Members Monthly Project - September 2012

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So another month rolls by and it's time for a fresh project. I believe we have another volunteer for this month.
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Hi Robert,

Yup, I'll still put together the article for you - been rather busy but it will be done very soon!

Are you OK, looking at the fires that you have had in Spain?

Yours Peter.
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No problem in our area of Spain this year with regard to fires. The possibility is always there of course because everywhere is tinder dry and it doesn't take much to set things off.
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Hi,
 
I model now in the large scale, generally called G scale, but more accurately FN3, which is Narrow gauge running on 45mm track gauge. I used to make wagons in 4mm scale EM Gauge, but alas, advancing years have caught up, but not having stopped the modeling it is now in the above.
 
My layout, which is in the garden, and is of the early railroad years in Colorado, from the 1880s:  Why then – because locomotives and freight cars were small, and easier to build. I am retired, and as virtually all of it is scratch built buy me it keeps me busy which is the intention when I retired; there is a small village, with several buildings occupying one end of the garden which is in a sun shadow, that is in winter the low sun does not show in that area due to a hedge and the elevation of the sun.
 
Preamble over; this project is on building Freight Cars, or in English and not American wagons.
 
The narrow gauge to start with had only two forms of freight cars – one was the flat car, and the other was the box car, based on the flat car at first on the flat car; these were used for loads that required protection, and also high value loads like the mineral ores mined in Colorado which had to be moved for smelting to get the minerals out. In this early period the ores were even shipped from Colorado, eastwards across America and over the Atlantic to Swansea which then was the main place for smelting Copper ores!
 
I mainly use a material which must be capable of being left outside in all weather – along name for it is PVC solid foam sheet, the main use of which is for making exhibition signs. This material is totally inert, and can be bought in large sheets (8x4 feet) its not cheap but superb stuff for my purposes; it is not the artist’s foam board, which has a paper cover on each side.  This board has nothing but the foam PVC. I also use the plastic corrugated board that is used by Estate Agents for their signs, but that is for buildings only

 
These two vehicles are in a ¼” scale book of plans available from the USA: they are enlarged via my scanner to full size which is 15mm to the foot.  The sheets are joined measuring all the time to ensure that the machinery has done its job right!  They are both 30 scale feet long, which is almost the largest size that the railroad had. And were originally built in 1884; almost right at the end of my (self imposed) period. That date of 1885 was chosen as then the Union Pacific had bought out the railroad and they were almost bankrupt at the time so all fancywork ceased – the locos went to plain black, and freight vehicle were still the cheapest, and long lasting colour known to man – red oxide, or Barn Red (which is the same colour)  which was used on everything.
 
Here is a photo of the two of them on my trestle in the garden; together they are just over a yard in length. The flatcar is finished as having jist been delivered; the boxcar is in a slightly older finish with some light weathering.






The flatcar is loaded with some of the crates and loads that can fit inside the crates; they will be described later.


More to follow

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Hi Peter.  I just got an Aristo G scale RS 2 on special through the NKPHTS (Nickel Plate Society), so this will be very interesting for me.
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Looking forward to this Peter.

It's a scale many of us would love to model but, unless one has the available space, it remains but a dream ………….:roll:

'Petermac
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Hi Petermac,  

Thanks for fixing my mistake.

I know what you mean about space; though I do know of G scale layouts built inside. I was lucky - we moved down our road to look after my mother in law (her husband had recently died) who had a corner plot; this was just after I retired, and I started to plan the layout, and changed scale to large scale all at the same time.

The RS2 is an interesting loco re the Nickel Plate  I suspect that they did not own any of then but there were other RS series locos owned by them - not certain though as the NKP is not one of the RR's  I am fully conversant with, and its 'way to late' for me! The price they are offered at is very good - congratulations! Same colours as the Rio grande used so I think it will be a livery of the 1950's?

Changing to Steam locos of the NKP –  do you know of the video - which is a trailer, but still good of the Berkshire Steam locos  NKP 765 and PM 1225 2 8 4 locos (both the same design, and preserved) working together?

Here is a link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0gaHvVOz8E&feature=related

In true American fashion, there is smoke everywhere and whistles galore!

Yours Peter.

Last edit: by peterbunce

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  Building flatcars

This one is 30 foot long, early narrow gauge were from 26 foot long upwards, logging railroads when they has them (for moving logs bogie trucks with a ‘bunk’ or cross piece were generally used), could be shorter. The vehicles were usually overloaded, and generally heavily abused as well thus they had a very hard life.

A variation of these vehicles was that the railroad found a new for some wagons to carry coal and minerals - so they added removable sides and ends to them to make what are called 'gondolas'; ion addition a summer only traffic was for excursions - again the flatcar was used another removable top was added which had seats and and a roof with at roof level a series of canvas drop down curtains that would add protection from the afternoon summer  showers in Colorado  - almost half a boxcar but for passengers - these were taken off in the winter and the flatcar reverted to its original design. A shorter lived variation on the DSP&PRR who at the time were the only (fast) means of access to the town of Leadville (which is at 11000 feet plus) and in the middle of a gold & silver rush was to add what looked like a cattle car, but wasn't , it was much too flimsy for that; a baggage car from some of their flatcars; to move fragile freight to Leadville. 
 
Back to plain and very useful flatcars - The deck is 3m PVC foam, the sides and ends underneath are 5mm PVC foam; the underside has 4 end to end pieces as the originals, made from softwood cut on my small Proxxon circular saw  that has been heavily used in my model making and save a huge amount of time.
 
The deck is grooved for the planks with an Olfa cutter on plasticard it can be drawn across the surface twice to leave a good groove, however I used PVC foam for these flatcar decks; on that material pulling the Olfa cutter will rip the surface - it needs to be pushed and not pulled. With plasticard the swarf that comes off should then be cleaned off the carpet as it will otherwise get everywhere, the surface of PVC foam is in effect depressed (it does not move after grooving)!  Add the grooves on the edges of the planks – I use a razor saw, sand the upper surface to get rid of the ‘knibs’ each side of the groove (the same system was used on my 4 mm wagons for the floor and inside of the planks) and then using some rough scrap sandpaper add some  'grain' across the deck, make the sandpaper grooves reasonably deep as the paint will fill some of the depth.
 
I build up the underside on the deck, ensuring that the sides are set in the depth of the ¼” square Plastruct ABS tube that is used for the stake pockets along the side,  These are 8mm deep. Add any bolt heads from square plasticard strip, and also on the end planks the ends of the truss rods; these did not have ant turnbuckles so are much easier to model, and there were only two – later versions had four as the plan.
 
The stake pockets have a stiffening and securing strip around the – on this vehicle there is only one ; the shorter ones have three! The large flatcar  strips are made from 1mm square plasticard added in the centre of the pocket when they have been fixed to the side with Evo-stik; when totally dry (overnight) file out the small slot from the floor, to allow the stakes (which can be all lengths and colours as they were often made from scarp wood. The flatcars of the DSP&PRR were unusual insofar as at then ends and inside the end plank there were two holes cit through the deck tucked inside the plank, that were used for extra stakes.
 
The underside which I simplify, has two (in the centre) strips 6mm wide and two more outside them that are only 3mm thick: all are 10mm deep – these are made from softwood. The needle beams in the centre are made from scrap PVC and are 13mm deep these hold the queen posts that hold the truss rods, those are made from 5 tiny pieces of plasticard, with a small section of tube on the lower end – times 4. The truss rods themselves which in the full size version ran from end to end and could be tightened up at the ends are made from bicycle spokes; mine are in three pieces with small blocks at the extreme ends and glued on securely with my favourite glue (Evo-stik)  They do not run full length as the overscale flanges of the wheels when going round my  sharp curves) would foul them . The bogie bolsters are from plasticard, and the centre area is filled with some scrap for the fixing screw
 
The bogies are Bachmann ones – much modified, and will be described in the boxcar build. These vehicles were Westinghouse brake fitted,  (originally the DSP used a vacuum brake system – how it managed to work at up to 11000+ feet is a bit of a mystery!);  a simplified brake cylinder is made from scrap and glued in position in the centre between the queen posts; I don’t add the brake rigging though I used to; 99% of the time it will not be seen.
 
The air pipes on the end are made from the outer (plastic and flexible) tube, from mains voltage wire with fhree copper conductors, and fitted onto some small bits of bicycle spoke replicated the air pipe, and bent – to keep the bend a fixed a piece of the copper wire is fitted inside the tube – the chain holding them bent is made from 10 amp fuse wire, A groove is cut in the end (with a dental burr)of the end planks of the vehicle, and they will be fitted later. A 'glad hand is ,ade from bits of plasticard so  the outer end of the air pipe is complete.

 
Paint the vehicle; this vehicle is in ‘as new condition’ so a quite bright red oxide has been used; the deck is painted as new wood; with a minute amount of dirt to show the grain and then marked out for the multitude of bolt heads that held down the deck planks to the underframe – simplified in number there is still a lot!  The small depression was made obvious by one of the small drawing pens now available. Acrylic paint was used, the transfers are not available from the trade so I designed them and then they were printed with some others in America and delivered back to me in 11 days – they are waterslide on ‘Bell-decal’ paper, and very good.
 
The brake handle and wheel was fitted and the whole vehicle varnished (Johnson’s Klear)  for protection, and the weathered bogies fitted and the vehicle was ready for use. I have also made a series of large crates that can be used on my flatcar fleet and I will describe those next.  A new set of stakes were made, and painted  from my plentiful supply of scrap PVC foam.
 
Here are some photos of this vehicle and also of the earlier and more battered about flatcars I have built.



Flatcar built but no bot heads fitted yet.

i

Bolt heads fitted along the line of the centre timbers and the side timbers. - note the small cutouts that the stake fit through; underneath are the stake pockets.



Two of my flats one with a well weathered deck



a higher view of the two flats - the 'new' planks were added for some relief in the deck colouring.



Brightened up a bit to show the underside of the flatcar - between the centre stiffeners are some pieces of lead flashing to add a bit more weight to the vehicle.

Yours Peter.


Last edit: by peterbunce

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Hi,

Here is a build log for my latest boxcar - number 1000, built in 1884, by the Union Pacific RR.

 
It is made mostly from 5mm thick solid  foam PVC board, I have some that is coloured red, and as the finished color is red oxide it was a good time to ‘try it out’. The doors are set slightly ajar but are fixed and the sides are one piece.
.
Due to its longer length I added behind the (3mm thick) doors a piece of scrap to hold the sides apart. This is not Sintra board but a very peculiar rigid plastic – that needs to be used up – I am also using it in bases for my Horse drawn vehicles – its called ‘Altuglas’, and I think it’s a cast resin – I got it a good price (nothing) and for some jobs its good – I used it as the base of this boxcar for example, but it is a bit difficult to cut - the best thing to use is a jigsaw. All the steps and handrails are from 1.5mm brass rod.
 
 The truss rods (correct with no turnbuckle) are from pieces of bicycle spoke which fit onto scratchbuilt queen posts –they were a bit fiddly to make with the very small pieces x 4! The boxcar has modified Bachmann bogies, and I used the bolsters from the donor Bachmann flatcar which also donated the brake cylinder as well. The underside has been simplified as it will not normally be seen.  The donor flatcar has also donated its deck for boardwalks for my buildings – so there was not much of it that was discarded!
 
The roof is from 2mm thick styrene, and the decals are from Stan Cedarleaf – the lettering being larger than the normal size. After adding the decals I  lightly weathered it to dull the bright white of the lettering, and also the colour of the body a bit; the roof has the most dirt added and the bogie trucks having about the same amount, but with more dust colour in the mix.


Here are some photos of the build –





The body under construction





A close up of the inner corners and the supports for the roof - these are from scrap






the body almost complete with some of the detail added.





Bachmann bogies taken apart and submitted for surgery -  not shown in the central bolster where the sidfe frames fit one side is given a taper to allow the frame on that side to rock slightly, thus giving some slight compensation.  The centre and axlebox detail was removed with knives and a dental burr and a sanding drum, before adding the new detail. The 'fuzzyiness' on the wood is cleared off before use. Before re-assembly I add some pillars to take a couple of 'end to end' strips to hold the brake beams that are made from scrap the brake blocks are pre painted on the rubbing faces and don't forget to paint the wheels before putting it all together, multiple shades of dust and rust are used.   The paint is red oxide for all of the bogies.










The new boxcar with one of its older cousins; on the end is the buffing block and also the ends of the truss rods where they would be tightened up in the full size vehicle when necessary. 




Another view of the pair on my trestle, that being made from the red cedar wood of an old greenhouse, and then varnished.


 


A final view of the new boxcar, the small white panel at the top was a 'trademark' of vehicle built by the Union Pacific RR, who by now owned the DSP, a short 'Tiffany Reefer' which is really an insulated car that was used in both summer and winter periods as freight in it could also be kept free from frost. In  the long list of 'to do' things are a couple of the slightly longer version of these vehicles. The last vehicle is the largest boxcar that the DSP&PRR owned it is 31 feet long, and virtually the size of a standard boxcar of the time, it was built to carry charcoal from the charcoal ovens built alongside the line. Later they were transferred to the standard gauge, having new bogies fitted.  


The next part will be the building of some of my crates for the flatcars.


Yours Peter.

 
 


 
 

Last edit: by peterbunce

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Lovely job you have made of those box cars Peter. Looking forward to seeing the crate construction now.
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  Hi,
 
Having built some flatcars I thought it was time to make some ‘loads’ for them – after all the railway has to have something to do!
 
After some doodling I worked out how to make some unusual slatted crates – that is one with gaps between the planks, and the load – usually covered with a tarpaulin (in the USA they used heavy canvas duck, which was a light colour, unlike our tarpaulins which are invariably black from the dressing the railway gave them – though they were light coloured under cloth for protection as well.
 
There are some crates very like these available from the USA, but post is expensive as all post has to be sent by airmail, no surface post now. I asked the American maker if I could use his ideas and he said it is OK to put on the web. These can be made to any size, I have photos of the same style of crate being used for loads in the UK both in trains and also in goods sheds.
 
Mine are not a exact copy that would be wrong but the same basic construction has been used but mine are hand made, laser cutting is still very expensive here in the UK, but much cheaper in the USA. My versions are scratch built from strips, cut via my small Proxxon circular saw to do the work – well most of it!  The wood of the smallest one is 1mm thick ply: the second one is after a comment on another website is  made from coffee cup stirrers – have a talk with the staff of your nearest ‘Golden arches’ (Macdonalds!) – ignore the funny looks – the stirrers y are very useful!
 
They are assembled with my usual glue with some small strips of painted  .015 plasticard for the steel re-inforcing straps, and you have the results. A small variation suggested by Doug, is that the bottom can be made removable. Thus they can be used with or without a load in them, and with the (separate) base the crate can be used vertical or flat. Meanwhile for dry weather use the loaded base can be a load in itself.
 
The crates and bases are first varnished (to stop any warping of the stirrers)  and then stained by thin washes of brown or chestnut ink and/or earth colour acrylic paint, let each coat totally dry before adding any more colour coats.
 
The loaded bases have some cross pieces underneath and these extend past the base to allow for some lifting loops made from wire to be fitted on the extensions.
 
The ‘loads’ themselves sit on plasticard bases with cross pieces underneath and some small loop hooks on the ends of the cross pieces. I make the ‘load’ from polystyrene foam packing pieces (scrap) to look ‘interesting’ that is glued together with thick PVA (look for it in the craft shops), glue, and  inserting some lead to give it some weight.
 
Glue them down with the same PVA, and use the same glue for covering it with some paper tarpaulins; when dry paint to suit, I have the two ‘tarps’ which are slightly different colours. Add some thread for ‘rope’ fixing it with clear glue. Finally matt varnish the results – a load in itself, or one to fit the crate that you made it to fit.
 
In addition, and from a photo I made a load of hay, that is covered with a light coloured cover to stop sparks from the loco setting fire to it; this is a couple of large pieces of polystyrene foam block glued together (different sizes will make a more ‘interesting’ load), add some lead to give it to weight and ‘mass’ then covered with thick paper, finishing off with an extra sheet one on the top – the PVA soaked paper can be a bit weak, with care it can be coaxed into position, adding some folds/creases when it is being a bit difficult. When dry (give it at least a couple of days, and more if possible to dry out), and paint it to suit mine has several washes of various colors , this is just placed on a flatcar; speeds were very low in 1880 (about a maximum of 10 – 15 mph, and very sharply curved track, generally following rivers.
 
When I build the companion to my boiler shop; sited between them is to be a supposedly steam powered gantry crane – where these crates will live BUT they will not stay outside! Plenty more loads from here are to be built with the necessary pop cans being in stock, these being made into boilers.
 
In addition as loads from my (very small) industrial area I have made some large crates in three  sizes with a carrier for each of them; the carriers are separate, from the loads so there are two loads available loaded & empty.
 
There are both crates and a carriers for them in three sizes; they have an inner shape made from scrap PVC foam from my buildings, with a plasticard outer scored for the planks, and some added stiffening as well, also made from plasticard – the largest of the 3 is a flatcar load by itself, this one also has some extra pieces on the top of it to protect the crate from the chains used for lifting it, the hooks for those fitting into loops on the lower edge.
 
The carriers are strengthened with cross rods running side to side across the base with washer plates and nuts on the outside; the largest one has stiffened ends as well, wioth more of the stiffening rods being used. 
 
 
   These are intended to look like they have heavy and complicated machinery in them that needs protecting so a hefty looking crate is built around it. Loading is done with the carrier first then the load, again for protection etc., hence the loops in the ends of the carrier. Again we have two loads with the crate(s) and without.
 
The largest crate is 14 x 7 x 5 (scale) feet; the intermediate one is 6 x 4 x 3 feet, and the smallest is 4.75 x 3.5 x 3 feet. The base of them is hollow.
 
In addition to these large loads I have made many more from scrap as it is a useful, and cheap way of using it up for a good purpose – my early period was a prolific user of masses of wooden crates, in numerous styles and sizes and for liquids many sizes of barrels, and such, most of them returnable, very unlike today when due to the use of ISO shipping containers packaging (for transit) is much reduced.  
 
These much smaller crates generally have a polystyrene packing foam centre, wrapped in paper (use PVA glue most other glues will ‘eat’ the foam), then a planked outer from plasticard, glued over the paper the planked plasticard from Slater’s is quite useful here; paint to suit and don’t forget to add some labels to them; when dry matt varnish for protection.
 
Finally if there is anyone near to Bristol,  there is the restored steamship ‘Great Britain’ – as some of the ‘props’ around it there are a whole mass of crates, and barrels and luggage for a lot of ideas. I went round it last year as intend to go again: the tickets for it last for 12 months, and as a customer only it is well worth a visit.



Here are some photos





Crate base and load under construction





painted in part with the ropes (thick thread) added




 Crates and loads + the separate bases for the crates: these are a 'tightish' fit so the stay put when in use.

The rear crate has chestnut ink, and the front one has a dark brown, both applied as a wash with much more water than ink - add some windscreen washer fluid (approx 5 -10%)  to the mix to allow in to lay down.




Crate and carrier - this is one of the smaller ones.




the large crate (a scale 24ft long), and a selection of the small crates and a few parcels - those are the same as the crates but without the plasticard shell the paper wrapping in these is from old envelopes. 






Finally one of my own photos of some of the small crates at the 'Great Britain' - in addition there are many 'steamer trunks', and an equally large numbers of barrels if many sizes. This is included for the colours of the weathered crates.

Yours Peter.

 
 

Last edit: by peterbunce

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Hi,

Since building DSP&PRR #1000 I have built a model of a companion railroad's boxcar; that RR is the Colorado Central RR  and the boxcar is a bit shorter at a scale 24ft long; I found in one of my reference books a photo of this class of boxcars which showed it to be, for my time period a bit careworn, with a weathered finish.

So my model was weathered which took quite a time as it was done with several colours of very thin acrylic paint, with a small amount of windscreen washer fluid added to it to stop 'surface tension'

Here is a photo of the finished result (I think) - now I will have to weather the other boxcars that have been built!






Yours Peter.
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A nice finished job Peter and not too heavy handed either. Like it.
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That is a SUPER job there Peter. Some day I may try doing something like that only in HO scale.

Thanks for all your work this month. Very enjoyable.

Wayne

My Layout "The South Shore Line":
http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=509&forum_id=21
This video/animation was made in Adobe Flash Player, which is no longer supported or available for download.
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Another month rapidly approaching so we are looking for a volunteer to offer up a project for October.
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