The memo just in from the attorneys of the Grey and Grandure A follow up scene to that car could be with the cut up pieces in a gondola on it’s way to a scrap yard or the like.
Hey, I looked at the photos again and saw the form on the tack board. So I upgrade my opinion to fantastic!
I have a car or two like that--except I used the quick method of accidentally stepping on them. Very nice work!
Great job of making that car look like a candidate for heavy repair. I can envision a small string of beat-up rolling stock on a track in the yard, just outside the carshops. Something like that would work with us HO folk as well- I have an old Athearn 50-foot boxcar body that needs some hurtin'..... Bravogjt- noticed that your address is Grand Junction, CO. I lived there myself until I moved back to Texas a couple of years ago. Are you a member of the Grand Valley RR Club there?
Really cool car Verne. Excellent job. I had to think to myself, what would cause that kind of damage? I guess another rail car swiping it because your box car was sitting on a siding interfering with the passing track. A loco with a bunch of brown paint on it?
Heeheehee....more like Pugsley. I remember a 'toon with Pugsley setting up his toy trains with the barrier not going down at a crossing, and a school bus stuck at the crossing, and a train roaring right along......
Thanks very much for the comments, guys...I am going to plug the holes, they do kinda stand out...and maybe chalk a BO (that's for bad order, not body odor) on each side with a finely sharpened white colored pencil. After that, perhaps it's time to move on! Christoph, I didn't pick this car to detail this way because I did not like it, but for the opposite reason. It will be one of my favorites, tacked on the rear of an occasional eastbound train heading back to its home road for repairs. My cheapo swap meet specials get general improvements, and are intended to blend in with the rest of their train and not stand out. This car natrually will draw attention to itself, so I wanted it to look as good a possible. My apologies for picking on the Erie, but it's a key connector road, and I needed an eastern road that would interchange through Chicago to make the story accurate (I considered UP, but it wouldn't be going east or west on the SF!). I have a similar car in a different number which will get red carpet treatment!
Okay, I filled the holes, which had become really obvious, by inserting ladder brackets, .008 wire. Also toned down the silver a bit more with chalk: The Mongo N couplers had to go, replace with 905s. I also added a red flag where the ladder ought to be, but isn't. Not a welcome surprise to a less-than-alert switchman. The damage was originally intended to look like a simple left-to-right sideswipe. I made it with a hobby knife and a jeweler's file held at a 45-degree angle. As John pointed out, the damage on the left doorsill implies force from the opposite direction. I had to bend the doorsill there a bit because as I softened the plastic with heat, the left sill shrunk back a bit. To digsuise that fact, I bent it and added the gouges. I don't know, maybe it was moving right to left when a car or locomotive on the adjacent track impacted the left doorsill, bent the door, and was then dragged by the still-moving car, causing the scrapes across the right half of the car. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near something like that! This has been an interesting exercise that sort of took a life of its own, plus quite a few hours modeling this week. Whew, I think I'll stick to basic weathering for my next car! I appreciate your comments and feedback...
Take it as a compliment when I tell you that car looks like crap. You nailed the impression of a damaged freight car on the head. Like I said earlier, it's a good project folks in any scale can do.
Flash, very little...just a small halogen desk lamp, held the model by the bulb until my hand felt really warm. I came very close to runining the model doing this, so let me say it is a risky technique. I only needed to use heat for the bent doorframe...the sideswipe damage was made with a hobby knife and a jeweler's file.
It still is. Usually fork lift damage is lower. I won't quote the things that I and my fellow workers used to say about for lift operators, as we tried to repair their damage. Boxcab E50
VERNE! You have given new meaning to the term "Kitbash"!!! I'm just wondering why you bashed a nice NorthEastern car when you have so many Santa Fe's......
Bob, heh heh heh...call it my evil streak. Nothing against eastern roads, the next victim will definitely be a home road car. I am an equal-opportunity wrecker of rolling stock!
Verne- That looks VERY convincing. Nice work. And like Longtrain pointed out, I'm especially impressed with the fact that you didn't do this to one of your Santa Fe or SP boxcars. Super work!
