Scratchbuilt attempts

[jonathan]

Been trying to learn a few new tricks by experimenting with scratchbuiling. I've dabbled a little before.

Attempting to build a boom idler car--one that's a little closer to a real prototype.  My first attempt looks like this:





The tool/bay doors didn't turn out real great, and the paints too thick.  This is an amalgam of a few different cars I've seen.

My second attempt is based on a real car, located at the B&O RR Museum, X-1397:



So far, I've made this much progress:



It won't be an exact match, but close enough to resemble the real thing.  I even played with rivet decals.  I have my doubts that the rivets will actually be visible once the car is painted, but this is a learning project, so I'm trying different things.

The car is made of styrene and resin stuff I had in my junk boxes.  Hand bent the stirups and grab irions.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Len]

If you've ever seen what happens when one is dropped, and the valve snaps off, you might want to make a rack to secure those gas bottles on the first car. The management gets upset when they have to pay for the damage to all those cars in the parking lot.

Len

[jonathan]

I'll get somebody on that right away!  Can't have any missile accidents on the railroad.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Trainman203]

What are those trucks loaded on the real car?  Got to be a story there.

[jonathan]

Those trucks appear to be the type mounted on the B&O C-15 REA Baggage Car.  Haven't seen a C-15 at the museum, but I've built the model, and those are the trucks used on that car.  Semi-educated guess...

Regards,

Jonathan

[Trainman203]

Well I am a semi-educated  guy so that is good enough 😂

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

Here's some more pics for you Jon






Your deck is a little too high, there should be sides to help hold everything in place.

[J3a-614]

Those trucks appear to be the type mounted on the B&O C-15 REA Baggage Car.  Haven't seen a C-15 at the museum, but I've built the model, and those are the trucks used on that car.  Semi-educated guess...

Regards,

Jonathan

I hope I don't raise the ire of the site administrators with a link to another firm (I hope they understand this is for a small specialty company that has things a mass producer like Bachmann wouldn't normally do)--but those trucks are available in HO.

Scroll down to Trucks, and what you want to look for is part 231:

http://bethlehemcarworks.com/Products/Kit_Bits/index.html

As to the prototypes, I wonder if any survived at all.  I do remember a string of these and other cars used to be at Brunswick, Md., but all that was scrapped when things were cleaned out years ago.

[jonathan]

BORRF,

Thanks for showing the photos. I especially like the detail on the 250 ton crane.  Gives me inspiration for a future project.

Yes, my deck is too high.  I miscalculated when building up the inside. I didn't take into account the thickness of the plastic used to make the deck.  Oops.  Well, I guess I learned something.

J3a-614,

There are three manufacturers (including your link) where one can acquire those express trucks.  They do turn up on eBay from time-to-to time.  Can be had in plastic or metal.  I got mine from the company that sold me the C-15 kits.

The write-up on the car I'm copying says the car took on a few different configurations and paint schemes over it's lifetime.  The museum repainted it in what "they think" is the original paint.  

I figure that gives me license to modify my version a bit as well... in keeping with the spirit of the original intent for this car.  I'm hoping those "Danger Keep Off" signs painted around the grab irons are the museum's safety attempts, rather that an original marking for the car.

Anyway,  here is a bit of an update:

Rivet decals disappeared after the primer and first coat of red.  I thought they might.  Will have to try a different make of rivet decals for future projects.

In the photos below, I merely laid the deck on the car to test fit. That's why it looks uneven... not secured, yet.

The deck is Evergreen siding.  I drilled 234 holes along the edges to give the impression of wood bolted to the deck.  I used a number of shades of brown, gray, and white to give a wood-like impression, including the lightest color of  weathering powder I have.

Homemade turnbuckles for the tie-down chain.  It's getting there.  

Regards,

Jonathan

[DAVE2744]

Terrific work on the car!  I really appreciate the effort required to achieve these kinds of results.  Thanks for sharing,  Dave

[jonathan]

Thanks, Dave.

Some final shots are in order.

If/when I ever get the hankering for some serious scratch building, I will need a few tools to do the job right:  scale ruler, plastic putty (bondo), quality rivets (can't believe I just typed that), super thin liquid cement (CA), and a couple other things I haven't thought of yet.  Oh yes, one needs patience, a lot more than I exercised on this project.

Anyway, it couples, tracks, and rolls well.  And if one stands far enough away, it slightly resembles the prototype.

I haven'y glued the deck yet.  Still want to add a few doo dads:


Grab the wheel! It's getting away!






Regards,

Jonathan

[Len]

Jonathan - Tichy Train Group makes styrene rivets and rivet plates, that don't disappear under the paint, in a variety of sizes. Check out page 44 of their HO Catalog (page 45 of the .pdf file): https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Portals/0/Instructions/94584a_HO_Catalog.pdf?ver=2016-11-22-090406-567

They also have a ton of other detail parts for structures and rolling stock. Most of the 'usual places' carry Tichy parts, or you can order direct.

Len

[jonathan]

Len,

Yes, those Tichy rivets look good.  Trying to imagine drilling hundreds of holes to attach them. Whew! Can also see value in their rivet sheets to cut and apply as needed.

Also checked out the Archer decal rivets which seems like a more efficient way to achieve good results.  Pricey, but easier.

I tried the Microscale rivets on this car.  Picked 'em up for a couple bucks at a train show long ago. Now I know why they were so cheap.

Everything on these cars was junk I already had on hand.  Trying to clear out my inbox as it were.  Good learning experience for more serious projects in the future.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Len]

Jonathan - I figure anyone who's willing to drill 234 holes to make a deck look right wouldn't mind a couple of hundred more for rivets. 

Len

[ryeguyisme]

Jon,
in regards to the Archer decals, I heard from another avid kitbasher that using O scale rivets not HO works better in HO, I used them on my F-81 project with great success. The HO scale rivet decals will work better with N scale, it really is that noticeable of a difference. I bought  the 5/8" rivets, 7/8" rivets, tank car double row rivets and alternate center rivets combo in O scale