P5se Camelback’s EOY Challenge

[P5se Camelback]

I have a bit of a quandary with the overall form factor with this Scale Test Car that I’m building.

In typical “BiL” fashion, I came to a realization/discovery late in the project, but it’s a big enough (to me) discrepancy that I think it probably should be addressed. I write for a second/third opinion. In this first photo, look at the point where the slope of the top of the car reaches the “walkway” along the car’s centerline. It’s kind of a “no-neck defensive tackle” kind of situation.



And now take a gander at the poor little George D. Stock kit representation. Now I realize that his model is roughly based on a PRR version of a Scale Test Car and not one on the Reading Company’s roster. Note that I have already filled in the “step openings” at the lower corners on the sides. That was easy … a little Squadron Green Putty and Duco Cement mix flows nice and smooth allowing for easy filing and sanding.

But now turn your attention to that same area where the slope of the top of the car reaches the “walkway” along the car’s centerline. There is a noticeable vertical wall right there, kind of the “neck” of a defensive free safety or the like.



Also notice the height difference between the two cars in the area of the vertical sides, most noticeable at the area of the round door and its hinged latch (that I am now taking a break from fabricating miniscule parts for, under an Optivisor with #5 optics) which is how I discovered the form factor differences … staring at those round doors and their hinged latches and locks and wondering how I was going to approach building those details!

So the question is … lay a sheet of 0.060” styrene on top of the Zamac casting to bring that slope up to the proper height and then have to fabricate the handrail bases and the “straps” at the top of the walkway or just leave it alone, with the thought that most viewers would never catch that discrepancy (only the “rivet-counters”) but have it bother me for eternity

I know I only have the rest of this week to finish this puppy … January 1, 2011 looms big on the horizon!

I’m hoping I can make it. The weather is not cooperating at all! I normally spray paint and work with other solvents out in the garage as none of that volatile stuff is all that good for a COPD sufferer! But we are experiencing a “cold snap” here in Florida (three hard freezes in the past two weeks – the sugar cane crop is lost, and you can expect to start paying more for your O.J. in the morning as the groves have all lost trees and quite a bit of fruit!) and well, it’s a bit cold out there to shoot paint. Plus the humidity is up again! It's 51° out in the garage and theres a 30-35 knot breeze blowing outside and it's looking like it's going to dump buckets at any moment! Not spray painting weather! We’ll have to see as the week progresses.

And I still have no decals, nor have I heard even a “peep” from the guy who had offered to send me a sheet of “up-sized” HO decals from his N scale artwork. So, I’ll be playing this week by ear! [I’ll lose the better part of one day as the VA (government healthcare) is requiring me to drive 2 ½ hours north to Tampa (Bay Pines VA Hospital) where I will wait 45 minutes to an hour to see – not a doctor but – a respiratory therapist for a five minute breathing test so he can tell me that, “Yes, you still qualify for home oxygen,” and then drive the 2 ½ hours back, catching the end of rush hour in the “crazy, constantly blocked-up because it’s constantly under construction Interstate” going up and the beginning of rush hour coming back down! Excuse me … COPD never gets any better – if you qualify for oxygen once you will always qualify for it! What a waste of time and gasoline and money!]

But I digress … (nothing new ...)

So, tell me, Fellas, should I bother with adding some height to that sloped sheet? I'm inclined to do it as I think it would look more correct. And not doing it would give me shingles every time I looked at it, reealizing it was "that close" to being spot on!

And now looking at the area around the axle bearings ... they are considerably different on the Zamac casting and there is a lot more body overhang on Reading Company #91210!

Oh, detail, details, details!

[Gary S]

My two cents (which do not take into account your mental investment in the Reading car):

Since this little gem of a car is so old, and somewhat rare, I would build it as is with the added details you have already planned, possibly finding a closer match on a prototype to model it from (the PRR car). Then, if you still want a Reading scale test car, perhaps scratchbuild one, or find a model that is a closer representation.

Anyway, I suppose I am just being sentimental about the "antique-ness" of the zamac casting.

[doctorwayne]

There are so many factors at play here that it's difficult to know where to begin.
I understand the desire to "make a silk purse from a sow's ear", but a Reading "purse" from a Pennsy "sow" may be pushing it. How about making it Pennsy and scratchbuilding your Reading one from either lead or styrene - I'd opt for styrene, as it's easier to drill for the detail parts. Simply build it around a passenger car truck of suitable wheelbase.
As you say, the Stock kit has lots of discrepancies once you start looking for them, from the bearing placement to the walkway, plus the shortcomings of the original casting. And don't lose sight of the fact that you're not modelling the Reading (or the Pennsy, for that matter) as your prime interest. That's not to discount your desire to make it as "right" as possible, either, but I think that your ambitions may be misdirected.
Of course, I'm in a similar boat: with a number of projects on-going for others, and a large backlog of my own projects, not to mention a third of my layout yet to be constructed, I've become engrossed with updating/improving a small lot of hopper cars - a task the results of which no one will likely even notice. Selfishly, I'm doing those upgrades because I'll notice. Slave on, BiL, on the course which best fulfils your expectations.

Wayne

[P5se Camelback]

I can see your point Gary, and it's a point well taken. I have taken the Dremel to it with a couple of fine tungsten bits to allow for Kadee coupler boxes (none of those original parts were in the box and no method of installing couplers was apparent. I just swalloed hard and lacking any kind of drill press or milling machine, I held the casting in my left hand, the Dremel in my right, pulled the Optivisor down and beagan spreading very tiny Zamac shards all over the place! Yes, the bit "caught" a couple of times - I'll probably mix up some J-B Weld to fix the damage - but overall I'm getting closer to being able to insert a Kadee draft gear box in the appropriate place.

[Photos to follow soon ... I have a ton to move from the camera to the PC from yesterday's festivities ... 10-month-old grandson Cayden's First Christmas - only one gift from Santa, one from Grandma, one from Granddad, one from Mom and a metric ton from aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and Mom's coworkers (even the office Cleaning Lady!) He was so over-whelmed he actually dozed of on a stuffed elephant with the two bigest gifts to go - both are Ride-Ons!]

But Gary, I'll consider your point ... it is a good one!

And now the Good doctorwayne weighs in as I labor over my ever-more time-consuming, increasingly dyslexic typing skills! (Why is that happening?) Yes, doctorwayne, your points are also good ones! (I must say though, that the Reading Company is the inspiration of everything that is Lehigh Susquehanna & Western and that the several diesels which I all of a sudden possess will all be painted as Reading Company motive power (they are all too recent (by as much as 35 years) to be on the LS&W layout.)

I suppose there is a lot to be said for keeping the G. D. Stock kit a PRR piece (it would be easier on me) but it would then be merely a display piece and I would have to embark on a new research dig as I have no idea of color, details, lettering, etc. I wish I wouldn’t get myself into these quandaries! I have a bad enough time making decisions in the first place! Then add all this “antique kit” with all the many discrepancies that kits from “back in the day” had … they were plenty good enough for “then” but woefully inadequate for “now.”

I’ll have to cogitate over this one … either way, my chances of finishing in time are looking slim! Just another project that’s farther along than it was two months ago.

Oh, well …

EDIT: I just realized that if I do go with making it a Pennsy Scale Test Car, I’ll have to dig out the filled in “corner steps!”
Not too tough, I guess, just time consuming.
I wonder how rare this little bugger is, anyway?

... And did I already screw up it collectability/rarity-wise by digging out material from the coupler pocket area to insert the Kadee box?

This is all I could find re: Mr. George D. Stock, Model Builder, of Philadelphia, PA

George D Stock

GG-1 Cast Brass 1936-1950.
   
Approximately 100 made. Made one at a time, not massed produced. Dual motor. Brass body with cast metal parts including gear housings and main frames plus side frames, Pilots, leading / trailing trucks with side frames, roof detail. George Stock's motto "The oldest name in HO Gauge Model Railroading since 1936"

Plans and parts sheet for this model can be found in the HOseeker Literature section.

[nachoman]

I'm gonna second Gary's comment. To modify this kit to look exactly like the reading car, you will practically be scratching a whole new car. Build it as close as possible, and be happy at you accomplishment for taking a half-built miserable kit and making it look good, after sitting in a box for decades. If you want an exact model - scratchbuild one at a later time. If it bothers you too much that you have a car lettered for reading that is not exactly true to prototype, letter it for your fictional road

[Gary S]

My opinion on adding the Kadees is that it is the proper thing to do. To me, the "antique" value isn't monetary, it is in taking that old kit and enhancing it with detail parts to look and run well, and that is where the satisfaction would come from., and was the route you were taking when you started.

If the casting has to be drastically modified, like Kevin said, you might as well scratchbuild a new body. The walkway is very different, the wheel bearing areas are quite different too. I also like Kevin's idea of lettering this one for your railroad, then perhaps build a different car to match the Reading version.

Oh... the part about "just noticed that _____ is different than on the real thing" seems to plague me too. All too often I discover the discrepancies in my models, after having built what I "thought" I saw! Typically this happens after I post some pictures on Big Blue, then I sit back looking at the photos, and notice "wait, that's not how the real one is!"

[Sumpter250]

And here's where the concept I use for my home road shows its true beauty.
If it's a kit like the test car, that can't be accurately modeled........the Shipyard buys it, modifies ,and cleans it up, and paints it for the Sagaponack Montauk & Cindys Harbor ! ( or any of the other wholly owned subsidiaries ).
Hey !, with the Shipyard as the parent company, I have unlimited access to steel workers, boiler workers, ship fitters, pipe fitters, welders, carpenters, painters, .....and on and on.
If these guys can't "fix" it ?..................it goes to the boys in the foundry, who melt it down and make Bitts, Bollards, Cleats, and other such "fittings", or, to the guys in the woodwork shops.

[Gary S]

Hmmm.... I'm second guessing myself now. You know, there is great satisfaction in taking something that doesn't look like what you want, and completely modifying it to be what you want.

If this was a mass produced car, I would have no qualms in taking the dremel to it. The only reason I am thinking otherwise is because of the distinctness of the original kit.

[Puddlejumper]

.... letter it for your fictional road

This is my opinion on the quandary at hand. I love the idea of resurrecting this old kit, and care not about any possible monetary value of this old casting (it would likely be worth very little anyway) but more about the value achieved personally by rebuilding and detailing it. I'm sure a search would turn up a Walthers scale test car that would me more easier modified for the Reading prototype, if you really want one.

*EDIT* there are 2 on ebay right now.

Dave

[P5se Camelback]

O.K.!

Problem solved ... History Preserved!

"P5se Camelback's EOY Challenge" entry officially withdrawn.

Modeling time considered well-spent, new things tried, new things learned,
a new awareness of the hobby's history embraced,
potentially rare piece of history saved to be restored, unmodified
(except for the addition of Kadee couplers.)

George D. Stock being researched as a Model Railroad Pioneer.

All of that said, I have not given up on the Reading Company's Scale Test Car #91210! Not in the least! This morning, playing my EBay bidding strategy to its most brilliant execution, I scored a Walthers Scale Test Car (Santa Fe) kit, original list $8.98, for a whopping $6.50 with three seconds to go in the auction! Ha HAH! (I've been disappointed like that more than a couple times ... turnabout is fair play!)

The Walthers kit, having no real historical significance, will be modified as much as is necessary to accomplish the modeling of the Reading Company's Scale Test Car #91210. I will document the build with photos in true Big Blue fashion! Besides, after all that has happened in this E.O.Y. Challenge, and not finishing a Big Blue 2010 Challenge "in time" for the second time in a row, I feel obligated to take something from start to finish with the appropriate photo documentation!!

The George D. Stock kit will be restored to original contours (the filled in corner steps will be dug out and restored) and it will be detailed, painted and decaled as a Pennsy "Scale Weight Car," as they apparently called them. I do need a little bit more info about the kit to do the job, but there are a couple people on the "Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society's Discussion Web" who are helping me out with that and this morning (just now, as we speak, actually) one of them came through with a source for decals for this exact piece of rolling stock! I won't even have to piece decals together! Woo Hoo!

I'm a happy guy!

I get to keep my history and modify it too!

[ocalicreek]

Excellent solution, biL! You seem to have solved a well-considered dilemma. This is another reason I love this forum - good folks offering good advice and progress!

Galen