Large Scale Central

A new budget freight car project

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

I recently started a new build for my C.J.and M. . I wanted a freight car that no one offers , so I decided to kitbash a modern long boxcar. Using a couple of Aristo Evans boxcars. I cut the ends off of two cars and spliced them together making a car that is a scale 72’6" roof end to roof end. After the car was assembled I removed all of the ribs on the sides leaving the door stops and tracks. I will replace the ribs with my own . I’m leaving the doors themself alone cuz I like the lettering on them and don’t want to spend any money on new decals. The color of the car will be as close to the original red on the doors and the car when finished will be heavily weathered. I’m leaving the roof alone as the splice is hardly visible. The frame for the car will be made by splicing one of my gondola car bottoms together. Heres a few pictures of the car as it is to date.

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. I will keep posting pictures of my progress .

#2

Nice project… :slight_smile:

#3

Good job Mike, What did you use to get the cuts square and what kind of glue do you use to put them back together.

Nick

#4

Hi Nick , I figured out where to cut and marked it with a pencil and just cut it slighty on the strong side with a hacksaw. Then I cleaned the cut with some files and 600 grit sandpaper. I backed up the splice with some .080 scrap. I took my time , THIS TIME , and the splice came out pritty good. Sometimes i’m in a hurry and want to see the final shape NOW. The adhesive I use on my plastic stuff is MEK . Its cheap and you get alot for the price. I’ve had always had good results , it even bonds acrylics .

#5

Mike, I know just how you feel. I wanted some cars that no one offered so I started building. I built a prototype pulpwood car and am half way through a 65’ mill gon. My next will be a 89’ piggyback flat, then a 250 ton derrick. This has been an interesting learn curve since I have never tried scratch building freight cars before. Half the fun has been creating a set of drawings for each car and then see those drawings come to fruition.
Ron

#6

cool!

#7

I got a little more done today. The before and after photos are of the seam on the other side . I used Squadron Products Green Putty and let it dry 24 hours and then sanded with 400 grit. I then sprayed Krylon plastic primer after I washed the car.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0272.JPG)

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(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0273.JPG)

Heres a picture of the inside bracing . Its made of 0.80 plastic.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0274.JPG)

. Before and after primer.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0276.JPG)

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(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0277.JPG)

As you can see I still have a little work to do. The primer really makes all the imperfections pop out.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0279.JPG)

. I’ll post more as I get more done.

#8

Letcha in on a little secret about Squadron green…fingernail polish remover thins/flattens it out quiet nicely…often to the point no sanding is necessary…you don;t have to use as much of it to get the desired effect either…try it with some nail polish remover on a Q tip…you’ll be impressed!

#9

Sounds interesting Bart , thanks for the tip. I’ll give it a try.

#10

And if you don’t have any nail polish remover, most of them are just scented acetone.

#11
Jon Radder said:
And if you don't have any nail polish remover, most of them are just scented acetone.
And Acetone I have plenty of.

Thanks for the tip Bart. maybe I’ll get a tube of Squadron green to play with. I changed over to Micro-Fill by Dubro and Bondo, for most of my filler needs.

#12

I’ve played with a lot of brass, other metals, and wood in my time, but I’ve never been a plastic basher, never even owned much plastic stuff until I started in Large Scale.

Now here in large scale, and as I recognize time becoming more and more scarce, I think that may change… I’m sure it will. So I’m listening in on this thread to pick up all the tips you guys are willing to throw thisaway. Starting with Squadron Green, acetone… and whatever comes up next. I’ve fiddled with a few plastics lately, but mostly, I can’t get them to stick together, so it’s been back to my drills and taps…

I’ll keep listening…

#13

Well I just came up from my workshop and made a little more progress on the car. I finished one side and hopefully get to the other side tomorrow if I have time. If I don’t cover my pool this weekend it will be a skating rink. Anyhow I made the horizontal and vertical posts with Evergreen Plastics products. The vertical posts are made up of HO scale 2"x4" s at 3’ spacing. I’m just winging it adding stuff to the car as I go along. There is no specific car i’m trying to model here. Its late so i’m gonna kick back now. Will post more as progress continues. Hope to have it finished before it snows. Mike Dorsch

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0283.JPG)

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(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0284.JPG)

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(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0285.JPG)

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(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0286.JPG)

#14

Aren’t all those little ribs fun to attach. Nice work Mike

#15

Really looking SWEET!

Do you have a roadname?

#16

I have a bunch of data and reporting number decals Stan made for me. It will be some obscure four letter name on the side but I haven’t looked at them yet. I am looking forward to that phase of the build . After I finish the other side I can turn my attention to the frame . I’ll post more pictures later. Back to the swimming pool…

Mike Dorsch

#17

This is a test . For some reason it seems I cant access my pictures in my freight shed here . I sign in and write something and add photo’s as usual, but after I hit submit I get a error message and i’m not logged in anymore. Also my freight shed looks different as it contains files other than jpg’s. So here goes…

#18

Don’t give up Mike. Go to Forums, Website - near the bottom of the page, and post yr prob there.

#19

I got more done on the car the last couple of days. I finished all the detail work on the car body. I added rivets made from little dabs of JB WELD and painted the car in Soo Line red. That seemed to be the best match of the doors that I did not paint. Then I turned my attention to the underframe . First I had to grind away on the inside all the little nubs that pertrude inside the car at the lower edge where I installed a 1/4"x1/4" square plastic shelf that the bottom will sit on and be screwed and glued to. Today I started decaling the car . The road name is AOK . I’ll try to post more when I can. Still have a bottom frame to assemble , detail and paint. Heres some more pictures of my progress.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0287.JPG)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0289.JPG)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0290.JPG)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0291.JPG)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/_forumfiles/IMGA0292.JPG)

#20

I love JB weld - it’s something I found that actually works! :cool: Those rivets look good, nice and uniform too. If you’ve got a trick for applying them so neatly I’d be glad to hear about it.

When it comes to working with plastics, I’m a rank novice.:frowning: