I got the other vestibule constructed today, and added truss rods to the floor. I still need a bunch more underbody details, install couplers, grab irons and railings, paint, diaphragms, and interior details. For now, I put the trucks back on and put it on the track between two of my other passenger cars to see how it matches up. I still have the model power trucks on the cars with 33" wheelsets. The trucks are shorter wheelbase than the plans I have, and the wheelsets should be 36". Also, the truck bolsters are about a scale foot closer to the car ends than the plans. I won't try to fix the bolsters, but I havent decided whether to buy new trucks or just put on larger wheels. I think I have another set of 36" wheels somewhere in a junk box, and if I can find them I will probably just go that route. I don't have the funds right now to buy all new trucks.

does anyone have a good diagram or knowledge of what kind of brake layout to expect on a circa 1890 passenger car?

Here's a little information on early passenger car air brakes:


Wayne

Thanks Wayne. It sounds like I should have PM style brakes on my car rather than the later UC style. I found this book that can be read online, that may be useful to some people here:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.archive.org/details/braketestsreport00penn">http://www.archive.org/details/braketestsreport00penn</a><!-- m -->

The passenger car is coming along well!

Kevin, Wayne, The cooperative effort here is exactly why I joined the-gauge in the first place, and why I continue to moderate here.
"Bravo Zulu" ( well done ) to both of you.

The brake cylinder in that drawing looks very similar to the one for the UC system (available in brass or plastic from CalScale), so you could use that or opt for a "K"-type brake, either the regular or split version, both of which are available from Tichy. Unless you need to be 100% prototypically accurate, it's more important to have "something" under that car than it is to leave it bare for fear of being incorrect.

Wayne

Thanks for posting the brake info, Wayne. This may get me off my duff and finish that Northeastern Combine! Perhaps I can do the coach as well...

Nacho - great work on a really cool car. All the contest entries are fantastic - an excellent idea for a contest. I just wish I had gotten the word sooner.

Galen

ocalicreek Wrote:I just wish I had gotten the word sooner.

It isn't too late. Contest ends April 1.

Quote:It isn't too late. Contest ends April 1.

Most of the projects I have started that I need to finish aren't really in the contest theme of a 'bash', and I'm reluctant to start something new with so much half-done. But perhaps there's something in all those kits & cars stashed away I could pull out & whip together in a month. We'll see. In the mean time I'm really enjoying these contest threads.

How's that passenger car coming along?

Galen

ocalicreek Wrote:

Quote:It isn't too late. Contest ends April 1.

Most of the projects I have started that I need to finish aren't really in the contest theme of a 'bash', and I'm reluctant to start something new with so much half-done.

"With so much half done"??? I thought having so much half done was a prerequisite for being able to call one's self a model railroader!

It's OK though, there's one very small portion of "margin" on my list of mistakes....I think I can still squeeze in the above misconception.

As Wayne says, it is better to have something under the car rather than leave it blank. So, after studying as many diagrams and photos as i could find, I set out to make something "plausible". Likely, I will never meet an expert on circa 1900 passenger car brake systems, so the chance of being nitpicked is small . The reality is, the car just has to look good from the side. the original cast-on brake parts from the two model power car halves would be difficult to carve away, so I had to simply sand them flush with the floor beams. The remnants of those cast-on details will always be visible when the car is turned upside down. Again, if it looks good from the side, few people will be an expert enough to say it is wrong. It will at least be much better than my other passenger cars!

I pulled a bunch of bits from my scrap bin to make the main components. The brake cylinder is some kind of crude casting that was likely cut from a cheapo bachmann or tyco car. I had to clean up the casting a bit. The air reservoir is a piece of sprue with some thin styrene strapping. The triple valve is some kind of fribbitz I found in the scrap bin. I don't know what kind of detail part it is supposed to be, but I decided it looked "close enough". Again, most people will be none-the-wiser. The remainder of the levers and rods will be bits of styrene and brass rod.

Very nice! Seeing all this brake rigging being done makes me want to do it on all of my rollingstock.

Gary S Wrote:Seeing all this brake rigging being done makes me want to do it on all of my rollingstock.

I used to feel that way, too. Now I only do house cars (box, reefer, stock) and some flats and gondolas without drop sidesills. Oh, yeah, and cabooses and passenger cars. I've made it an operating rule that only these types of cars are allowed to derail and roll down embankments, exposing their lovingly-detailed underbodies. All other rolling stock must remain upright and confined to the rails.

Wayne

Wayne, before I do any more brake rigging, I need to get my layout running. That way I'll know which cars need the brake rigging... the ones that derail and turn over will get the rigging!

Here is the completed underbody details. I think there is enough under there to keep the bottom of the car from looking neckid I truncated the brake rods short of the trucks and glued them up to the body to make sure they were out of the way. I also added a battery box and a water tank, figuring this car was upgraded with the latest appliances between 1905 and 1910. I am getting close to the paint shop on this one...