Well it goes like this, I can draw it to scale, but I doubt it will etch to scale or even if the image would come out right on the brass. ...opening AutoCAD now, I'll see what I can do.
I want to try to build a 40' hi-cube appliance boxcar this year. I was just wondering tonight if anyone has links to any modern (or at least still in use) 40' boxcars? I think I've seen some still in use for newsprint, but not sure. It may just be that i'm looking at 50' and 60' cars instead of 40' and 50' cars. Randy
Randy, I have drawings for a 40' Pullman-Standard mini hy-cube boxcar. I can scan and E-mail...let me know.
About the running boards. I drew them up. And burned the image to the brass, the lines are just too thin and most of them washed away. I had all the lines .009" wide. Usually I can't do anything thinner than .015" wide. Now I know.
Chris there are tricks to use! one of them is to make the holes wider and the spaces between narrower in your drawings. It will work, just shake your acid constantly during the etch. Warm it up in the microwave before etching, using 10 second cycles in the microwave, till the etchant is hot. Use .003" Stainless Steel, and hot etchant.
It's a challenge now so I won't give up I just ran out of steam last night. Plus was busy working on other goodies! Making the roofwalk will probably be the easy part. Getting rid of the old one will be a pain. No files I have are that thin to fit between all the different ribs. Back to the lab...
Chris, let me check my collection. I THINK I have some drawings in some old Mainline Modelers, but have to check. I AM curious if any are still in use today though. Thanks, Randy
40' HiCubes Hey Randy, I think some still are, we have documentation showing them in pretty modern schemes. BNSF may still use a few as well. Not sure how new you want to go with your road, but I know they were still operating mid 90's on some roads. I have a pretty good file on them at work. Joe MTL
