R.I.P. track Pullman

[Bill Gill]

The Repair In Place Track at the backshop of the Rutland Yard on the NEB&W layout is getting some attention. I was asked to take an old, existing model from storage and come up with some kind of work-in-progress on it. The idea was to make minimal changes to an old Roundhouse/MDC HO scale Pullman Palace car previously assembled and painted for the NEB&W.

A few more details will be added when the final location of the car is determined. They will show the car is actively being repaired rather than just parked. It will be one of a couple of strings of cars needing repairs that will be parked, or modeled with repairs in progress, so with any luck its shortcomings will get lost in the clutter.

The existing thick, flat black painted roof was scraped down to bare plastic, creating a near scale thickness of painted "canvas" higher than the sheathing. Using photos of prototype cars being restored as reference, the sheathing was scribed and painted to approximate the look of the older, raw wood in the photos. This is far from fine modeling, but trying to get the color of the wood close to correct was a main goal of the project. A vent on the end of the clerestory also was removed and the area behind it was painted to look like the bare sheetmetal sheathing being worked on.

[Chuck Doan]

Nicely done!

[finescalerr]

A creative and attractive modification. -- Russ

[Bill Gill]

Thanks, Chuck & Russ.

[Hydrostat]

Looks good to me!

Volker

[Bill Gill]

Thanks, Volker.

[Chuck Doan]

It is an unusual and very interesting detail to do!

[Lawton Maner]

Having just returned from my monthly weekend working on on the East Broad Top's combine 14 I can say the sheathing is far to neat.  Change a couple of the boards at the edges to represent new wood to hint that the repair is because of rot from a leak.  Otherwise, a great idea on recycling a car which has been superseded by newer, improved models.

[Bill Gill]

Thanks, Chuck. One of the things I enjoy about being a member of the RMMRRS (home of the NEB&W) is that there are always interesting or experimental projects waiting to be tried.

Thanks, Lawton. Just like you are suggesting, I thought about "replacing" a couple of the sheathing strips with "new wood" to represent patches from a leak. The sheathing in the prototype restoration photo I found did look a little worse (not too much) than the sheathing I modeled, but I reasoned the model represents a car still in regular revenue service, getting a bit of maintenance and probably wouldn't look quite as worn as the prototype reference photo of a car that sat out in the weather for years before undergoing restoration/rebuilding. However, a few replaced boards would tell more of a story of what's going on, so might do that. Thanks.

[Ray Dunakin]

Very creative and nicely done!

[Bill Gill]

I've been playing around with details to add to the roof being patched.
Possibilities so far include (L to R): 30in. roll of #8 cotton duck, tool box (needs painting and mix of tools but don't have good source for HO scale tack hammer and scissors), can of roofing paint with brush, 2 boxes of tacks for tacking canvas to wooden roof. Suggestions welcome!

[finescalerr]

A thermos and half eaten sandwich. -- Russ

[Bill Gill]

"A thermos and half eaten sandwich." -- Russ
Which half? 

[Ray Dunakin]

Great stuff already!

[finescalerr]

Bill, the answer is "the half that hasn't been eaten" Go stand in the corner. -- Russ