Five new and rebuilt old time reefers shall be my part of the 2013 Duff Challenge.
Here a few pictures of project status of my "White swan reefers".

Old fishbelly frames taken from old time MDC models ...




... and rebuilt by adding a splitted K-brake.


Four more frames are in process.


For looking a picture from the wished model click my website, please.

Your website is great, it kept me reading for over an hour! I look forward to seeing more of the V&T passenger cars...

On this reefer, this is amazing work on opening all the holes in the frame. Are you going to move the door to the left side like in the photo on your website?

Dave

Yes, Dave.
It was the idea to build new bodies with the doors moving to ends of body. So I can get a different design in comparison with ordinary reefers.

And to V&T combine - I think that I can make an arrangement with my friend for coloring my two V&T models.

PS. I am glad to read that you like my website.

Sorry, pictures of my challenge have been lost by reorganization of data base on my server. Here a short repeat.

Five new and rebuilt old time reefers shall be my part of the 2013 Duff Challenge.
Here a few pictures of project status of my "White swan reefers".

Old fishbelly frames taken from old time MDC models ...




... and rebuilt by adding a splitted K-brake.


Four more frames are in process.


For looking a picture from the wished models click my website, please.

Great detail in splitting the brake cylinder/reservoir!

That's a lot of drilling and filing. I'm impressed. I've clogged many files cleaning up those MDC underframes.

Nice work.

Thanks for all your friendly comments.

Kevin,
I can say that the preparation of frames was not the big problem. I did not need longer as two hours per frame, I think this is acceptable for a good result. Many more problems have taken these small brakets for the air reservoirs, small angles made from narrow metal strips because milled metal profiles were too raw - look the next pictures.

Michael,
split k-brakes is not very uncommon. Yes, I have tried to use an ordinary K-brake with reservoir and brake cylinder as one part. However I have not found enough room between the frame elements. However that was not a big problem. Tichy offers these split k-brakes as part #3034, unfortunately the quality of this specific part is not very good.

Now a few new pictures of models, better of frames. Details of brakes in progress.





Here after adding the connecting wire to train line I cut off dust absorber and humidity collector because these small parts are too sensitive. These small parts are added only again as one of the last working steps before completing.



Now the frames will be finished piece for piece - first two...



Than three ...



After four ...



And as last all five frames!



Two of frames in each position ...



... and from side.



And where can I see all the work that I have invested?

Ok., frames are ready! The bodies will follow - and now I must make a cut from my opinion, that a wood car (with a steel frame) must built from wood. My model painter would like to do a good job, he said, and so that I should work with plastic! Because of the better surface of models!
No, I do not love this change - however his arguments are correct. And now I will build in plastic (again), a heavy decision for me.

modelsof1900 Wrote:..... and now I must make a cut from my opinion, that a wood car (with a steel frame) must built from wood. My model painter would like to do a good job, he said, and so that I should work with plastic! Because of the better surface of models!
No, I do not love this change - however his arguments are correct. And now I will build in plastic (again), a heavy decision for me.

Welcome to the dark side, Bernhard. While you have done some beautiful work with wood, I never much cared for it for my own model-making. When I finally discovered styrene, it opened up so many new possibilities.

Wayne

A few time is gone and after a short hesitation I have started to my plastic age. From this I should generate car models now?



First step is a simple one - floor plates without fixing to bodies.



My friend suggested to build boxes in order to get an accurate to measurement and angular base for the models - which must be covered only with the preformed wood-shaped thinner plastic at end.



One of these blocks that looks more like an open box - already filled with lead for the correct weight of model.



My most important working tool for exact and angular grinding of parts and whole blocks.





Cover plates for the roof, very exact inserted into the open boxes and each with a different edge for a clear assignment of boxes to roofs. (I need the boxes in an open condition for next times until I have secured steps and grab irons from inside.)





And now - I hope that you can recognize that these could be railroad cars in the future?

Looking good! I am very anxious to see the next step!

Dave

I had a bright grin when I saw the first photo with the raw styrene. I knew you would not give up on precision moving from brass etc. to styrene and the following photos and your text confirmed my assumption.
Looking forward to see styrene models build at 1/20 mm tolerance

Wow, it take a lot of tedious work to get that kind of detail, great job

Looks great!!! Nice work!!

Hello to all - and many thanks for your appreciative words. I'sure that I can finish the models in same way.

Reinhard,
I must write you a disappointment. Not all things are exactly built as you think.
A really fat differece is the car lenght. The original car has a lenght of 34' and I'm setting models on 36' frames. Fairly exact a 1/4 inch longer as it should be! From time to time I must accept also such compromises.

And at end a really good new. An American visitor of my website mailed me a link of a picture of my models. Click for picture on this website http://sbiii.com/rr4.html. Car is lettered for Carstens Products however there are to find a lot of fine details for my models. Or should I give one ore two models a different color and lettering?