My plastic freight car challenge - Printable Version

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My plastic freight car challenge - modelsof1900 - 03-08-2012

Because I did not start my challenge in January I will write here about my plastic freight car challenge.
Inspired by Doc Wayne's or Matt's and others freight car projects I would like to post a few pictures of my plastic freight car projects here. Plastic - an exception because I prefer to work using wood how you know.

My start in this year was to build a few Westerfield cars, first a GN reefer realizing a few modifications and adding a well detailed brake and a few scratchbuilt parts.

[Image: gn-reefer_03k.jpg]
Painting will be done by the new owner of this model so I do not know if I can show you a picture of painted model.

My second project is to build three "Saure-Gurken-Wagen" or in English pickle cars; they all are waiting for completing the brake because all my no. 82 drill bits are broken. New bits will be needed however they are "sauteuer" or **** expensive.

[Image: heinzpicklecar_06k.jpg]

And last I started to build two Accurail kits for my 1930 train and there I was sure that they are ready in two days. However this will not work in reality when I will add a complete brake system and a few additional hardware which I'm missing at models.
So here only a shot on underbodies with a complete mounted tube system for AB-brakes - first time that I added an AB-brake. All my 1900 cars which I built before did got K-brakes.

[Image: ab-brake_07k.jpg]

Brake gear is under construction and few more pictures will follow.

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - Sumpter250 - 03-08-2012

Bernhard, Worship Worship I am always amazed by the detail you build. The reminder that I still have a lot to learn, is always welcome, especially when it is stated so eloquently. Thumbsup Thumbsup

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - doctorwayne - 03-08-2012

Beautiful workmanship, as usual, Bernhard. Even Ted Culotta would be impressed. Thumbsup

Wayne

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - teejay - 03-08-2012

Wow , nice details and workmanship .

Terry

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - modelsof1900 - 03-08-2012

Thanks to all for your friendly comments!

Wayne,
who is Ted Culotta? Do you have an Website or link?
And I have seen that you have added the load/empty-lever at a few cars, items where I should think about adding also. Unfortunately these things aren't part of the Tichy sprues. I will see what I can do however I have not seen these things at cars of my 1900 modelling time where K-brake were a standard. However I know also that there a few steps in development of brake have been before introduction of AB-brake. Maybe I can find fitting parts and I will ad them where it will be correct to models and time.

PS. I searched for Ted Calotta in Web and I have found a big number of entries. Thanks!

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - doctorwayne - 03-08-2012

Ted Culotta did a series of articles in Railroad Model Craftsman called Essential Freight Cars. He usually started with craftsman-type kits, such as Westerfield or Sunshine, then modified and detailed them to represent specific cars as seen in prototype photographs. His modelling era is, I believe, 1947. The premise of the series is that certain railroads had signature cars or even ones which may have been widely used by many railroads, and that they would have been seen in almost any part of North America: in other words, cars that could fit into any late steam-era layout.
He's also done a couple of books on freight cars: Steam Era Freight Cars Reference Manual - Volume One: Box & Automobile Cars and another on tank cars. Both books contain b&w photos of prototype cars, with some background information on built dates, builders, etc. I used photos from the first book as inspiration for many of the models in my Challenge thread - some of those cars were dealt with in the magazine series, but since I'm using cheaper (and often inaccurate) cars, I used the information only as a reference.
He also runs Speedwitch Media, an outfit that offers books, decals, and kits, although the kit section seems to be not currently working. It offers both conversion kits, which include a kit from another manufacturer (Westerfield, Southern Foundry, etc.), along with parts and decals to convert it into a very particular car. I believe they also have a couple of their own resin kits.

Wayne

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - modelsof1900 - 03-09-2012

Doc Wayne,
thank you very much for your notes in detail. And your link to Speedwitch Media is a great help for next models, decals and books, really!

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - tetters - 03-09-2012

Those look great Bernhard. I'd love to see them painted. Thumbsup

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - Tyson Rayles - 03-09-2012

Very nice detail Bernhard ! Worship

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - modelsof1900 - 03-10-2012

Thank you again for your interest!
Tetters, yes, pictures of progress and also of painted cars will follow.

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - sailormatlac - 03-10-2012

Great! You even went so far as to solder every air lines under the car... I like the job you did on the Accurail car, feels like I should had a few lines on two kits I'm actually building...

Quote:My second project is to build three "Saure-Gurken-Wagen" or in English pickle cars; they all are waiting for completing the brake because all my no. 82 drill bits are broken. New bits will be needed however they are "sauteuer" or **** expensive.

It's the story of our lives as modellers... Asways running short on small and useful bits.

Matt

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - modelsof1900 - 04-02-2012

Matt, thanks!

Now two new pictures of superdailing project for my two Accurail cars.
Both models are finishes out of brake hoses. They will be added after recolouring of all new parts and a few working marks.

[Image: ab-brake_09k.jpg]

[Image: ab-brake_08k.jpg]

The brake is completely installed - and I see that I have made this shot before I mounted a small guiding wire for the long rod to handbrake (with the short chain at end). So as pictured the hand brake rod would fall down on track and this would not be work correct.

What I not did was replacement of ladders because so I think that models would need a complete new coloring and lettering. In moment I'm reflecting to remove the steps only and to replace them by wire. The problem is that I clipsed the floors into bodies too early and now I can not realize an absolute fixing of steps inside of car bodies. I do not love to fix the wire to body by glueing only at the short ends. I prefer to use very long ends of the wire and after a first fixing by CA I bend ends inside of body and fill the small bows with a good abundance of two components resin. This will give an absolute fixing against pulling and more yet pushing on steps from outside to car body.
And now I'm not sure if I can reopen the models after mounting a few wires and fixing bolts which connect the bodies to the floors. However I will write again about success or failures of my attempts.

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - jwb - 04-02-2012

I haven't added A-Line steps to too many of my Accurail outside-braced boxcars, but I've done most of my AAR cars. Here's what I do, with no need to remove the floor:    
I simply cement a piece of styrene just behind the side, cemented to both side and floor, and then drill for the step, attaching with CA.

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - doctorwayne - 04-02-2012

I use the same technique as jwb, although cars with thick sides don't need the additional styrene to accommodate the drilling. A #74 bit works well for the A-Line steps. This is either a LifeLike or Tyco flat car:

[Image: Additionalfreightcarphotos015.jpg]

[Image: Additionalfreightcarphotos044.jpg]

Wayne

Re: My plastic freight car challenge - modelsof1900 - 04-02-2012

Thanks to you for your hints and techniques, JBW and Doc Wayne.

I think that I have an other problem with the wood sides of these Accurail cars, wood and steel ends are similarly to sides. Because the well detailed wood structure I can not remove the ladders as whole from the cars. It would destroy these fine structur and I think that this is one of best modelled wood structure that is done with plastic. This is the reason because I would like to remove only the steps and not the holms and I think that I will make so only partial damages which will be covered in parts by the new metal steps. And for a well fixing of these new steps I would like to open the car body again - my very personal opinion. I think that my method of fixing is time consuming but it will fix wire parts absoltely indestructibly. I do not like to hear when modelers say that their fine model should not be take in hands. I will say "take it and show what and how I built this" and the parts must be fixed and should not be bent or lost while presentation. Ok, models should not be ibvolved in heavy crashes, but holding in hands and fixing by fingers - that must a model survive!

Sorry for my hard words and a very personal position however this is my view on modelling. Same I think about my work and I would like to add the next and also the last parts to a new model without that before mounted parts will be destroyed or will be lost again. And so I hope also for a simple way and a good result with this additional parts which should give my models an extra look of personality. I hope to present the results in next days.

PS. Wayne, you have fixed the grab irons at your flatcar by bending the ends behind the end sill in same manner how I will do it with the ladder steps inside of boxcars. And for doing this I must open the bodies again.