I recently started on a 36' truss-rod Gondola from Scotia Scale models



I got the kit second-hand and the previous owner had started it to the point of building the frame and floor. I took it from there, adding the sides, then staining it with a mix of brown and gray.I want to get the main structure built, then color it before continuing with the details.







The next step was to add the queenposts when I discouvered they were missing, probably the reason for it's second-hand status. I did a quick check through my parts drawers and found a set of MDC queenposts but they were molded with the pedestal beams and I needed them spaced differently. I cut the posts off the plastic beams and transferred them to the kit's wood beams, using brass wire as mounting pins.





After the glue dried, I trimmed the brass wire up and glued the beams into place.

I started to experiment with color on the sides:



I decided to use pastel chalks instead of paint. I like the uneven, dry look that they give. I'll paint some of the hardware and the underside a bit with my airbrush later when the details are added. I also took my x-acto knife and carved up some of the boards to show damage for years of abuse.

I finished coloring the boards:



I only colored the exterior with the chalk, leaving the interior gray/brown from the washes. I'm thinking of adding a coal load to the car later and using it to deliver coal for my stamp mill's steam engine. I used Testors dulcote to seal the chalk. I've found that since the chalk 'sinks' into the wood, the dulcote doesn't remove it like it would on a painted surface.


Next, the truss rods.

Interesting technique, Glen, and good-looking results!


Wayne

Thanks Wayne. I finished up the truss rod construction and I thought I'd give a bit of a blow-by-blow



The kit came with some thin, clear fishing line for the truss rods, I replaced it with some black beading line of the same thickness.
I first anchored the line on one side using some 1/16 x 1/16 stripwood (following the instructions) I used 5 minute epoxy to hold the line and blocks down.



After that had dried, I threaded each of the lines over 1 of the queen posts and blocked and glued them down on the other side.



when that side had dried I carefully lifter the line into the other queenpost. The tension created pulled each line tight and fairly straight.



Then it was just a matter of gluing the turnbuckles into place and it's done. Another way I could have done it was to drill through the floor and pull the thread up. I could have gotten away with this since I'm planning to add a permanent load to the car. Now I have to start looking at adding the braking systems.

I finished the car up to paint yesterday starting with the braking system.



It might have been easier to add the truss rods after the brakes since it all goes under the rods. While I was at it I added some scale kadee couplers and fitted the trucks.

I used tichy grab irons and stirrup steps. It's so much easier than bending your own. The Trucks are MDC/roundhouse arch-bars. Since the car won't be used in interchange service, I can get away with them.



the only thing missing is the brake wheel. I usually put that on afer painting since it's so easy to break it off.

Very nicely done sir.

Thanks. I completed the car this past weekend:



I weighted the car with some lead sheet and them covered it with a coal load. I made the coal load using some foam, painted black, and then used some Woodland Scenics coal on top, held in with matt medium.
After that dried I added the air hoses and brake wheel.

Good job.

I just checked my kit supply and I have an SSM boom car.

Also a box from Taylor and CRM.

Glen,

my congratulations!

Still missing Bernd aka modelsof1900 givig his comment here...

Glen, that is an award winner. Thanks for sharing.
Charlie

I agree, that turned out really nicely.

Wayne

Thank You, everyone.
As challenging as these kits are, I wouldn't mind finding more of them. I think I might have a CN Caboose that another modeller started that was one of them as well. But that's another story altogether.

I started work on my second Scotia Scale Models Kit, a wood sheathed Boxcar.



This one doesn't have a truss rod frame, but a fish-belly instead, a bit easier to work with.

I started by building the basic box frame.



Then I flipped it over and marked out where all the basic frame parts will go.




Here I added the c-frame pieces around the edges, the two bolsters and the center 'fish-belly' frame parts. the slots cut in the center parts are for brake levers to be added later. I hope to get more progress done on the model this weekend.

Here's a few more detail shots of the completed gondola, and a couple found treasures.











While I was at it I found a similar gondola that I built around 15 years ago:



It's made by Juneco, another Canadian Manufacturer. This one used allot of cast metal details instead of wood or plastic like the Scotia scale models car so it didn't need extra weight added.






While photographing this model I realized that I hadn't added any grabs or stirups to the car. I'll have to fix that (it would also explain what I was able to finish the car in just a few hours)

I also found this in my unbuilt collection:





It builds into almost the same gondola again, but with slightly different methods and materials. This will be a future project.

Glen:
What do you use for a wood glue on these kits?