that haul municipal waste?

[stevef45]

Burning excess hours of time off so i got some stuff done on models.

Gotta get a can of black paint for the handrails that will be able to flex a little. Tru-color does not like flexing.
20220908_160449 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr
Finally have sound and lights installed in this beat! Sounds amazing.
20220912_161816 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr

Finally patched out these two units. The atsf unit was a regular snoot nose with cab headlight. I followed a tutorial on youtube on converting the snoot to a nose mounted light. Did some paint tests to find a near correct ratio to match athearns yellow. Came out close enough for me.
20220913_182611 by Tripps Pics79, on Flickr

Will be bringing these all in to do touch up paint work on them this weekend.