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Post by cf7 on Nov 10, 2024 4:15:27 GMT -8
This week, I added another boxcar to my SVC fleet, a Tichy Steel side rebuilt boxcar kit. For some reason, I got a little trash in the clear coat. I lightly sanded with 600 grit paper and cleared it again. It looks better, but if it bothers me too much, I'll strip it and redo it. We'll see...I hate it when stuff like that happens.  |
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Post by sd40dash2 on Nov 10, 2024 6:15:23 GMT -8
That looks amazing, downvote to the stripping idea.
Any shots of the underframe?
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Post by hudsonyard on Nov 10, 2024 7:31:12 GMT -8
I weathered this old Ertl USRA box, this isn't even remotely in my modeling era so it will be headed to a friends layout who needs some additional equipment.   Replaced the weird tan color trucks with intermountain ones from my parts box, powders and dullcoat did the job on this one. Those NP cars in the back are Accurail steel reefers, a three pack followed me home from Bayshore Hobbies last week.  |
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Post by 12bridge on Nov 10, 2024 8:09:33 GMT -8
I started work on a Howe Truss transfer bridge. These littered NY Harbor as one of the preferred styles, as the wood construction allowed them to flex more then the steel variations.  The former B&O bridge at West 26th Street in Manhattan still survives, although this one is a slightly shorter, lighter duty one then the version I am building.  I picked up all my stripwood from Mt. Albert Lumber. I love their wood, its consistent quality, not fuzzy, and they have great customer service. Stain from Hunterline (I like the Alcohol based stains, they do not take a month to dry), and I picked up a new micro miter box set from UMM and Micromarks "thin beam" square.  Each main truss will contain more then 100 castings (prints..) of 12 different styles, over 100 pieces of wood and 140 pieces of wire. Times three.  Working toggle bars - these align the bridge to the carfloat. I taught myself CAD to draw and print these through Shapeways way back when as my first project. These blow those parts clean out of the water.   I wanted to build up a "sample" of the winch to check alignment and see how it went together before building the actual ones. I am thrilled with how it all fit. I printed a basic jig to align the wood sides. |
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Post by cpr4200 on Nov 10, 2024 8:36:46 GMT -8
Wow, that bridge is going to be amazing! I've thought of doing a diorama of the HBS float bridge in Hoboken. It seems to have had a slip switch in the middle? Probably will never build it, seems like all the HBS material that exists is out there already and there doesn't seem to be a lot of detail on this area.
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Post by tom on Nov 10, 2024 10:22:39 GMT -8
Here is my recently completed 40' SOO LINE plugdoor boxcar that was kitbashed from a 50' Branchline car. I cut 5' off from each end, added a 40' roof, modified the sidesills and added Tangent trucks and a Plano running board. Decals are from Microscale. Plans and photographs of the car were featured in an old issue of Model Railroader. Accurail does make a similar model but all of the details are molded on their model on so I went the kitbash route.  |
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Post by stevef45 on Nov 10, 2024 15:06:22 GMT -8
I started work on a Howe Truss transfer bridge. These littered NY Harbor as one of the preferred styles, as the wood construction allowed them to flex more then the steel variations. The former B&O bridge at West 26th Street in Manhattan still survives, although this one is a slightly shorter, lighter duty one then the version I am building. I picked up all my stripwood from Mt. Albert Lumber. I love their wood, its consistent quality, not fuzzy, and they have great customer service. Stain from Hunterline (I like the Alcohol based stains, they do not take a month to dry), and I picked up a new micro miter box set from UMM and Micromarks "thin beam" square. Each main truss will contain more then 100 castings (prints..) of 12 different styles, over 100 pieces of wood and 140 pieces of wire. Times three. Working toggle bars - these align the bridge to the carfloat. I taught myself CAD to draw and print these through Shapeways way back when as my first project. These blow those parts clean out of the water. I wanted to build up a "sample" of the winch to check alignment and see how it went together before building the actual ones. I am thrilled with how it all fit. I printed a basic jig to align the wood sides. Awesome stuff do far! Maybe start a build thread. Don't see those often on here anymore. |
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Post by simulatortrain on Nov 10, 2024 19:28:41 GMT -8
Finished building my first Cannon boxcar kit, the brown Milwaukee PC&F box. Paint will be soon, finishing up some other cars to hit in the same spray session.   And here are a couple partial WIP shots. I found a Charles Lange shot once on FB of a derailed GATX 78302, which looked like a fairly large car. Overlaying the artwork drawing of the (at the time) American Limited ATSF tanks, everything matched up. So, I believe I've found a non-company-service use for one of these! Here's the rather huge dome platform I added to my car. The only other thing I really had to do was replace the handbrake with a vertical shaft wheel.  Partially complete plug door build on a Branchline car that's becoming an IC Centralia car.  |
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Post by dti406 on Nov 11, 2024 5:14:52 GMT -8
I managed to complete a couple of cars this week. First up is a Branchline Boxcar 40' 1944 AAR Boxcar kit, where I substituted a kitbashed Despatch Shops roof in place the the standard roof offerings, added A-Line Sill Steps and painted the car with Floquil Penn Central green that I mixed from Jade Green and Dark Green paints, then lettered with Microscale Decals. The Lot 858B cars were built for the NYC and were the only 40' cars with a Despatch Shops roof, car was assigned to the Root blower plant in Connersville, IN.  Next a Stewart 14 Panel Hopper car, in the late fifties the NYC and P&LE built many new 70 Ton Hopper cars to replace worn out 50 Ton Twin Hoppers to service their industrial customers and power plants. Car was painted with Scalecoat II Black paint and lettered with K4 decals.  Last week I took my new Scaletrains SD45X to the club to power a reefer block running on the Strongsville Club layout.  Thanks for looking! Rick Jesionowski |
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Nov 11, 2024 6:24:50 GMT -8
Terrific CAD work on the Howe Bridge project.
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Post by 12bridge on Nov 11, 2024 7:09:18 GMT -8
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Post by cf7 on Nov 11, 2024 7:22:55 GMT -8
That looks amazing, downvote to the stripping idea. Any shots of the underframe? Thanks, and yeah, the more I look at it, the more it looks OK. Here is the photo of the underframe of my SVC boxcar. I didn't add some of the fittings or the train line. I just added what would be seen on the track.  |
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Post by sd40dash2 on Nov 11, 2024 7:47:15 GMT -8
I know we tend to be our own worst critics. If those side spots still bother you, you could always give each one a dot of rust to fool your eyes.
The uf looks great as well. I gave up with the train line as it can easily interfere with truck swing. Operations trump looks so I agree with your approach under here. A basic level of piping, levers, rods and chain is cheap and easy fun. Plus it's good to see what others are doing underneath so please keep these uf views coming!
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Post by simulatortrain on Nov 12, 2024 18:54:37 GMT -8
Centralia box finished, other than some Archer rivets I'm waiting to arrive. Could have sworn I had the ones I needed!  |
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Post by tom on Nov 13, 2024 4:48:18 GMT -8
Centralia box finished, other than some Archer rivets I'm waiting to arrive. Could have sworn I had the ones I needed! Very nice work on that IC car. Is is going to be brown or orange? |
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Post by simulatortrain on Nov 13, 2024 8:05:18 GMT -8
Centralia box finished, other than some Archer rivets I'm waiting to arrive. Could have sworn I had the ones I needed! Very nice work on that IC car. Is is going to be brown or orange? Thanks! 1967 build date in orange. I'd probably go with one of the earlier brown cars, if the doors weren't offset to the right. |
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Post by jacksong1218 on Nov 13, 2024 14:28:48 GMT -8
simulatortrain Very nice work on that IC box!! What primer did you use on it? Mostly finished this CSX GP38, and took it outside to take some photos. Relocated the bell, new horn casting, details west sunshades and tracks, Canon fans, and speed recorder. I need to print a chessie rock plow, as the details west one I got for the project did not fit at all. Loksound 5, scalesoundsystems speaker and LED lighting were also installed.  
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Post by simulatortrain on Nov 13, 2024 16:31:40 GMT -8
Thank you! It's Tamiya fine surface primer, I tend to spray as I go to make sure there aren't areas of rework I need to address before paint. And it works fine to adhere decal rivets
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Post by slowfreight on Nov 14, 2024 11:26:30 GMT -8
I'll add a repost of my Centralia-built car to the fun. Struggling to remember which Branchline kit I used as a core, but I think mods were mostly the sill, door opening reinforcements, and a variety of detail parts. Plano roofwalk supports, Kadee ladders/grabs, Plano cut lever bracket. And of course Kohlberg decals. Because ICG. Proto photo: www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=72868I picked it to use the large-letter version of the Kohlberg decals. Mine still needs weathering:  Funny to think how restricted these old 50-ton Plate Be cars were, in comparison to 100t cars. |
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Post by timvanmersbergen on Nov 14, 2024 14:05:07 GMT -8
Might as well jump on the Centralia bandwagon. How about a 1965 build with 10' door and cushion underframe in original brown?  Tim VanMersbergen |
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Post by tom on Nov 15, 2024 5:24:47 GMT -8
I'll continue with the Centralia built boxcar topic too. I completed this Illinois Central Centralia built boxcar just last month but have not weathered it yet.  Like others I started with a Branchline 50' boxcar with fishbelly sidesills and an 8' door. To match up with the protype I added a 10' Kadee Superior door, squared off the ends of the sidesills, added extra ladders, Moloco roof and cushion devices and Plano running boards, running board supports and end platforms. I also used Tahoe 70-ton trucks and Kadee short shank couplers. I added door gussets with Archer rivets. I used 0005" styrene for the gussets.  I painted it brown/red oxide and then lettered it with Kholberg's excellent ICG decals. |
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Post by wagnersteve on Nov 15, 2024 6:04:10 GMT -8
Nov. 15, shortly before 9 a.m., EST
Great modeling, guys -- better than any I've ever done. Thanks very much for posting.
In case anyone might be interested, I've always liked the IC's "Main Line of Mid-America" slogan, having seen some cars wearing it back in the 1950s and 1960s. I remember when the railroad got LIndberg to make a special HO train set powered by a black EMD diesel-electric switcher wearing the "green diamond" herald, which I saw on EMD Geeps at Champaign, IL in 1970. I also loved the original "split rail" IC logo adopted when the railroad started painting its boxcars orange; If I recall correctly, it was suggested by a regular railroad worker, not a "creative" person at an ad agency or design firm. I didn't like the unsplit rail version adopted after the GM&O was merged into the IC or any of the later IC logos, including the "Death Star" -- remember that in the Star Wars series that was created by the "baddies". I think the IC's longtime chocolate and orange with yellow lettering and striping was absolutely classic; I prefered the font and "grand diamond" herald on the E units to what was adopted later. Also loved the GM&O's red and maroon with yellow or gold passenger livery and the arched road name including a comma on many of its freight cars. Those colors go back to the Chicago & Alton's "Red Train" ca. 1900 and inspired those long used by the CGW and, more recently, by several tourist lines. The fastrest I've ever ridden behind diesel power was probably the Panama Limited from Champaign to Chicago in 1970; I think we hit 100 mph.
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Post by cpr4200 on Nov 15, 2024 10:01:46 GMT -8
Adam, is your plug door hardware scratchbuilt?
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Post by simulatortrain on Nov 15, 2024 14:17:51 GMT -8
Adam, is your plug door hardware scratchbuilt? Yes it is. The only commercial parts related to the doors are DA GE lift rings for those middle hinges and Moloco door stops on the right. Tom, what paint color did you use for your IC box? I've got a 40' car I painted that I think is much too dark and brown, and I think I recall that you like to spray acrylics as I do. (Tim- I'd be curious what you used as well if it's acrylic.) |
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Post by tom on Nov 15, 2024 15:51:50 GMT -8
Tom, what paint color did you use for your IC box? I've got a 40' car I painted that I think is much too dark and brown, and I think I recall that you like to spray acrylics as I do. (Tim- I'd be curious what you used as well if it's acrylic.) I used some of my almost gone stash of PollyScale for the mix. I used 2 parts Oxide Red to 1 part Freight Car Red. I would probably need some more brown for a newly built car but this mix looks good for a later era plus weathering is still needed. |
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Post by timvanmersbergen on Nov 18, 2024 6:24:05 GMT -8
Adam, is your plug door hardware scratchbuilt? Yes it is. The only commercial parts related to the doors are DA GE lift rings for those middle hinges and Moloco door stops on the right. Tom, what paint color did you use for your IC box? I've got a 40' car I painted that I think is much too dark and brown, and I think I recall that you like to spray acrylics as I do. (Tim- I'd be curious what you used as well if it's acrylic.) Sorry, can't help on this one. I mixed the shade from Model Master paints a few years back. Tim |
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Post by drolsen on Nov 20, 2024 5:50:35 GMT -8
I need to print a chessie rock plow, as the details west one I got for the project did not fit at all. I ran into that the one time I used the DW rock plow about 20 years ago. If I recall correctly, it was too tall and sat on the rails when aligned at the right height relative to the draft gear and MU hoses. I suspect it was designed when models road much higher, so it doesn’t work with newer diesels designed to ride at the correct height. I ended up heavily modifying it, removing the entire back mounting plate and shortening the height, as well as angling it upward slightly (“lifting its chin”) to get the correct look. I made a new backing plate with styrene sheet and added the mounting bolts. It was a ton of work, which is why I only did it once. Atlas sold their GP40-2 rock plow separately for a while, part 891256. It doesn’t seem to be listed now, so probably sold out, but may be worth calling them. Edit: Great weathering, by the way! Dave |
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Post by jacksong1218 on Nov 20, 2024 9:09:32 GMT -8
I need to print a chessie rock plow, as the details west one I got for the project did not fit at all. I ran into that the one time I used the DW rock plow about 20 years ago. If I recall correctly, it was too tall and sat on the rails when aligned at the right height relative to the draft gear and MU hoses. I suspect it was designed when models road much higher, so it doesn’t work with newer diesels designed to ride at the correct height. I ended up heavily modifying it, removing the entire back mounting plate and shortening the height, as well as angling it upward slightly (“lifting its chin”) to get the correct look. I made a new backing plate with styrene sheet and added the mounting bolts. It was a ton of work, which is why I only did it once. Atlas sold their GP40-2 rock plow separately for a while, part 891256. It doesn’t seem to be listed now, so probably sold out, but may be worth calling them. Edit: Great weathering, by the way! Dave Thanks for the tip! I had forgotten that Atlas made the rock plow, I'll try to track one down. I think the CSX Rapido GP38s have them as well if Atlas doesn't have the part. Thank you ! |
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