"Project Freightcar" - Final Week!

friscobob May 8, 2003

  1. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

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    <font color="336633">I have made a start of my TTJX flat, I have cut the bulkheads down to size and removed all but the outer uprights (the prototype I am following has differant bulkheads than the MDC one.

    Next job is to cut it in half and add another scale 8 feet to it.
     
  2. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member

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    Got the woodchip gon together, along with scale metal wheels (Reboxx) and Kadee number 58 couplers. The original Santa Fe lettering was removed, and SPRY reporting marks await application.

    The woodchip pile was easy- a carved-down piece of foam, with sawdust piled on top and glued in place with a 1:4 water-glue mix.

    Still some to go.............

    And I still have two woodracks to build (that's pulpwood flatcars for you non-Frisco types ;) )!
     
  3. Throttleman

    Throttleman TrainBoard Member

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    Although there are many quality kits and rtr's on the market like the Branchline kits which I like quite a lot; I'm currently working on my first Labelle kit and REALLY enjoying it! It's going quite well and I'll be doing more of these. Got this one off E-bay for 7.00! Its an early boxcar (Detroit and Mackinac). Now I need to find prototypical trucks for it. Anyone know of a good resource for the various truck types and what they were used on?
     
  4. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

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    Yesterday I added a little detail paint to the finished tender, I made sure to paint the trucks as well. Seeing how they are archbar trucks on a piece of equipment that will get only seasonal use, I painted the main bodies a boxcar red, which looks very much like well rusted steel, and then went back in and washed the journals with a little grimy black. I might still go in with a little engine black and add a little more to it. I also made sure to add a little dry brushed boxcar re dto all the metal parts on the built up coal bin, but I did not weather the car at all. I still do not know if I want to go with white, silver, or leave it gray when I am all finished. The coat of gray on it looks very nic,e You cannot even tell that it was put on with a brush, every detail is still crisp.

    I also started work on the main plow. I got the cupola mounted on one end, shortened up the roof, and mounted the smoke stack. The A end has been modified to accept the blade assembly, but it has been removed until final assembly after pain is finished. The blade assembly has been painted red.

    I started the work on the B end by removing the end wall, cutting it out with a razor saw. I needed to put in the small narrow doors on each end, and knowing my skill in small things like that is a bit rough, I dug out a couple window/door panels from an MDC kit. Two doors fit perfectl onto the back end, and for a moment I have a boxcar with a very fancy end on it. Tonight I hope to blank out the lower windows on the doors, as well as add the backead of the boiler. This is going to be fun!
    I hope to get pictures, but I need to move some things so I can get proper lighting....and I still have so software I have to find.

    Harey Trails
    BK
     
  5. Martyn Read

    Martyn Read TrainBoard Supporter

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    Okay, a quick update I think, as I doubt i'll get chance over the weekend...

    The BN flat has been assembled, mostly as per the kit instructions with the exception of the following:
    [​IMG]
    The kit comes with 33" plastic wheels, but as I wanted to represent a 100t flat i'm fitting 36" wheels. The stock wheels are in the pic above, the replacements are below.
    [​IMG]
    Don't know if you can tell, but the black chassis part prevents the truck from pivoting with the larger wheels. So...
    [​IMG]
    the wheel indents have to be enlarged to clear the wheels.

    The Walthers tank container from the second project has been built, and the other containers weathered, pic to come at some point. [​IMG]
     
  6. Dutchman

    Dutchman TrainBoard Member

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    Well, week 1 is about over, so here is an update. The wooden deck is installed (board by board) and stained. I decided to shave off the grabs and stirrup steps after I found one of the plastic steps was missing. All the holes have been drilled for the replacement parts in brass. (I have never added brass grabs/steps before, but this project seemed like a good time to start.) Next up will be to shave off the grabs on the caboose itself, drill the necessary holes, and paint it. Hopefully that will be done by the end of week 2!

    [​IMG]
     
  7. ak-milw

    ak-milw TrainBoard Member

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    Hey Dutchman, Really like the wooden deck, looks great. During week one I did the same by removing all grab irons and steps on the flat car. Added all the stanchions and new brake wheels, assembled frame and weight. Now its ready for paint, flat black.During week two I will get the dog house assembled and painted, still trying to find the right decals.This is on my kitbashed Milwaukee Road transfer caboose! [​IMG]
     
  8. Dutchman

    Dutchman TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the feedback! Hope you can find the decals. I was able to get my NYS&W decals from my LHS--it is a popular road in northern NJ!
     
  9. yankinoz

    yankinoz TrainBoard Member

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    Not much progress from me on week one. I did get 2 Oz of lead sinkers glued into the bottom of the hopper bays and have the body holes drilled out for the brake hardware.

    Plan to have the two undecs ready for the paint shop this weekend and the Procor should be coming along in sync.

    Plan for week 3 is decals and pre-weathering.

    Plan for week 4 is final construction and completed weathering.
     
  10. Martyn Read

    Martyn Read TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well that was the first week! Welcome to week 2! [​IMG]
     
  11. Tompm

    Tompm TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looks like I am late with my Week 1 Report.

    Oh, well here goes. I got the first coat of pink on the undecorated MDC covered hopper that will be the Ralston-Jefferson hopper. I also painted the metal P2K wheels for both the Ralston-Jefferson hopper and the Athearn Albert City hopper.

    Week 2 I hope to add weight to the Albert City hopper, paint and weather the trucks for both hoppers, and maybe assemble the Albert City hopper. I also hope to finish painting the Ralston-Jefferson hopper and start the decals.

    I am still trying to get the other projects out of the way also so I can work more on the Project Freight Car. I did finish a couple and pictures are forthcoming.
     
  12. friscobob

    friscobob Staff Member

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    At the end of Week 1, here's my report:

    The woodchip load has been glued to the foam insert, and the car now awaits the addition of reporting marks for the Spring River, plus a little weathering.

    In the meantime, I found and assembled two Bowser 100-ton coal hoppers (lettered for Frisco). Both cars have been weathered inside & out, and due to lack of parts, I'm staying with the stock wheels, plus using Kadee number 5 couplers (whicl will be replaced later with metal wheelsets and number 58s). The coal hoppers will carry a live load of coal, as do their 17 other fellow hoppers (a mix of Bowser and McKean, all lettered for Frisco).

    And oh yes, all hoppers carry real live coal loads, which call for 6-axle power on the point.
     
  13. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

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    <font color="336633">I forgot to post a pic of my flat so far so here it is.

    [​IMG]

    Yesterday I cut it in half and added another scale 8 feet to its length and added some sheet roofing lead to replace the steel weight.

    today (Bank holiday Monday) I plan on finishing the added length i.e. adding the deck and side pockets. and maybe make a start on the new bulkheads.
    </font>
     
  14. daveheinzel333

    daveheinzel333 TrainBoard Member

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    Well, I have completed the Cargill covered hopper I was working on. All I really did was assemble the model, and then weather the heck out of it. I couldn't find anything on the model that I needed to alter or add or anything like that.

    The model is a Life Like Proto2k Cargill covered hopper, HO scale. It was a timesaver kit.

    I weathered the model with acrylic paints first, and then some chalk. It's a little overboard perhaps, but it looks better from far away than it does close up.

    [​IMG]
    Here's the basic model after assembly.

    [​IMG]
    The first layer of weathering was some paint to represent graffiti that had been blocked out with new paint (that didn't match so well)

    [​IMG]
    The finished model. Usually when I weather cars, I only weather one side of them, and leave the other side clean. This is because sometimes I like the way they look new. Also, you can never see both sides at once!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    That's it for me! I've been very busy lately with work and what not, so I wasn't able to do 2 additional covered hoppers that I had planned on. But it was a fun project, and I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's posts!

    [ 27. May 2003, 18:32: Message edited by: daveheinzel333 ]
     
  15. Tompm

    Tompm TrainBoard Supporter

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    Daveheinezel333

    Excellent model. Very nicely done. It looks like a well worn traveler. Very nice scene also.
     
  16. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

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    I have been working on a Roundhouse 3-n-1
    Kit. This is the Rotary snowplow, I will post more when I have more photographs when I get to it

    The Tender is finished...I think...except for the
    number...which will be #086

    [​IMG]
    Here is an end view of the tender, just to show the detailing on the doors. I painted them to reflect a cross between black paint and cast iron, or cast iron covered in coal dust.

    [​IMG]

    Here is the boiler weight that goes inside the Snowplow to power the blade. It is made up of about 40 pennies, covered in the material I work with best, Manila. Tis the boiler out of old Number 86, the one where we ran over a rock slide and kind of destroyed the under frame.

    [​IMG]

    Finally, if anybody can give me information on how to properly mount that firebox door, and the handle, I'd be much obliged. There weren't any instructions with this detail part.
    It is kind of hard to believe, but those back doors were both very fancy looking mediterranean/californian style before I started...for a moment there, I had a caboose body with double doors on one end worthy of a southwest home...It is fixed now!

    [​IMG]

    Here is the roof detail. At first, I was going to use a brass casting of steam apparatus, but I thought it would be a waste...so I saved it for another day, and scratched every little part on the roof of this one except for the Light housing. That is a brass casting, but I drilled out the center to remove the smaller, more modern double lights. Right now, I am thinking about putting an electric generator on the roof. I don't know what the condition on space inside is right now, I might have to speak with the crews.

    [​IMG]

    Next we have the front. I tried making the access doors out of styrene, but I was not happy with them, so I replaced them with good old manila. The Cupola is from a steal caboose, I liked it because it had indefinately more detail then the wood cupola. I came back with stripwood, and put in wood onto the steel panels. Result is a wood cupole with the detail of the steel cupola.

    [​IMG]

    And here is one last overview shot of the entire plow.

    [​IMG]

    I need to take a couple more photographs, I have finished the paint, put it all together, and it looks very nice indeed. I left it MOW gray, as the pollyscale paint went on very smooth with only one to two coats of paint.

    [ 27. May 2003, 19:23: Message edited by: Benny ]
     
  17. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Well here is a poor shot of the NYC 30' Wood Caboose I'm working on.
    I'm doing Z Scale and N Scale.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. rush2ny

    rush2ny TrainBoard Member

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    Dave, those pics are incredible! Have you ever had any published?

    All- I am envious of the projects that you are completing. Right now, I do not have the time to do anything but, I may just join you yet (even if it is only some weathering)

    Happy railroading!!!
    Russ
     
  19. Benny

    Benny TrainBoard Member

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    The finished Plow:


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  20. Martyn Read

    Martyn Read TrainBoard Supporter

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    Great work folks, Dave, I thought the first of your "finished" pics was a prototype one on my first glance!

    Benny, nice work on the plow too. Is that boiler inside the body?

    You guys are making me feel guilty I'm not getting there faster! :eek: ;)
     

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