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Hello,

There is a technique for building freight cars which has been brought to my attention over the last few months, and I've finally decided to give it a try.

Over here in the UK, there is a gentleman who is known for scratch building 7mm scale British outline freight stock from card, and they are truly outstanding. His layout is populated by stock built for a fraction of the cost of buying the models ready to run or even in kit form.

I thought the process could easily be applied to N scale, so I have begun to build some freight cars for my own budding US outline layout. Only the trucks, couplers and wheels will be ready made, the rest of the cars will be entirely scratch built from card.

The method is to print out scale drawings of the subject and glue them to thick card, the kind you find on the back of paper refill pads from stationary stores. You then cover the whole thing in a few coats of shellac, which turns the card into a very rigid building material.

Cut out the drawings and assemble them, building up in layers to get the detail. In N scale I found it easier to assemble the cars first, then coat them with shellac when built up - to give strength to the joints.

I will now show some photographs of my progress so far at various stages along the way. Hopefully this will prove useful to anyone who is thinking of making their own freight cars at some point - or maybe even inspire people to have a go themselves anyway!

My first effort to see if this would work was a high-sided gondola car - nothing simpler than a gondola, right?
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Whilst the gondola was coated in shellac and left to dry, I started on a box car and a pair of pulpwood flat cars:
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The box car has been the focus of my attention over the last couple of days, and is now at this stage - just needs one end and the roof detailing and it will be ready for the shellac:
[Image: 20131229_223916-1_zps296afe66.jpg]

This is as far as I have gotten so far, but I am picking up a quantity of trucks and wheels from a friend tomorrow, so should be able to get the underframes and the truck mounting points done later this week. Smile

Let me know what you think.
Outstanding! Can't wait to see the finished product. Could you post some pics of your scale drawings?
Very nice !
scubadude Wrote:Outstanding! Can't wait to see the finished product. Could you post some pics of your scale drawings?

Honestly, I just did a google image search for "(FREIGHT CAR TYPE) scale drawings" and browsed around a bit. Most of the dimensions I had to work out for myself, thought the CSX website was highly useful for the dimensions of their box cars! Big Grin

I don't really want to relink them here for fear of breaking any rules or causing any offense to the original creators of the drawings, but they all appear freely available via the internet. Smile
Well, the boxcar is ready for the shellac treatment! Attention will be given to the pulp wood flats next.[br][br]Any feedback is appreciated. [br][Image: 20131231_004808-1_zpsb9febfb8.jpg][Image: 20131231_004838-1_zpse9b14441.jpg][Image: 20131231_005008-1_zps0ecf8ac3.jpg][Image: 20131231_004955-1_zpsfd08ed0b.jpg][Image: 20131231_004737-1_zpsa6dda350.jpg][Image: 20131231_004709-1_zps074ee261.jpg]
I often used strips of card or paper instead of styrene sheets to get profiles when reworking ribs and roof panels on platics cars. I find this material a good choice for making realistic painted wood components. I guess it would be an easy way to build older wood rolling stock.

Hope to see the painted result soon!

Matt
I'm hoping to get the pulpwood flats constructed so I can give the box car and flats the shellac treatment at the same time, then start on the painting. I have been kindly given 24 pairs of trucks with wheels by a friend to allow me to complete the models, so hopefully I will be able to get the painting done sometime in the next couple of weeks. Smile
Work has continued on the rolling stock, as the pulpwood flats are now assembled and - along with the box car - have been given a coat of shellac.

Here are some pictures of the flats just after construction was finished. Once all the wagons are painted and the trucks added, I'll be giving them further detailing - wire handrails, ladders, brake wheels, etc.

Whilst waiting for the shellac to dry I've also started working on turning a Life-Like (I think) GP-30 in CB&Q colours into a CSX road slug. Photo of the basic progress at the bottom of this post.

Let me know what you think. Smile

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Danielb,

Card stock has been used in structure building very commonly, there are a few of us that done rolling stock in part and in a few cases completely out of card stock, but you are the first I have seen do so in a small scale Worship They look great so far Thumbsup

I tend to use a combination of materials like mostly balsa wood and reclaimed card stock from cereal and dry food boxes :geek:
danielb Wrote:Work has continued on the rolling stock, as the pulpwood flats are now assembled and - along with the box car - have been given a coat of shellac.

Here are some pictures of the flats just after construction was finished. Once all the wagons are painted and the trucks added, I'll be giving them further detailing - wire handrails, ladders, brake wheels, etc.

Whilst waiting for the shellac to dry I've also started working on turning a Life-Like (I think) GP-30 in CB&Q colours into a CSX road slug. Photo of the basic progress at the bottom of this post.

Let me know what you think. Smile

[Image: 20140101_214104-1_zpsff565750.jpg]
[Image: 20140101_214129-1_zps5a997dde.jpg]
[Image: 20140101_214351-1_zps7caadbf9.jpg]

The RED and Gray loco you show is a ARNOLD GP30 possibly from ARNOLD's 1980's run .


ERIE RR
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