HO Scale Lifeboats (and some larger vessels, too)

[JaBear]

Who makes that depressed-centre flatcar?

Gidday Wayne, Its a kitbash of a kitbash. I hope you don't mind the long version, but some years ago there was a "tidy up" at the local club and from the work bench cupboards a small box of "Junk" was to be thrown out. At that time my model railroading, apart from club activities, was centred around assembling Athearn BB and MDC freight car kits to the recommended NMRA weights and fitting Kadees or EzMate MkII to the correct height, but I did recognise that the "Junk" had possibilities and might get me into the arcane arts of kitbashing, so I was allowed to take the rubbish away.
The depressed centre car, one of the junk items, was produced by Jouef, had huge pizza cutter wheels , a broken truck, horrible couplers, and was, I think,of an OO European prototype. However with its with its HO scale 45 foot length and 8'9" width, I thought I could get away with "Americanising" it. So I removed the trucks, drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws to attach the Athearn trucks and wheels, and Kadee coupler boxes, added lead weight underneath, fitted a Athearn BB caboose brake wheel assembly,  bent and fitted some stirrups from staples, made some tie down rings from spare Kadee coupler boxes,  and volia.......

   
Time passed and I started lurking and later joined another forum. Amongst the great contributions there, were some very informative, (and inspiring) ones from a certain Canadian Gentleman with a penchant for kitbashing freight cars into specific cars for his 1930s railroad.    Upon occasionally looking upon my depressed centre kit bash I was reminded of a teachers comment on a  school report from years before that went along the lines.... " did well but could TRY HARDER..."  and an accidental link to this.....http://prr.railfan.net/freight/freightph...ew.jpg&fr= ........got me thinking( there wasn't too much of a burning smell   ) and though its very freelanced, this is how it ended up.....

   
The air tanks are made from sprue, the attaching straps from card,  brake wheels from the spares box and stirrups and grap irons from .012" brass wire. and squirted with paint from a cheap rattle can. The trucks and wheels are Proto ones.( even if Buckeyes were readily available I doubt if they would fit.)  It still needs a load, decaling and weathering.
I see that the Funaro and Camerlengo make a kit for the F-29, .....http://www.fandckits.com/HOFreight/8170.html but apart from the fact that the LHSs' (not that local actually) go "Who???", and looking at the "Dollar Car" projects in the older Model Railroaders, I've added a scratch built version to my "Things to possibly do one day if I get round to it" list.
To anyone who views this and hasn't tried a kitbash, but is tempted, then Give It A Go. While it can be frustrating at times, it can be very satisfying and hey if I can do it, so should you.
Cheers, the Bear.

[modelsof1900]

Great work!

... and here also available http://www.ebay.de/itm/Jouef-nicht-Markl...1015026993, Wayne.

[JaBear]

Great work!

Bernhard, looking at the work you do with those reefers, I feel somewhat inadequate. :oops:
Thanks and Cheers, the Bear

[modelsof1900]

No, I think it's a fine model for your very specific use!
I love your work with the barge and I hope for a well desingned harbor scene on your layout? All times I have the wonderfull Bronx layout of Tim Warris in my mind modelled after the equally highly interesting object in reality - the Bronx Terminal.

[JaBear]

Well I've achieved a bit more, in fact the apron can now be put away until final assembly. I should also credit faraway for, perhaps unwittingly, making me have a good think about how to finish the woodwork, I'm reasonably happy with the result, though I may yet try dry bushing a little silver/grey??? to make some of the planking look older and more weathered. Thanks anyhow Reinhard.


   
   
Still having fun,  
Cheers, the Bear.

[JaBear]

According to my Oxford Dictionary a hobby is "an occupation that a person does for pleasure, not as his main business" so I wonder at myself for getting annoyed when I find I sidetracked myself yet again.  
However I've dusted off the ferry project and these are the most current photos of where I'm at.
Scratch building the apron counterweight mechanism.

   
The measurements for the apron was a guestimate, (last year) looking at Google maps of the old Pere Marquette/ Wabash yard on the Detroit side just up stream from the Ambassador Bridge and the  photos I found on the interweb of the counterweight mechanisms, (feel free to correct me if I'm using the wrong terminalogy)  are taken on the Windsor side. I now figure that the apron on the Windsor side was shorter than the Detroit aprons, so I feel that my proportions are not quite right . Just last week while looking at the area again I managed to get the Google Street view and got to get to right angles of the mechanisms, and now wish I had made the arm about 5 scale feet longer, and the A frame at a more acute angle, but even while it bugs me, I think laziness will win.  

   
Thanks for looking,
Cheers, the Bear.

[e-paw]

[doctorwayne]

... and now wish I had made the arm about 5 scale feet longer, and the A frame at a more acute angle, but even while it bugs me, I think laziness will win.

Well, I certainly understand about something like that bugging you (part of the slippery slope), but they look good to me and I doubt few, if any, will notice any misproportion. I vote for laziness.

Wayne

[JaBear]

(part of the slippery slope)

Yeah, that “Slippery Slope”!!! (mutter, mutter, mutter!!!)
I’ve been following e-paws Wyoming Valley Super Mike Kit bash thread, http://bigbluetrains.com/forum/viewtopic...=17&t=7657, and when he commented that his tender trucks were 5 scale inches too long, I laughed to myself and thought that anyone who adversely remarked about the “long” trucks would have to be an anorak wearing rivet counter of the worst kind. The irony is that if I was capable of undertaking such a project, those extra 5 inches would really bug me. There’s nothing wrong with casting a critical eye over ones work but there is a limit.
Thanks for the positive replies, time for me to get over it and move the project along.
Cheers, the Bear.

[e-paw]

There's a dirty joke in there about the extra 5 inches that I won't go into here :oops: ...

As for the record,,,,I would classify myself as more of a rivet " estimator " then a rivet " counter "

[modelsof1900]

Bear, great work again. Looks very, very good your steel constructions!

[JaBear]

e-paw, my apologies if you thought that I was referring to yourself as an “anorak wearing rivet counter”. :oops: In my experience, having been accosted on occasion by those types while carrying out my day job, they have little to offer apart from wasting time, and their self proclaimed expert knowledge which I have found to be somewhat suspect. Actually attempting to do something useful, or in fact helpful, is not part of their makeup.
For the record I would classify myself as “a dabbler” who has embarked on “the Slippery Slope”.
Thanks for your kind words Bernhard.
Cheers, the Bear.

[JaBear]

Well this weekend I’ve made some hatch covers for the ferry. While I’ve got some photos of the Detroit, and photos and a small plan of the Pere Marquette # 10 and 14, nothing is really clear on how many hatches there should be, what which hatch is used for and the construction of the hatches, so I’ve just guessed, though to my logic (??) the coal bunkers would have to be amidships so to minimalise any problems with the boats trim as the coal is consumed.  I’ve also started playing with the funnels and their supporting structures.

   
BTW does anyone have any clever but easy way as how I scratch build some cowl ventilators?
Thanks for looking, Cheers, the Bear.

[Sumpter250]

If you mean something like this:
   
It would depend on the size ( or sizes ). Half a plastic ball, and some styrene tubing( with a little "body putty" ) could make a reasonable facsimile.
Finding plastic balls the right size.... "Aye, now there's the rub."
You might have better luck finding castings of such vents. If there is a hobby shop close enough to go visit, that carries "Parts" for ship models you might find them there, or at least, be able to order what you need.
The alternative, would be to get a list of ship model kit manufacturers,from the nearest hobby shop, and see if any of them could supply the vents you need.
In researching this, I did find one comment on "how frustratingly difficult making these, can be". Hope you can find a reasonable solution.

[JaBear]

Sumpter 250, Yep thats them.I've seen some at a not so local LHS but I thought at the tme they were too big.

It would depend on the size ( or sizes ). Half a plastic ball, and some styrene tubing( with a little "body putty" ) could make a reasonable facsimile.

Hmmmmm, thats an interesting idea. Thanks. (any burning smell is me thinking).
Cheers, the Bear.