Foothill Model Works Flat Car Challenge

[John McGuyer]

Just whatever you do, don't put a DRO on that XY table or you'll lose all your modeling skills. Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

John

[finescalerr]

Good heavens! You use computers? Begone!!!!

To be serious for only a moment, the best idea I ever had was to send CAD drawings so Crystal River Products could laser cut 1:48 scale Strathmore doors and windows for me. They blow away anything I've ever seen in styrene. Impossible without a computer.

Russ

[marc_reusser]

John,

As you can see in my post...I felt so guilty about using the X/Y table, I did penance by re-drilling them all by hand 


Russ,

Just wait.....give me a month or so, and then I plan to have something I want to see if Tom can laser cut for me....an entire model/kit, all Strathmore from 2-6 ply......in 1/32 or 1/35....can't qiute decide yet.


Marc

[John McGuyer]

You are forgiven oh great one! Your modeling skills will return to you.

John

[marc_reusser]

With all the logging discussion and photos I have been looking at relating to Jacqs project, I was inspired to do a "qiuck-build" of something I have always wanted to do: a Madera Sugar Pine Company 28' logging flat car. (MSPCo., used the 28' foot 3'-gauge flats until the winter of 1924, when they were lengthened in the company shops to 34'.)

Since this will be a project for the FMW challenge, it will be more of an "inspired by" MSPCo, rather than exact model (MSPCo was 3' gauge, with wider cars, whereas this challenge is based on 7' wide 30"-gauge cars).

This is intended to be a very basic and straight forward build (unlike the cane car project)...one that hopefully will take no more than 3 evenings of model building to complete.....and is something anyone could easily do.


The images below show some of the basic details and aspects of the cars. There are very basic standard details that appear sim. on all the cars,  however, as with many logging operations, because of the heavy use in the woods, and the frequent repairs and modifications in the company shops, there are also things that very from car to car; the most notable of these being the decks.










Since Since the kit is a 20' car, the first step was to cut the frame in half using a razor saw, and then sand the cut ends even and square. In order to keep the sills from flexing and moving during sanding, a laminated up some styrene spacer blocks to fit between the sills.



As the new car will have deep side sills, the bolster notches at the existing side sills were filled with .015 styrene; as were all the notches for the needle-beams (which due to the added car length need to be relocated). 
Since I wasn't lucky enough like Jerry , to have two complete frames that I could use  , new sill sections were laminated up from pieces of strip styrene, cut and "batch sanded" to the proper length to give the car its new 28' dimension, then glued in place.



The diagrams below show the laminations that were used to match/create the new sill pieces. The diagram on the left shows the intermediate sills, while the diagram on the right shows the outside and center sills. (The "extended sill" piece was added only to the outside sills. - See next step in build.)



Side sill "extensions were made using .080 x .125 strip styrene. The were "end grained" and had the bottom edges clipped/chamfered on the disk sander prior to gluing in place.
As can be seen on the far side sill, the extended sill piece is wider than the kit side sill (as the prototypes sills were wider also). Since this was to be a "quick build", and nobody would likely look under the car, I did not deem to widen the kit frames to match.



On the new car, the bolsters were to fit between the side sills, rather than on top like in the kit, so the bolster needed to be cut and sanded to fit. In the image, the upper bolster piece is as supplied in the kit, the lower piece shows the it as cut and fitted between the side-frames, for the new car.



The needle beams also needed to be modified to work with the new deeper side sills. The extension was done by laminating some .005 styrene to .080 strip styrene, cutting/sanding the styrene to length, and attaching it to the kit supplied needle-beams



These 2 images show the frame components in their assembled state. Wood graining has been added to the top sides and bottoms of visible  frame pieces using a Micro-Mark wire pencil. All ends of sills, buffer blocks, needle-beams, etc., received "end graining" on the disk sander, to represent the radial wood grain.
For this model I will be using the FMW L&P couplers with the Kadee boxes, so the draft timbers were installed as per the kit instructions.






...and thats as far as I got on the first evening.


Marc

[finescalerr]

That's a lot of work for one evening! I'd have been tempted to replace the longitudinal sills completely and keep only the end beams, needle beams, and bolsters. But that would have used less of Jerry's kit, I suppose. Shaping up splendidly ... as one might expect.

Russ

[marc_reusser]

That's a lot of work for one evening!

It was quality time spent with the shop cat.

I seriously considered replacing the entire side sills...would be less seams to contend with on the visble surfaces, but I sort of figured that in the "spirit" of the challenge the kit side sillshould be utilized where possible.

....besides.....with my newly acquired state of "superfluousness".......does it really matter any more.....sigh.

Looking back over my previous post, I just recognized a small issue/mistake that I will have to correct in my next work session.

Marc

[lab-dad]

Great action shots Oh "superfluousness one"
Always nice to see you back at the bench, hopefully we will see a finished one soon <grin>
I guess if I am starting trouble I better finish mine........
-Marty

[Younger]

Just to keep up, here are a couple of pics of my completed Challenge cars. More are in work.
-Jerry

[Younger]

That was the finished 28' flat, and now the 24' excursion car, loosely following the Mexicano 2' gauge car show in Best's book "Mexican Narrow Gauge".
-Jerry

[marc_reusser]

Jerry.....Very Cool. Both the cars, and the uploads.   I really like the benches on the excursion car...nice work. Did you make a jig for them?  (and if so.....can I borrow it?  )

What did you make the tarp roof out of? Do you have a picture of the underside (interior sheathing/framing) of the roof?

How is the Caboose coming? 

Marty...it's Ok that you are bot making progress on this.......you've been too busy making others feel inadequate ...but now it is high time you actually completed yours...and started the next one.


Marc

[Younger]

Yes Marc, I built some simple jigs for the benches, and you're welcome to borrow them.  My camera is too large to peek under the canopy, but yes, there is complete framing detail.

The canvas top is Micropore medical tape, very easy to use as it has an adhesive back and has some texture. Just cut to size, rub it down, and paint through it, just like we used to dope silkspan model airplane wings in the old days.

The caboose is out of the paint shop (yellow/ochre) and being decaled. Should be done in a few days. Same with the Hay Car.

[TRAINS1941]

Marc & Jerry

Very nice progress on your cars!

Jerry

[marc_reusser]

Thanks Jerry,

I need to give a  "shout-out" to my homie Jerry Kitts ....

Seriously though...what great service....I called Monday around noon, and ordered some different trucks for this project, and misc parts for my stash......and lo-and-behold, the package was in my mailbox at 3pm today. Truely great service.


Marc

[Younger]

The 16' caboose (on a cut down 20' frame) is basically done, in a color that hopefully represents ochre.
-Younger