Scratchbuilding a PS 5344 boxcar

[Sumpter250]

I tell you, I am often amazed myself that my simple methods work.
Ribs installed on the sides and the end of the roof trimmed.

I think that is in keeping with the K.I.S.S. principle ( "Keep It Simple Stupid" ), and, yes, amazingly it does work more often than not. I'll have to try this rib forming method in HO. It might allow me to do a couple of B&O Wagontop Box Cars. . . . . . if I can bend the strips without breaking them, or having them break when the MEK is applied. :o
I haven't tried the immersion in boiling water trick, to soften the styrene for bending, but it might just work for that application.

[cnw1961]

Bernahrd, I used a T-shaped 2 mm brass profile for the door tracks. I soldered three little pieces of 0.8 mm brass wire to the long leg of the T to hold the tracks. Two of these pins were soldered to the top of the T so that they are hidden by the door now and the third was soldered to the bottom as you can see in the next two pics.





Michael, you are right, O-scale is perfect for scratchbuilding and I enjoy working on models this size tremendously. I should have made the move from HO a few years earlier.

Pete, I was thinking about the hot water trick or using a hairdryer when I bent the sides of the roof, but I feared that the heat would not only help me to bend the sides but would cause the whole roof to warp. So I took the safe route and bent it without heating. It did not stay in shape as it might have with heating and caused a little more work gluing down, but it worked. I think if you are not making a sharp 90° bend the strips for your roof won’t break.

Stirrups. I used a .050" x .010" brass strip and fixed the stirrups on the car with .020" brass pins and CA.

[nkp_174]

With regard to the B&O roof ribs...

I've usually found that two thin layers of styrene works considerably than one thick layer for bending. It would double the work to prepare the ribs, but the results are less of a crap shoot than boiling water or a hair dryer. I usually glue one end first (for arched parts) and let the glue dry before bending it and gluing the rest. Super Glue with accelerator is also great for this sort of work. I've generally found that 0.020" thick styrene will bend so-so...but 0.010" thick styrene works great. (frequently, 2 layers of 0.010" is faster to install than 1 layer of 0.020").

[AF350]

NKP and CNW,

The modeling work you do and the tips from looking and reading your posts has been an inspiration. I work mostly in S standard and On30 and regard myself as a begginer in scratch building and kitbashing and has made the hobby fun again as I am learning new skills and talents. Other interests I have are casting and molding, electronics and reading about 3D printers and other rapid proto typing machines but these interests lead me right back to model trains. Keep up the good work. I would like to try new ideas and techniques but really need to finish what I have already started

[modelsof1900]

Kurt,
thanks for your explanation.

...

Extremely accurate worked details! I love such handmade precision.

[Steamtrains]

I'm just blown away..!!

The styrene work is fantastic...But the metal work is "out of this world"...

Having done some of this on my "scratchbuilt" 2-8-2, I can attest it is no easy task, but the accuracy and workmanship shown here is just at another level altogether...!!

[cnw1961]

Gus, don’t forget it is O scale. That makes the metal work much easier and when I take pics, I scale them down to the same size as if I had taken a pic of a HO scale car … so they’d better look good or it would mean that I had done a lousy job .

Progress has been slow, but now I only need to add a few more details and the car is finished. Since my last post I have added the upper door tracks and the brake gear. The white metal brake parts are from Selley. When doing the brake gear I was not interested in absolute accuracy, I only wanted to make it look right when viewing the car from the side at eye level.

[cnw1961]

Can’t believe that I did not work on this car for almost half a year , but here it is now, painted and weathered … only the cut levers still need to be done. Hope it won’t take half a year again ...

[e-paw]

[bdw9535]

Kurt,

Glad to see you posting again. What a great looking scratch built car, along with a truely believable paint and weathering job. Nicely done.

Any updates on the layout?

Bruce

[modelsof1900]

A very realistic aging, Kurt. Enjoy your work!

[dave_long]

Superb job Kurt.

[AF350]

Wow that is a superior modeling job very realistic

[Steamtrains]

I'm speechless....So I won't say anything....

Well, maybe just..."Fantabulous"..!!

[Steve]

Absolutely beautiful work! It looks 1:1 REAL!!!!