After an almost 3 month layoff from modeling I'm back at it again refreshed and rerouted in a slight different direction. Decided that there are finally enough reliable steamers to go to an almost total steam operation and that I would finally take the plunge and have at least one narrow gauge branchline. So after cleaning up the workshop, and getting some organization again (so thats where I put those parts, supossedly where I could find them) and putting in storage all my motive power that dates after 1945, I'm back at it refreshed and with new perspective. Along with the change I'm also going with the oNe track concept for the home layout. Since a lot of the SP&S was single track main it fits nicely. While not good in the long run the LHS closing was good for me in the shorthaul since I scored a batch of Nn3 cars cheap and two Z scale mechanisms for locos for what I would have paid for one mechanism. I also latched onto a bunch of Z scale track and N scale Atlas switches along with a lot of car parts for projects. And I am busy building my first narrow gauge cars. Used wood as the core with laminated styrene N scale car siding, MT door parts and MT 40 foot underframes. Nn3 trucks go on the cars of which there will be only two of these. Standard gauge MT double door on right and narrow gauge double door on left. The diminsions of the Nn3 car is 9 ft high, 8 ft. 6 in. wide over body and 9 ft. wide over roof, by 36 ft long and will set on Nn3 Bettendorf trucks with truck mounted couplers. Roof walks will be cut down from MT 40 ft. roof walks. MT doors are cut down to 8 ft high. I've also managed to cut down an old Arnold/Rapido Duckbilled roof passenger car to Nn3, and will do the same to some Overtons. A couple of the Bmann oldtimer boxcars will be converted to Nn3 and along with the dozen MT 30 ft. boxcars I have plus these two under construction will give me my small shortline fleet. And I get to celebrate the 4th early because the USPS delivered a Republic Locomotive Works 2-6-0 to my door this evening, which will be the first narrow gauge power. The rest of the equipment will consist of log flats and gons probably from Bmann oldtimers cut down slightly. At least one narrow gauge 4-4-0, and two narrow gauge geared locos will complete the narrow gauge motive power roster. After looking at all the parts in the RLW 2-6-0 kit, including a lot of brass assembly, I'm glad I decided not to go beyond a single narrow gauge branch. Also added to the roster in standard gauge were two of Altas' little 2-6-0s. And somewhere on the horizon is a standard gauge 4-8-0 now that I've figured out how to go about it.
Welcome back! Your work is always an inspiration. Oh, and you might want to change the link in your sig. I think it is pointing to the old RailImages. Enjoy!
John, nice work so far on the boxcars. Strange thing is, your layout sounds like mine, N scale with a standard guage mainline and a narrow guage branch, except for the steam. My layout will be set in the present, the standard guage line will have a Athearn 2-8-0 for tourist service, but the narrow guage line will have a small fleet of Nn3 diesels aswell as a group of narrow guage Beyer-Garratt's.
John...I also model the SP&S, focusing on the late 1800's to early 1900's. My question is, do you use the freight equipment diagrams put together by Paul Hobbs for your prototype?
Strange coincidence. Before I took my sabatical I had two 2-6-0 mechanisms and two tenders and a boiler laying on the work bench thinking about same. Always liked those locos.
I'll say. The garratt's I'm using will be made from brass, I'm currently designing a brass etch to make them from, I'm also thinking about possibly selling them as a brass kit, maybe even RTR.
That book is but one laying in my library. However for the M of W stuff I worked from pictures in Ed Austin's Color Guide and for the FA fleet from a number of sources including some RR magazine articles. Thats where the GN EB paint jobs with SP&S lettering came from. The wood chip cars are from some of those and I actually have a Caswell Gondola conversion that is from a resin kit for the ATSF. MT has about the only close car for the early single sheath wood boxcars and most of the Dimitrains composite gons are close but the bracing is aligned wrong.
It is the bulk of the car weight. I am using .020 styrene car siding but one could use .040 and have a little more weight. In the heft test the cars are very close if not right on with the MT Nn3 cars I have. I thought about having opening doors and it would be possible in N scale by creating the track for the doors and by routing out the wood in the door areas. One could even scribe and stain the wood to make it look like a lumber load. Advantage to using the wood core is in being able to use the thinner styrene and not have to brace. I laminated wood strips to the top to make the right angle for the roof and there I've used .040 styrene. However one could actually mill the roof to the right profile and then just laminate the covering on.
