Thats right friends! It has begun! I have long been enamored with the wooden hoppers on the Mann’s Creek Ry from the New River Gorge in West Virgina…but never could get the design ‘right’ in 7/8 scale. Well now that I’m switching over to proper 1:20.3 I can finally work out the dream! I’ve been working on the CAD plans all week, an today I finally started cutting wood!
Great looking start !
I’ll be watching your progress. I just bought a 23 Ga. headless pinner and have been snooping around for some wood car ideas. I’m thinking of trying that 1:20 flat project over on MLS. I’ve got all kinds of wood in stock and picked up some detail parts at ECLSTS.
Now - do I need to finish some of the other projects before I start something new ??? Why should I change now 
JR
Yet another reason I switched to 1:20.3 …I can fit TWICE as many unfinished projects on the bench now!
Got a little work done today…
Got the bracing done and squared up the sides and ends…
Slope sheets and the A-frames one day this week…
Looking great, Bart. Do you by chance have any prototype pics you could post?
“Wood” you be interested in selling a copy of the plans you are using?
I love wood, it is my fav. working Medium!
cale
Ask and Ye Shall Receive…
Cale, the plans I started with are from the Sept/Oct 2004 Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette. They also appear in the book West Virgina Narrow Gauge Mann’s Creek Railway by Ron Lane and Ted Schnepf. I understand its considered a bit of a collectors item these days though. That being said, I’m doing my own patterns, which I’d be more than happy to share, the only caveat would be that you have to have a CAD program that will read them! I personally use TurboCAD12. OF course for what the plans are worth, you could draw yer own with a pencil and be just as accurate, seems no two photos of these cars show the exact same detail, there were prollyless than a half dozen ever constructed, and those were made from rough cut sawmill lumber, painted with cresote with the iron bits cobbled up in a blacksmith shop…later after they started going to pieces they received steel reinforcement and sheet metal slope sheets…
my bro in law has some CAD training and a few programs…maybe you could send over and we could try to open?
I really like that car!
and it’s wood…
can’t wait to see how your’s turns out!
cale
Cheat to win! I decided that these are gonna be operating models not museum pieces to just make the floors one piece flat on the frame. A coal load can be used to disguise it for display running.
Started a 2nd one to keep me out of trouble while the glue dries. Have materials for at least 2 more on hand already, but wanna get at least one detailed soon!
Little bit of an update, haven’t been able to get alot accomplished over the last week or so… Finished mold that produces brakewheels, lock pawls, Gusset plates and platform braces
And end hardware and hinges/latches in place…I think I’m gonna replace the styrene rod on the latches with wire hanger, it just looks flimsy…
Police Interceptor…that thing should run pretty good!
kiddin…Looking nice, I need to bookmark this one, I really think these are what I need for use with my GE 45tonner…
cale
Ok I guess I’m ready to call it mostly finished…
Still needs couplers and some weathering…but thats a whole nuther class… Krylon Dark Grey Primer…
I like it!!!
I like it too. That looks like a project for my 1 1/2 stuff…that’s the style equipment I plan on running on my home layout.
Bart Salmons said:
Ok I guess I’m ready to call it mostly finished…
Still needs couplers and some weathering…but thats a whole nuther class… Krylon Dark Grey Primer…
OK Bart, this is killin me, can you try to send the files, let’s see if his prog will open… Thanks…they look GREAT!!! cale