Guys,My mind is a complete blank and I embarrass to ask. :oops:

I called several modelers I know and they too was at a lost and I don't feel like making a trip to Mansfeild when I can simply add it to my order

I need a strip of styrene to make a sheet steel load for a bulkhead flat car.

:oops: How wide of a strip do I need? :oops:

Before I spent 3 1/2 weeks in a coma from my heart attack I use to know these things.

Brakie Wrote:Guys,My mind is a complete blank and I embarrass to ask. :oops:
I called several modelers I know and they too was at a lost and I don't feel like making a trip to Mansfeild when I can simply add it to my order. I need a strip of styrene to make a sheet steel load for a bulkhead flat car.
:oops: How wide of a strip do I need? :oops:

This, should help:
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The length, width, and thickness, of the sheet / plate steel, would be the size needed by the receiving manufacturer. Sheets / plates wider than the flat car floor, would be shipped "on edge" within a supporting frame of some sort.
That's the best I can offer.

Steel can be rolled into almost any width, so the choice is really up to you.
Here's a photo, taken just a couple of days ago, with sheets too wide to be shipped flat on the car:



I plan to eventually model that load, but I've found that Plastruct ABS sheet is useful for making steel sheets and plates, as it requires no painting. It comes in various widths and thicknesses. The load shown below used .020"x1.25" sheet which scales out to about 1.75"x 9'2" in HO - this thickness would usually be considered plate rather than sheet. You can add mill markings (usually heat numbers and slab or ingot identification, plus an inspector's mark) and some surface rust if you wish.



The hold-down method is based on prototypical practice, with smaller plates atop wood blocking placed on the car first. The longer pieces are then added on top, with hardwood 4"x4"s or 6"x6"s spanning the ends of the plates from one side of the car to the other. Threaded rods, with their bottom end welded to small squares of sheet steel are then inserted into the stake pockets from the bottom, with the rod extending up through the pocket and then through holes pre-drilled in the hardwood. After adding flat washers, nuts are then threaded on to the protruding rods, and tightened until the ends of the long plates are drawn down, securing both them and the shorter plates below.




Wayne

Hi Wayne,

What does the sign on the stake say?

Andrew

It says "do not hump". You may also want to check in with Tomustang.. He had built a few steal loads that came out nicely a few years back.

Steve's correct: the sign says "DO NOT HUMP", and is, of course, to be interpreted strictly in a railroading sense.

Placards like that and ones that read "UNLOAD OTHER SIDE", "UNLOAD THIS SIDE", "GLASS DO NOT HUMP", and "CAREFUL AUTO PARTS", along with "HOME SHOP FOR REPAIRS DO NOT LOAD" are available from Jaeger HO Products (listed on Page 2). One package contains three small sheets of the first five warnings in black on a white background, in various fonts, and one small sheet in black print on a green background with various "DO NOT LOAD" admonishments in several fonts and versions.
The "UNLOAD THIS SIDE"/"UNLOAD OTHER SIDE" combination is a useful one for adding operational interest, and I often place cars in staging so that they need to be turned before delivery to a customer.

Wayne

.020"x1.25" sheet .
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Bingo! That's the size.

Thanks Wayne.

I see lots of bulkheads hauling plate/sheet steel and I wanted to model a load..

One planned project is a load of rebar.I might use .020 wire for this project.