OK, here is another set of photos...told you I had a lot to share!! In this set you will find an example of my work with On30 freight cars for the C & S ca. 1899. The first thing that HAS to happen is to lower the car. This is done following a wonderful article in Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette July/Aug. 2000 by Bill Miller. In it he describes how you can lower the car to give it a more prototypical appearance while also making the coupler box more realistic by cutting the molded box up to the car frame and mounting a new coupler box. Notice the height difference between the unmodified reefer and the box car. I used HO scale wheels, cut away much of the bolster slope around the peg for the screw mount to hold the trucks on and viola...a much lower narrow gauge car. I also had to remove the button herald on the side of the car because it would not have been present at the time the car is being modeled. I left the C & S as factory painted simply for convenience. Later I will get some undecorated box cars and label them with "Colorado and Southern RY" as they would have been in 1899 from the car builder. The weathering on this car represents the fact that it is likely from an inherited railroad with fresh "C & S" paint on the side. Let me know what you think!! John
Quite a change! What are you using for a coupler height standard? Believe I see an added train line air hose? If so, what part? I've just ordered some PSC 56197 to try. Boxcab E50
Well, since Bachmann is using HO coupler height I am using my old HO height gauge. The air hose is part of the Bachmann coupler assembly. I reuse the coupler, mounted in a KD #5 box. Works real well. Have a bunch of extra KD boxes for some reason...just dumb luck I guess John
End Views, as Requested... Here are some shots of the end of the box car. i also include one with the box car next to the unmodified reefer for size comparison. John
I think it gives it a much more prototypical "hug the rails" look. All of our freight cars will have the same lowered appearance. One of the big differences is in adding the HO scale wheels. Looks much better than the stock wheels, even though the stock wheels roll REALLY nicely. John
