Gary S' 2010 Spring Bash Challenge (Boxcar)

[Steamtrains]

I meant to ask if you'd built a diorama just for the shot..!!
Of course, I hadn't read the original post.... :oops: Just looked at the pretty pictures....

[nachoman]

that's just sweet!

[bdw9535]

Nice modeling , impressed on how you got the paint to match.

Bruce

[Sumpter250]

Placing the model shot, and the prototype shot, one below the other was a bold move, but it really pointed out just how well you were able to reproduce in miniature, the car and the scene.....very, very, cool!!

[Gary S]

I appreciate the kind comments. It is strange, but it is just soooo difficult to critique one's own work. When I look at the photo, I think, "wow, that turned out pretty good" but I also see a thousand discrepancies and things I should have done differently or better.

Here is one more photo showing the other side of the car. Not bad for a Lfe-Like boxcar!

   

[Ralph]

I'd stick with "Wow that turned out pretty good" (or how about 'GREAT!") if I were you! Beautiful work Gary!
Ralph

[foulrift]

Gary-Excellent job.It turned out really good. I especially like your use of subtle weathering.
Bob

[Gary S]

Thank you to everyone who has commented on this thread. I appreciate the interest.

I've mentioned it before, but this was alot of fun, and educational too. The idea for the Spring challenge was great, and I have enjoyed (and am still enjoying) everyone else's projects too.

[e-paw]

great job.

[tetters]

Awesome!

[P5se Camelback]

Gary,
I just finished reading my way through your Spring Bash Challenge thread ... you did a remarkable job! The Pee' ess Duh Reez Istess was the prototype and model fo-toes, one above the other - that was a bold, but convincingly cool move ... there's nothing like a comparison shot when you set out to duplicate in miniature what is 1:1 scale! I said it before, I'll say it again ... you did a remarkable job! hock:

After comparing those two fo-toes, we all now know that you lie like a rug when you say this is your first try at this ... and I've never used a computer before either!

Now we are all going to start looking at your rolling stock a lot more closely ... keep up the good work! Yeah, me too!

[Gary S]

Dang biL, you are full of surprises! It was very gratifying for you to have commented on this thread. Thank you for the kind words!

Now, my "first time to do this" quip was true though, but it applied only to the the brake rigging. Most of my rollingstock is somewhat modified one way or another, so I have had practice on most of this stuff before.

The typical mods on my boxcars are as follows:

body-mounted kadee draft boxes attached with 2-56 screws
plastic wheels repalced with metal
all trucks are screw mounted
steel weights removed and replaced with lead
oversized door guides shaved off and replaced with thinner plastic strip
Athearn doors replaced with scale height doors
Some modeled with a door open so the interiors are detailed somewhat
plastic stirrups replaced with metal ones bent from wire
full height ladders shaved down to half ladders (representing the mods in the late 1970s)
brake wheels removed and lowered (again, it is a 70s thng)
roofwalks removed (those good ol' 1970s again!) and holes patched
ACI, lube plates, and wheel dot decals added
weathering

But I had never done brake rigging before!

Again, thank you biL for reminding me of this thread. I was truly honored by being a top contender in the voting... very cool!

[Gary S]

Oh... biL, I do have to mention that many of the things I was able to accomplish on this boxcar were inspired by things I have seen here on Big Blue. And most notably, DocWayne. He has posted many great pic-turials of how he does stuff, and it certainly builds one confidence to try new things.